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Amazon.co.uk Review
"If they’re really after you, you’re not paranoid" is a lesson The Invaders' David Vincent has learned all too well. Vincent (portrayed by Roy Thinnes) knows that aliens from a dying planet have come to Earth and are planning to take over; having lost his way and fallen asleep in his car in the remote woods one night, he saw their flying saucer land. What’s worse, the invaders know he knows. And worst of all, the rest of the world is willfully oblivious, and little interested in the rantings of this madman. That's the premise of this series from producer Quinn (The Fugitive) Martin, and even if the 16 episodes from the show’s first season (1967) don’t always match the promise of the concept, this is still an intriguing, entertaining ride. The aliens, crafty critters that they are, look exactly like us, save for a slight disfigurement of one finger; they also completely disintegrate when killed, a convenient little conceit that prevents anyone from figuring out who or what they really are. Their dastardly schemes for eliminating the Earthlings are many and varied, ranging from nuclear bombs, plagues of locusts (and carnivorous butterflies!), and manufactured hurricanes to brainwashing and mind control experiments.
Standing against this implacable foe is just one man--an amateur (Vincent was an architect before all the craziness began) who works alone (the other true believers he encounters almost invariably end up dead) and is often stymied by his own impetuousness and lack of preparation. Admittedly, the concept doesn’t hold up under close scrutiny; even if the aliens are trying to take over by stealth instead of one massive invasion, it doesn’t make a lot of sense that they can’t eliminate a guy who doesn’t even own a gun. There is no series arc; each episode is stand-alone, so by the end of the season the invaders still have barely established a foothold. Moreover, while there are plenty of fistfights and chase sequences, the special effects are ludicrous, the alien technology looks like something out of a high school play, the stories are obvious, and the acting is melodramatic (notwithstanding guest appearances by the Jack Warden and familiar TV faces like Suzanne Pleshette, Arthur Hill, Joseph Campanella, Jack Lord, Ed Asner, and many others). Nevertheless, with the help of Dominic Frontiere’s music and the portentous narration that begins and ends each episode, The Invaders manages to consistently maintain its paranoid, Kafka-esque vibe, and that alone makes it compellingly watchable. --Sam Graham
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"How does a nightmare begin?",
By
This review is from: Invaders (DVD)
At last, one of the most iconic sci-fi series of the 60's has finally made it to DVD. When most people think about 60's sci-fi they think Star Trek or any of the myriad Irwin Allen shows, but the most overlooked and unquestionably one of the best was The Invaders.
Produced by Quinn Martin, The Invaders was on at a time when America's relationship with the USSR was paranoid and fearful. The show is full of the 'Reds under the bed' fear and in this case the show has simply used aliens in the social context. The series centres around David Vincent, excellently played by Roy Thinnes, who gets lost one night while driving home from a conference and stops to sleep. At a closed, deserted diner he witnesses the landing of an alien ship. Met with skepticism and ridicule, Vincent has a hard time to convince a disbelieving world that the Invaders are here, that they have taken human form and that they are among us. The show has all the hallmarks of a great sci-fi. The aliens are intriguing and subtle in their takeover plans as they try to establish a beachhead on Earth. Most people will remember their strange bodies with a mutated fourth finger, no pulse, they don't bleed and that they disintigrate in a red glow when they die - taking all the evidence with them! This box set covers all 17 episodes from season 1 from Beachhead through to The Condemned. You feel for Vincent's plight as he tries to do battle with a vastly superior force who can remove all evidence of their appearance within seconds. The stories are well paced and keep the viewer interested, making you guess what the aliens will try next and whether Vincent will make allies in his fight. You can see where The X-Files drew a lot of its immagery for it's alien storylines and Roy Thinnes actually starred in the show as an alien called Jeremiah Smith. The show was full of big name stars from the 60's like Jack Lord (Hawaii 5-0), Burgess Meredith (Batman), Ed Begley, William Windom (Star Trek), Roddy McDowell and a host of others you'll recognise from other 60's sci-fi series. The Invaders is a great slice of American paranoia and still stands up today as a great sci-fi show. A worthwhile addition to any DVD collection, this box set will have you counting down for season 2.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sharp, intelligent, classy sixties sci-fi.... or sci-fact....???,
By Dave Matthews "Dave Matthews" (Lancashire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Invaders (DVD)
Fans of classic TV had been pleading for this show to be issued for many years and now it's finally here, has it been worth the wait?
Quite simply, YES! Let's get the most obvious negatives poinst out of the way first as, although they need to be discussed, they are not of any degree of significance to turn potential buyers away... The packaging artwork is of a good standard but although the man in the foreground has the face of Roy Thinnes (if you look very closely!), he is inexplicably wearing a wig!?! The other imagery bears little relation to The Invaders. In all a strange design and rather too obviously "Photoshopped". Given that Roy Thinnes still supports the series (he is actively promoting the French releases), it is disappointing and surprising that the set contains no interview or commentaries with him. Perhaps Universal might consider this when they come to do the second season? OK, let's move on to the good news... British people tend to deride American television as glossy but vacant - and this is arguably true of much that emerged from the US in the 1980s. But the 1960s and 70s was an era when television scripts were imbued with grit and intelligence. The Invaders was undeniably one of the shows that brought quality to the then-burgeoning genre of TV science-fiction. Counter to the Adonis-like actors that normally head up modern American fantasy, Roy Thinnes was deliberately cast to be the "average man in the street"... the producers were saying "This could happen to anyone". Although each episode has its share of punch-ups - and he acquits himself well in the action stakes - there are no James T Kirk heroics here. Thinnes imbues the role with a refreshing realism that audiences can readily empathise with. Although each episode is standalone, Vincent's plight develops logically as the season progresses. There are flaws, however: the "crooked finger" syndrome is arguably a deus-ex-machina plot device and the aliens seem to work in independent, small groups without an overall "masterplan" or control. Although there is a laudable variety in the plotlines, they tend to be straightforward with no real twists. But the relentless tension, sharp dialogue, special effects and unnerving music keep the audience hooked. Although regarded as a "cult" show, I have no doubt that were it to be remade today (let's try to forget the dismal "television by numbers" 1995 effort), it would garner the same healthy ratings it achieved during its original screenings. Considering this series is now over forty years old, the picture quality on this set is admirable. The colour is a little faded as with most American products of the time but image resolution has a remarkable acuity. Although there are occasional tell-tale black specks, the episodes have clearly been recently re-struck from negatives that were plainly still in great condition. (If only more British shows would receive this treatment). Sound quality is equally high. Admittedly the series probably won't appeal to younger audiences but those of us who remember the days when television was starting to understand the importance of quality will soak this up with joy!
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yes...the classic show,
By
This review is from: Invaders (DVD)
Well, to be honest, the first 17 episodes of series one. I have just taken delivery today (17th September), and can confirm that this is indeed from the original 60's show produced by the legendary Quinn Martin. There are five discs, and the total running time is 835 minutes, NOT the 169 minutes stated by Amazon.co.uk. Picture and sound quality seem fairly good. If you liked the series, you will not find too much to dislike about this release. I would suggest however, Amazon clarifies their own review, which is confusing to say the least.
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