Body Snatchers – Review

Yet another version of adapting the novel into a film, Body Snatchers covers some familiar territory, but at least presents a new story and focal points and I would not call it a remake really, similar to how the 70s version covered different characters. With a family and military based script, some tension and suspense, practical special effects, and a few okay performances, the film is worth the time if you liked the other iterations. That being said, this is slower, and comes up short when compared to the 1956 or 1978 versions.

Environmental Protection Agency officer Steve Malone (Kinney) and his family head to an army base in Alabama. His teenage daughter Gabrielle (Anwar) and young son Andy (Murphy) join him, along with his current wife Carol (Tilly). This brings them to meet personnel like General Platt (Emery), Major Matthew Collins (Whitaker) and pilot Tim Young (Wirth).

But in reality, the situation already seems dangerous. People are acting strangely, and even a bit dangerous. As a strange new ‘enemy’ appears and takes over the population, does the Malone family stand any chance?

Body Snatchers does feature an unsettling atmosphere with a few chilling scenes. The core premise and idea are sound, just as all other versions I have seen, but the script doesn’t deliver on all levels. The characters are okay, and this helps heighten the suspense, but the pace can be too slow, the dialogue a bit wooden, and it really doesn’t bring anything too new to the table.

It is good enough for a watch and comparison to the older versions, and using ideas from multiple writers and decent special effects at least gets a decent time. Some decent actors give it some credence and deliver some creepy performances, while the director kept it all on the rails.