This remake of the same-named 1956 classic is much livelier, more action-packed, and more attention-getting, but it's not quite as good. Pods are landing in San Fransisco and duplicating people, taking over their lives. Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) is a health inspector who discovers the alien conspiracy. He tries to escape their growing power with the help of his friends Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) and Jack (Jeff Goldblum). The new locale is a little more sinister than Santa Mira. The film never quite creates the proper sense of paranoia, though, because it always lets you know exactly who's an alien. The few times it does try to keep things in shroud are direct copies from the original, so you might already know what's going on. It keeps the pace up, though, and might be more enjoyable for modern audiences than the original, though ultimately not as satisfying. A good rental.

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