Horror and science fiction fans expected a lot more in the 1980's than your typical drive-on fair that this ends up being. Other than a few good moments of special effects, the build up this film is very boring and by the time the plot really gets going, you really have begun to see that it's too late. When the alien pulls off his human head, revealing his own look in the New York City skyscraper hotel room, it's gross but we'd already had better effects with several werewolf films that went further and create a genuine frights. It's like a mask kept on by super glue being pulled off so the ooze from it looks like slimy plasma, and there has to be more than just that to make a good science fiction or horror film.
The cast is pretty impressive for 80's character actors and a few who had minimal success as leads. Nancy Allen may be away from the Brian de Palma films for now, but it doesn't seem like she's learned much so she's barely adequate. Fiona Lewis is ravishing in red as an alien in human form, and she does provide a little bit of mystery, but there's not much to her part.
Same goes to Paul LeMat, Louise Fletcher, Wallace Shawn, Diana Scarwid and Michael Lerner. For fans of "Mommie Dearest", seeing Scarwid over acting in the typical soulless way just makes you wonder why Hollywood adopted her. The same goes for Fletcher who declares that nobody takes the train anymore after they decide to notify airlines and bus stations about the aliens, and of course you know that means that an alien will end up on the train.
This doesn't really gel in any way, flowing from alien to alien, and in my case, there wasn't enough entry to draw me in, and none of the ideas presented here were original in any way. It takes a lot of patience to wait for the cameos of "Lost in Space" actors June Lockhart and Mark Goddard, as well as legendary character actor Charles Lane. Talk about invasion of the time snatchers. It's 90 minutes I'll never get back again.
The cast is pretty impressive for 80's character actors and a few who had minimal success as leads. Nancy Allen may be away from the Brian de Palma films for now, but it doesn't seem like she's learned much so she's barely adequate. Fiona Lewis is ravishing in red as an alien in human form, and she does provide a little bit of mystery, but there's not much to her part.
Same goes to Paul LeMat, Louise Fletcher, Wallace Shawn, Diana Scarwid and Michael Lerner. For fans of "Mommie Dearest", seeing Scarwid over acting in the typical soulless way just makes you wonder why Hollywood adopted her. The same goes for Fletcher who declares that nobody takes the train anymore after they decide to notify airlines and bus stations about the aliens, and of course you know that means that an alien will end up on the train.
This doesn't really gel in any way, flowing from alien to alien, and in my case, there wasn't enough entry to draw me in, and none of the ideas presented here were original in any way. It takes a lot of patience to wait for the cameos of "Lost in Space" actors June Lockhart and Mark Goddard, as well as legendary character actor Charles Lane. Talk about invasion of the time snatchers. It's 90 minutes I'll never get back again.