Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Will's Review

First of all, many apologies for the late review; Halloween weekend is not only one of the busiest weekend of the year at work, but also the first time in a loooong time I've been out. The busyness combined with drink and little sleep resulted in quite the recovery and catch-up period.

So, I was glad to be coming back to the 70's remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers; a film I remember watching with my parents as a kid, and really enjoying.

Sadly, it seems that all I remembered was the last 15 minutes; until that point, things were pretty dull.

The story is decent enough (which explains why it seeming gets remade every 2 decades - with other versions in 1956, 1993 and 2007, as well as inspiring countless others.), seeing a race leave it's dying planet in the form of spores and hitch a ride on a solar wind to earth. Once on earth, the spores first assimilate plants, growing into a pink flower, and later synthesising and replacing humans.

Elizabeth is one if the first people to bring the flowers home; and one of the first people to notice something amis, as she becomes convinced that her husband is not her husband, her coworker Mathew (Donald Sutherland) dismisses her claims, but as he begins to encounter more and more people who claim that loved ones have been replaced, he begins to investigate.

The effects are great (especially for the age) with the partially-formed 'pod people' being second only to the moment when we find out what happens to the real bodies of those who have been replaced.

Sadly though, it's interesting premise and effects can't change the fact that it's bone-crushing dull for at least the first 2/3rds of its runtime, as those in the know try in effectively to convince others of what is going on. The movie really only picks up once the epidemic hits critical mass; indeed, it isn't until the last 30 minutes or so that Matthew starts to treat the situation with any real urgency, up to that point he seems happy to almost get on with his day and just mention it if it comes up.

A sadly wasted opportunity which, once again, doesn't live up to the promise of being in the "100 Best Horror Movies"