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Rating:  -
Before I start my review I'd like to say that Timothy Bottoms sure looks like George W. Bush(ironically, his character in the film is named George). I don't know if this film is trying to be a homage or a parody of 1950's sci-fi films. Either way, it does not succeed. To the films detriment, the make-up and special effects aren't really that good considering that they were designed by Oscar winners John Dykstra and Stan Winston. The film doesn't move that well;it just kind of lumbers along. The adult actors are adequate but not outstanding. Louise Fletcher seems to be channeling Nurse Ratched in her role as the mean biology teacher. Bud Cort(of "Harold and Maude" fame) has a strange little role as a scientist. What keeps this film grounded is the performance of young Hunter Carson(real-life son of co-star Karen Black) as David Gardner, the kid who sees all the strange goings on but is having a hard time convincing the adults. He makes the film watchable. If not for him I would rate this film two stars instead of three.
Rating:  -
You've seen the 1953 version, now see the even wierder and much longer 1986 version with an all-star cast: Karen Black, Timothy Bottoms, Laraine Newman, James Karen. Bud Cort and Louise Fletcher. This one is far-fetched too, but it might make you like the original instead. The boy is played by Karen Black's real son, Hunter Carson.
The boy from the original 1953 film, Jimmy Hunt, plays a Police Chief in this one. He is the one on the right.
Rating:  -
I really liked this flick, despite the cruddy ending. It's a really good excuse to stop doing...stuff that I can't explain right now. The F/X are really cool, and the storyline is good to.
Rating: -
The original 1953 INVADERS FROM MARS is a cult classic, appreciated for both its influence on later similar films and the fact that it reads as hilariously corny by today standards. But this 1986 remake--in spite of a big budget, several very talented actors, and a deliberately campy script--is unlikely to inspire the same sort of loyalty, and it was universally condemned by critics and audiences alike when first released.
That said, the film really isn't as bad as you may have heard. The plot follows the original version quite closely: the imaginative young son (Hunter Carson) of two loving parents (Timothy Bottom and Laraine Newman) catches sight of a UFO as it lands beyond the hill behind his house--and when his father goes out to investigate he returns... well... different. When his mother and his evil school teacher (Louise Fletcher) follow suit, he turns to the school nurse (Karen Black), and together the two alert the local military to the strange goings-on.
The cast is really quite good. Although the script gives her little to do beyond run around screaming, Karen Black has a unique screen presence--and it is as evident here as it is in her more celebrated films. Her real life son, Hunter Carson, does the honors as the child lead, and aquits himself very well. But the most memorable performances are from Laraine Newman, Timothy Bottom, and Louise Fletcher, who are transformed by the UFO and sent abroad to do the aliens' evil will. Fletcher is particularly enjoyable, wringing the most from her role as every child's nightmare school teacher. The special effects have dated and seem remarkably derrivative, a mix of STAR WARS and ALIEN, but they too are entertaining in their own way, and although it isn't always successful the script has enough campy humor (much of it in reference to the original) to give you an occasional hoot.
As pure fluff, the 1986 INVADERS FROM MARS works very well, and kids ten and up are likely to find it extremely entertaining. Still, I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way for this particular movie. It is mindlessly entertaining, but I don't think it is a film to which many viewers will care to return.
Rating: -
With little fanfare, MGM has quietly transferred a handful of great B films to DVD that they not too arbitrarily categorize as "Midnight Movies." The nice looking digital prints are in their original theatrical format and appear as if they were taken from original material. The discs come with no substantial extras but care has been lavished on the box art, often reflecting the lurid lobby cards and posters of their initial release. Even acknowledging the B category, these are for the most part well-crafted and, well, adequately acted.
In "INVADERS FROM MARS" Tobe Hooper directs a terrific cast -- Karen Black, Timothy Bottoms, Bud Cort and Louise Fletcher -- in a straightforward update of the of the 1953 cult classic. This flip side to the benign aliens of "E.T." or "Close Encounters" delivers bad guys from space who not only want our planet but our souls as well. Creepy fun that can still raise the hair on your neck.
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