Invasion of the Body Snatchers Review

  

  So, how good is Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)? Well for starters, this extraterrestrial mystery movie has its ups and downs, and we’ll be discussing all of them in this post!

warning: As with most film reviews, there will be slight spoilers below the cut. So, avoid reading further if you don’t want to be spoiled!

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This movie quickly takes off with a scene of our main character, Dr. Miles Bennell, being questioned by doctors for being crazy and dazed. After a confusing introduction, it gets straight into the beginning of how this all came about.

So, it all takes place in the fictional town of Santa Mira, California. After returning from a trip out of town, Miles notices that many people are acting odd, saying that their beloved ones are “imposters”. He shrugs this off, but soon comes to realize that it’s much more serious than that. He figures out that these strange alien pods are creating clones of people, but before he can do anything, it’s already too late. The entire town gets taken over by them, and he takes his girlfriend Becky and runs away. Unfortunately, Becky becomes one and there’s nothing he can do. This is when Miles runs into the next town and is found by the doctors we see in the beginning.

So, the big question: Does the storyline connect and make sense?

The answer is yes and no. While the story keeps a consistent pacing, there are a few issues when it comes to plot holes and unanswered questions.

Firstly, the movie never actually explains how falling asleep lets the clones take over. This also ties in with another question; near the end when Becky falls asleep, how exactly is her body taken over by the clone? It never explained how that works, and why the clones make two bodies. It also doesn’t go too into detail about how the strange alien pods work. The movie just seems to contradict itself at some points.

Overall, looking past the plot holes and unanswered questions, the story stuck to its general plot and kept a good pace!

 

Character Development

While there were many characters introduced in this film, this movie mainly focuses on the main two characters, Miles and Becky. We’re not sure if you could call this character development, as the characters kind of end up worse off, but here it is!

·         Dr. Miles Bennell:

-Started out as a charming and responsible guy.

-Near the end started to become a bit reckless as the situation changes.

-Eventually loses it, becomes a wreck.

 

·         Becky Driscoll

-Starts off as observant and caring.

-Doesn’t really develop much, as she becomes an alien pod person with no emotions.

 

Finally, The movie’s highs and lows!

This film doesn’t really have any high points more than just your standard climax.

Though, we believe that the climax of this film is when Miles and Becky are discovered by the alien clones and are forced to run out of town to escape. This is when we realize that hope is basically lost, as everyone in town has been replaced and won’t stop until Miles and Becky are replaced as well.

Along those lines, we also believe that the lowest point in this film is when Becky is turned. After everything they’ve gone through, Miles has to abandon her and escape to the next town over. Just as we think that’s the end of it, everyone thinks Miles is crazy, and they don’t believe him. Not until they hear of another man’s experience at least. Then, the movie ends there on a cliffhanger.

 

So overall…

While this film did have some minor issues and some unresolved plot holes, it’s still a good classic! Sure, there are newer and more interesting films out there, but if you’re looking for a simple to follow and easy paced film, then Invasion of the Body Snatchers is perfect!

We recommend this film to any lover of classic sci-fi or anyone looking for a simple take on alien invasions!

 

Got any other films you’d like us to review? Let us know in the comments! And remember to stay updated for our future posts!