The Invasion 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD
Score: 78
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
The Invasion, despite its promise and relevant themes, delivers a glossy yet soulless experience, but Arrow's 4K release offers strong technical merits.
Disc Release Date
2K Upscale
HDR10
Dolby Vision
DTS-HD MA
Video: 86
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "The Invasion," restored by Arrow Films, delivers improved detail and a vivid palette with HDR and Dolby Vision, enhancing the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Despite some minor inconsistencies, the presentation offers pleasing sharpness and deep black levels, though some digital smoothing of close-ups is evident. Overall, it's a satisfying upgrade from the previous 1080 release.
Audio: 83
The Invasion's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track impresses with immersive surround activity, ample bass, and effective dialogue clarity. Highlights include explosive bass during shuttle scenes and dynamic directionality that captures ambient city life, making it a strong audio presentation matching the film's detailed visual quality.
Extra: 66
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of 'The Invasion' boasts an impressive array of extras including insightful audio commentary by Andrea Subisati and Alexandra West, perceptive visual essays by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelsen exploring pandemic themes, and engaging archival featurettes, perfectly packaged for fans.
Movie: 58
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of 'The Invasion' presents a technically polished rendition of a troubled film, balancing its sleek visuals and atmospheric score with a narrative caught between creative ambitions and studio-imposed action sequences. While intriguing social and scientific commentaries emerge post-Covid, the film's shift from original vision to formulaic Hollywood fare, lacking emotional depth, limits its impact.
Video: 86
Arrow Video's 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "The Invasion" impressively balances between technical enhancements and maintaining the film's original aesthetic. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, this release showcases the movie in 4K resolution, enhanced with HDR and Dolby Vision. The restoration work, conducted at Duplitech using Warner Brothers supplied data, ensures a heightened level of detail, revealing the practical set details, such as textures in costumes like Nicole Kidman's tweed jacket. The Dolby Vision adds a vivid pop to the palette, showcasing richer colors and deeper black levels compared to previous 1080 presentations. While some CGI scenes may not hold up, the practical effects provide sharp, organics details with tightly resolved grain.
The color grading in this release transforms the viewing experience by bringing out the film's distinctive visual style. From icy blues and teals to warmer yellows and sepias, each tone is well-represented, albeit with occasional aggressive timing that may feel unnerving. Flesh tones follow these shifts, with the Dolby Vision and HDR emphasizing contrasts especially well in scenes that possess cooler lighting schemes. Despite a few moments of inherent softness and deliberate dimming designed to match the film's foreboding atmosphere, this release offers a notable improvement in the black levels over prior iterations, though subtle Dolby Vision enhancements might go unnoticed amidst intentionally muted scenes.
Overall, Arrow Video has delivered a technically satisfying 4K presentation that is sure to please fans of the movie. The 4K treatment enhances sharpness and detail while preserving the film's unique color palette. Whether you're drawn to its visual clarity or its carefully restored cinematic essence, "The Invasion" on 4K UHD delivers a high-quality viewing experience that accurately reflects its source material.
Audio: 83
The audio presentation of "The Invasion" on 4K UHD Blu-ray is both robust and immersive, featuring a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that mirrors the previous Dolby TrueHD 5.1 version from Warner Brothers. Sound design effectively bookends the film, with particularly notable surround activity at both the beginning and end. This track excels in its ability to populate scenes with environmental effects, bringing the city to life as Nicole Kidman traverses it. The subtle use of side and rear channels during quieter, interstitial moments adds depth and dimension to the viewing experience.
The disc handles action sequences with precision: the initial shuttle explosion remains a benchmark for home theater enthusiasts, utilizing impactful bass to shake the room. As the film progresses, the directionality transitions seamlessly from ambient noise to a compelling score as the thematic shift occurs with the invasion. Key moments, such as infected individuals pounding on a car, leverage the surround system's full capacity, enveloping the audience with a palpable sense of urgency and tension. Dialogue is presented with clarity through the center channel, ensuring that viewer engagement remains high.
Overall, this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on "The Invasion" effectively supports the narrative while enriching the visual components with dynamic audio elements. The balanced mix of effects, dialogue, and score makes for an exemplary auditory experience that complements the film's thrilling pace and atmospheric nuances. Optional English subtitles are available for added accessibility, cementing this release as a comprehensive and engaging offering for audiophiles and casual viewers alike.
Extras: 66
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "The Invasion" provides an impressive array of extras that are both informative and engaging. This release includes a new audio commentary by Andrea Subisati and Alexandra West, known for their insightful analysis on the Faculty of Horror podcast. Visual essays by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelsen explore the film's themes in a contemporary context, particularly in light of recent global events. The archival featurettes offer a retrospective look at production aspects, while providing a blend of historical and fictional insights into infectious diseases. Supplementing these is the theatrical trailer, an image gallery, and a limited edition booklet with writings by William Bibbiani and Sally Christie. The attention to packaging details, such as a reversible sleeve and a fold-out poster, underscores Arrow's dedication to fan satisfaction.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Featuring film critics Andrea Subisati and Alexandra West.
- Body Snatchers and Beyond: A visual essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas revisiting the film post-Covid.
- The Bug That's Going Around: A visual essay by Josh Nelsen on the film’s pandemic prophecies.
- We've Been Snatched Before: Archival featurette on combating infectious diseases.
- Behind the Scenes:
- The Invasion: A New Story
- The Invasion: On the Set
- The Invasion: Snatched
- Theatrical Trailer
- Image Gallery
Movie: 58
The 2007 rendition of "The Invasion," adapted from Jack Finney’s novel, presents a blend of sci-fi thriller elements with an underpinning of post-9/11 societal allegory. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, the film’s premise revolves around a space shuttle crash spreading an alien spore across the eastern seaboard, transforming the infected into emotionless drones. Despite initial plans for a cerebral approach, studio interventions led to a shift towards action sequences, courtesy of directors James McTeigue and screenwriters the Wachowskis. This alteration introduces a dynamic pace but sacrifices the deeper thematic exploration present in previous adaptations. Nicole Kidman’s performance stands out as she portrays a mother grappling with both personal loss and an alien threat, adding a layer of intrigue in her struggle against infection.
Creative decisions veer between compelling and flawed. Highlights include evocative visuals filled with eerie atmosphere and an emotional score by John Ottman that attempts to instill an atmosphere of creeping dread, although the overall tonal consistency fluctuates due to the film's reshooting phase. Political undertones are threaded throughout, most notably through conversations and news footage juxtaposing human conflict against the backdrop of alien invasion. While the film expertly captures Washington's transformation into a surreal landscape, its execution falters, resulting in a product that appears to compromise on its intellectual footing for entertainment value.
Despite its shortcomings, "The Invasion" resonates with metaphorical nods towards contemporary issues like pandemics and sociopolitical unrest. While some narrative aspects are portrayed clumsily, such as the simplified notion of suppressing emotions to evade infection, they inadvertently mirror real-world complexities and societal responses during crises. This version does introduce an intriguing dialogue on humanity’s dualistic nature of self-preservation versus self-destruction but ultimately concludes on a more commercial note. Enriched by strong cast performances, particularly Jeffery Wright’s scientific portrayal and Daniel Craig’s supporting role, "The Invasion" encapsulates ambitious concepts yet delivers them through the lens of formulaic Hollywood storytelling.
Total: 78
"The Invasion" receives a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray release courtesy of Arrow, a decision that warrants both interest and skepticism. The film, a reinterpretation of Jack Finney’s classic novel “The Body Snatchers,” faced significant challenges during production, resulting in a final product that diverges from its revered predecessors. Although its narrative is timely due to its focus on disease and societal reactions—a theme resonating profoundly in the post-Covid era—the execution falls short of its potential. Encumbered by generic action sequences, it lacks the eerie sophistication and depth that characterized earlier adaptations. The result is a Hollywood production which, while polished, ultimately provides an unsatisfying viewing experience.
Technically, Arrow’s 4K release stands as a robust demonstration of the medium’s visual capabilities, offering a crisp and impressive presentation that is likely to satisfy videophiles. The disc includes a selection of special features which, despite a superficial exploration of the film's own troubled production, remain informative. The supplements could benefit from a deeper dive into this specific adaptation, as they lean heavily on genre history and past iterations. Nevertheless, the 4K rendition offers value to collectors and enthusiasts of high-definition media.
In conclusion, "The Invasion" in 4K from Arrow presents itself as a visually enthralling yet substantively underwhelming package. While technically accomplished, it fails to fully capitalize on the thematic richness of its source material and previous adaptations, rendering it more of a stylistic showpiece than a meaningful cinematic experience. Nonetheless, for a viewer intrigued by the broader "Body Snatchers" legacy or those with an interest in sci-fi thrillers, Arrow's release might appeal sufficiently to justify consideration.
avforums review by Mark CostelloRead review here
Video: 90
Note that this review is based on a UHD check disc provided by the studio’s publicity company, meaning none of the packaging or off-disc extras could be reviewed below....
Audio: 90
It is of course also free from any form of blemish or debris, camera judder is completely absent, even on the notoriously tricky opening credits, and Arrow’s encoding team continue their sterling work,...
Extras: 50
John Ottman’s score is also superbly presented – its musicality matching the tonal qualities of the overall track (deep, wide, crystal clear, vibrant) but also ebbs its way around the speaker array for...
Movie: 50
Littering some truly inept creative decisions along the way and around this central spine – in the opening minutes the entire infection begins because Northam’s character who has just come from the shuttle...
Total: 50
The new 4K release from Arrow seems a strange one for the boutique – a strong technical presentation aside, its extras feel half-arsed, focussing too much on the genre and previous films at the expense...
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 90
Note: While this is a standalone 4K release without a 1080 disc, I am offering screenshots from Arrow's standalone 1080 release as I think it actually provides a better representation of the look of the...
Audio: 80
Several of those aforementioned interstitial "cellular" moments do offer sporadic engagement of the side and rear channels, and some of the outdoor material in particular is populated with good ambient...
Extras: 80
Body Snatchers and Beyond (HD; 23:53) is a new visual essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, revisiting the film in the wake of Covid....
Movie: 50
This particular Invasion is probably more than ripe for a reassessment in a (hopefully largely) post-Covid world, as several of the supplements on the disc get into, as the film is almost weirdly prescient...
Total: 60
The Invasion is arguably much more "relevant" now (for better or worse) after the Covid situation we've all been going through for years, and it's probably in the film's approach toward disease and reactions...
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 80
Nicole Kidman clearly had some digital smoothing done to her face and it shows compared to the textured close-ups elsewhere (a sequence around 51-minutes is terrible, with smoothness everywhere...
Audio: 80
Infected covering a car late in The Invasion allows pounding from infected to catch every channel, a truly effective, surrounding moment....
Extras: 60
Scholar Josh Nelson also produces an essay on The Invasion as prophetic toward the pandemic....
Movie: 80
The Invasion does this incredibly well, unquestionably the fastest-moving edition of this story, with countless haunting images that turn Washington into a horror beyond the political season....
Total: 75
The Invasion is wonderfully unnerving paranoia in a rapid fire sci-fi thriller that was unfairly glossed over on its initial release....
Home Theater Forum review by Neil MiddlemissRead review here
Video: 90
An upscale to 4K from the 2K DI feature master, The Invasion pops with greater detail, retention of the color palette, mostly natural skin tones (but entirely in keeping with the film’s color aesthetic),...
Audio: 90
There’s ample bass, and the subwoofer carries the low-frequency effects ably; surrounds tend to come alive during the busier action sequences (Kidman’s frantic drive, for example), and the center channel...
Extras: 80
Arrow knows how to put together special features that delight fans of the film in question, and The Invasion continues that tradition....
Movie: 60
That would explain some of the curious style changes, sequences where the editing is unnecessarily frantic, and various lapses in logic (when Kidman’s son is missing, following a text video message where...
Total: 80
The makings of an intriguing adaptation of Jack Finney’s 1955 novel “The Body Snatchers,” the fourth cinematic interpretation of that source material, are here but obscured by shifts in approach and quality....
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam
PlotAfter a space shuttle disintegrates on re-entry, scattering debris across the U.S., a seemingly benign alien virus arrives on Earth. This virus quickly begins to alter the behavior of those it infects. Carol Bennell, a Washington, D.C. psychiatrist, starts to notice subtle changes in the people around her, including her patients and her ex-husband. These infected individuals soon display a frightening level of emotional detachment and conformity. Carol's initial skepticism turns to concern, and then to terror, as she realizes the scale of the infection.
Desperate to find her son, Oliver, who is in the custody of her infected ex-husband, Carol teams up with her friend Ben Driscoll, a fellow doctor. Together, they seek to understand the nature of the virus and how it spreads, discovering its frightening efficiency at taking over human hosts during their vulnerable sleep. As society begins to crumble around them, and with the infected now in positions of power attempting to spread the virus further, Carol and Ben must stay awake long enough to find a way to save her son and, hopefully, humanity itself from an emotionless and conformist future.
Writers: David Kajganich, Jack Finney
Release Date: 17 Aug 2007
Runtime: 99 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States, Australia
Language: English, Russian