Terminal Invasion (2002) (TV)

Director:

Sean S. Cunningham

Writers (WGA):

Lewis Abernathy (story)
Lewis Abernathy (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

14 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Aliens in human disguise commandeer a rural airport during a snowstorm. To survive, the people trapped inside must determine which of their own is not of this Earth.

Plot Keywords:

Airport | Security Guard | Prisoner | Preacher | Cult Sci Fi

Cast

Bruce Campbell	...	Jack
Chase Masterson	...	Cathy Garrett
C. David Johnson	...	David Higgins
Kedar Brown	...	Darian
Andrew Tarbet	...	Andrew Philips
Sarah Lafleur	...	Sarah Philips
Marcia Bennett	...	Gloria
Chuck Byrn	...	Del (as Chuck Bryn)
Jason Jones	...	Sgt. Griffin
Stephen Joffe	...	Stephen
Hannah Lochner	...	Hannah
Dylan Bierk	...	Angie
Ian Downie	...	Reverend Callaghan
Scott Wickware	...	Officer Red
Jake Simons	...	Officer Tommy (as Jake Simmons)

Also Known As:

Devil's Pass (USA) (working title)
Invasion au terminal (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence.

Runtime:

90 min | Germany:81 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:16 | Germany:16 | UK:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Amber Light Films Inc.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the hangar when Jack preps the plane, he pulls the propeller in a clockwise direction. However the pitch of the blade indicates that the engine should rotate counter-clockwise in order to fly.

Quotes:

Jack: You don't have to worry about who I've killed before. Just worry about who I'm going to kill next.

Movie Connections:

References "Star Trek" (1966)

Cheesy, but fun, B-movie stuff.

The plot is pretty simple. There isn't really anything to give away, so I'll keep this simple (for once). A group of people are trapped in an isolated location with a lethal blizzard outside. Among our little group are a convicted murderer, a feisty pilot, a whining businessman, a bickering couple, a stereotypical black man (no offense, but he is), two noisy kids...oh, and some of them are actually aliens preparing to take over the earth. It's a cheesy take on the "Night of the Living Dead" formula with aliens standing in for zombies.

Now, I know you're probably thinking "Gee, that sounds pretty dumb." To be honest, it is. The script is very flawed, and I could go on for a while listing some of it's problems (lack of real characterization and stupid plot twists among them). However, "Terminal Invasion" is still fun in that cheesy B-movie kind of way. You just have to be in the right state of mind, remember that you're watching a low budget TV movie, and let yourself go along with it. If you're someone that doesn't like this kind of stuff, watch something else. That's what it comes down to.

It is nice, however, to see Sean Cunningham directing again. He found success with the original "Friday the 13th" (which was one of the good ones) but seemed to have vanished after his next few movies flopped. It's also fun to see Bruce Campbell, of "Evil Dead" fame, in a leading role again (when is "Bubba Ho-Tep" being released?).

In conclusion, "Terminal Invasion" is a harmless way to pass time on a Saturday night.

*** (out of 5)