**possible spoilers**
In the mid-1980s, director Tobe Hooper signed a three-picture deal with the Cannon Group, offering him a rare opportunity at being a big-time filmmaker. Unfortunately, this endeavor was a failure in the long run, and his career has never recovered. Due to circumstances beyond his control, the films they did together were generally unsuccessful, critically and commercially. The only one to make any money was his unfairly condemned "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", an uneven but often invigorating dark comedy that bore little resemblance to the original. "Lifeforce" was one of Cannon's most expensive projects, and possibly its biggest flop. A long, ungainly mess (especially the butchered U.S. version), the film did not win favor with the public, despite the presence of the frequently naked Mathilda May as a space vampiress. However, the film that suffered the most was "Invaders from Mars," a remake of the 1953 cult classic. Cannon repeatedly slashed the film's budget and severely compromised Hooper's creative vision. Furthermore, it was recut during postproduction. The result is not a complete disaster, but it does fall short of its aims. Despite a solid first half, it runs out of inspiration later on, becoming just another generic alien invasion movie.
One night, a young boy sees a Martin spaceship land near his home turf. Needless to say, no one believes him--but everyone is starting to act strange--especially his teacher. These early scenes have an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" vibe there; while not highly original, the first part of the film is solid enough, generating some suspense as the boy realizes that the aliens are taking over. His only friend is the school nurse, but who will save them? From this point on, the material could have gone in any direction, but it ends up running out of ideas and becoming another predictable exercise. Eventually, the Marine Corps find that something is amiss and fight the Martins, but this portion of the film is simply not as exciting as it should be--the surprises have run out. The film still benefits from solid production values; the interiors of the Martin ship are good at times, with some colorful lighting effects, but the weak script still hurts the film.
As the little boy, Hunter Carson does a reasonably good job; though acting scared once in a while wouldn't have hurt, at least he's not annoying. Karen Black is okay but not exceptional. The best performance goes to Louise Fletcher as a possessed schoolteacher--her condition only seems to enhance her more unpleasant tendencies. Timothy Bottoms and Laraine Newman are adequate as the ill-fated parents, as is James Karen, playing the Marine general. "Invaders from Mars" needed more to keep things interesting. Some more plot twists could have made this a winner, but instead it is content to stay on the worn path, playing the same note over and over again. It's a passable effort, but not one worth going out of your way to check out. Tobe Hooper has made better films...but not lately.
** (out of ****)
Released by Cannon Films
In the mid-1980s, director Tobe Hooper signed a three-picture deal with the Cannon Group, offering him a rare opportunity at being a big-time filmmaker. Unfortunately, this endeavor was a failure in the long run, and his career has never recovered. Due to circumstances beyond his control, the films they did together were generally unsuccessful, critically and commercially. The only one to make any money was his unfairly condemned "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", an uneven but often invigorating dark comedy that bore little resemblance to the original. "Lifeforce" was one of Cannon's most expensive projects, and possibly its biggest flop. A long, ungainly mess (especially the butchered U.S. version), the film did not win favor with the public, despite the presence of the frequently naked Mathilda May as a space vampiress. However, the film that suffered the most was "Invaders from Mars," a remake of the 1953 cult classic. Cannon repeatedly slashed the film's budget and severely compromised Hooper's creative vision. Furthermore, it was recut during postproduction. The result is not a complete disaster, but it does fall short of its aims. Despite a solid first half, it runs out of inspiration later on, becoming just another generic alien invasion movie.
One night, a young boy sees a Martin spaceship land near his home turf. Needless to say, no one believes him--but everyone is starting to act strange--especially his teacher. These early scenes have an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" vibe there; while not highly original, the first part of the film is solid enough, generating some suspense as the boy realizes that the aliens are taking over. His only friend is the school nurse, but who will save them? From this point on, the material could have gone in any direction, but it ends up running out of ideas and becoming another predictable exercise. Eventually, the Marine Corps find that something is amiss and fight the Martins, but this portion of the film is simply not as exciting as it should be--the surprises have run out. The film still benefits from solid production values; the interiors of the Martin ship are good at times, with some colorful lighting effects, but the weak script still hurts the film.
As the little boy, Hunter Carson does a reasonably good job; though acting scared once in a while wouldn't have hurt, at least he's not annoying. Karen Black is okay but not exceptional. The best performance goes to Louise Fletcher as a possessed schoolteacher--her condition only seems to enhance her more unpleasant tendencies. Timothy Bottoms and Laraine Newman are adequate as the ill-fated parents, as is James Karen, playing the Marine general. "Invaders from Mars" needed more to keep things interesting. Some more plot twists could have made this a winner, but instead it is content to stay on the worn path, playing the same note over and over again. It's a passable effort, but not one worth going out of your way to check out. Tobe Hooper has made better films...but not lately.
** (out of ****)
Released by Cannon Films