Review - The Invasion

Oliver Hirschbiegel's Invasion is a case study in wasted potential. The fourth film to be adapted from Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers, this film needed to have some relevance and a new perspective to be considered a success. It has neither. The first half of the film sufficiently builds up the suspense despite lackluster performances from Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. However, the second half of the film devolves into a frantic quest to stay awake and avoid "the infected."
The film has some genuinely creepy moments and some interesting philosophical questions but they are never explored to the extent that actually impacts the movie. One character ruminates on the idea that a world without violence and greed is a world where humans cease to be human, clear foreshadowing of the events to come, but once those events arrive, it is never really mentioned it again except for a tacked on voice-over at the end of the film which serves absolutely no purpose. I would expect the reshoots from James McTeague of V for Vendetta fame to have put more emphasis on the philosophy behind the film. He showed in V that he is more than capable of combining action with thoughtful meditation. But both he and Hirschbiegel drop the ball in this film.
Furthermore, the movie collapses under its own internal logic problems and pacing mistakes. In many cases it feels as if the filmmakers extended sequences just to make the movie longer. I can think of no other reason for the drawn out, monotonous scenes where Kidman tries to stay awake.
All that said, the film does manage to be enjoyable. It's fun to watch the wooden, emotionless Kidman try to blend in with the infected by presenting herself as...well, wooden and emotionless. The character is written to be kick ass heroine, completely unafraid to mow down an entire group of people with a pistol when they threaten her son but Kidman can't seem to decide whether she is the assertive feminist that she describes herself as or an uptight, automaton afraid of her own emotions. Daniel Craig doesn't try to play his character in any way, instead choosing to infuse him with absolutely no emotion and tap into the everyman quality, as in every man will probably forget that he even appeared in the film. Jackson Bond, who plays Kidman's son turns in the best performance of the film, an impressive feat when alongside such heavyweights as Kidman and Craig who prove their chemistry is palpable in The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, it's far too clear that their hearts weren't in this one.
This movie would be a better Youtube video than feature film when it could focus on the few interesting camera angles without being burdened by logic, story or character development.