Invaders From Mars (1986)
What's It About?
A boy witnesses a UFO landing over the hill behind his house, soon his parents and various people in his town begin acting strange. Upon investigation he learns that group of Martians are taking over his town in an event to prevent Nasa from sending any more expeditions to Mars.
Is It Any Good?
Another member of the club of 1980s remakes to goofy 40s and 50s with elaborate practical effects movies club (The Thing, The Fly, Cat People, The Blob), Invaders From Mars is a bit of an outlier in that it's not tremendously gory. Invaders From Mars is ostensibly for children, being rated PG as it is, but like any other children's horror movie from the 1980s it is pure kinder trauma.
The story follows a boy of about 10 who sees a UFO, and watches as the people in his town are mind-controlled by Martians. It's essentially a body snatchers movie but features some amazing looking practical alien creatures and some wonderfully made (intentionally) fake-looking sets.
The script, written by Richard Blake and punched up by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby is gloriously silly and operates entirely on child logic. The aliens' main human avatar is the kid's mean teacher (Louise Fletcher), the pretty school nurse (Karen Black) becomes his sidekick/damsel in distress, even the no-nonsense military general (James Karen) agrees to see him. It's the kind of movie that children of the 50s and 60s likely envisioned in their minds when watching those goofy old sci-fi movies. The only downside is that the kid in the lead role is a pretty abysmal actor, regardless it's easily one of Tobe Hooper's best movies.
Watch, Toss, or Buy?
Buy it, especially if you have a kid to traumatize.