The Invasion

Oliver Hirschbeigel’s “The Invasion” attempts to put a modern-day spin on the 1956 classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” but much like the drones in the film, this remake has had every ounce of tension and vivacity drained from its system. Every scene feels like a recycled piece of hackneyed drivel that was thrown together at the last minute to no avail. Complete with a $50 million budget and appealing star power, this film had the capability to become a transfixing summer thrill ride, but sadly chose to delve into a sphere of agonizing mediocrity.

Like the original, the plot centers around a psychiatrist who begins to hear complaints from patients about their family members supposedly being taken over by a mysterious entity. We later find out that the alteration is caused by a virus activated upon a person’s entrance into REM sleep, which takes over their entire consciousness and turns them into blank slates. Once enough people are infected, a clinic is established in which people will be unknowingly injected with the bug while it masquerades as a harmless flu vaccine.

With such an attention-grabbing premise, one would think that a film like this would have a little more spunk to complement its formidable cast, but that just doesn’t happen here. Instead, Nicole Kidman must squeeze as much heart and enthusiasm as she can out of this character and once again, she does not disappoint. Her interpretation of Dr. Carol Bennell is naturally convincing and her intensity seems to effortlessly expand as the film develops. She literally saves this picture from being a downright disaster, while doing her best to salvage Hirschbeigel’s reputation as an exceptionally talented director.

His work here can be described as modest at best, although I will say that the film is beautifully shot and does deserve recognition for creating a genuinely creepy mood. My major complaint with this film lies in the fact that no thoughtful insight on the political aspect is ever offered. We are given the slightest whiff of a possible cover-up, but in the end, the real issues are dismissed in favor of lukewarm thrills and tiresome sentimentality.

This isn’t necessarily a bad film, but what could’ve been a revitalized adaptation is just another suspense film lost in the summer shuffle. For fans of Kidman, may I suggest waiting until “Margot at the Wedding” (Nov. 16) to see what she really does best.

- ** out of 4