 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Invisible
- Review Date: October 15, 2007
- PG-13
- Genre: Thriller
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Supernatural teen thriller is preposterous, awful.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this thriller is being heavily marketed to teens, so many of them will want to see it. Expect a fair amount of swearing and mild sexuality and plenty of teen-on-teen violence and criminality, much of which is perpetuated by a highly dysfunctional girl who lies, cheats, steals, and kills. The main character has a distant relationship with his mother, whom he secretly resents for expecting him to be perfect.
What's the story?
Ambitious high schooler Nick (Justin Chatwin) is thrown into a supernatural dimension after a run-in with delinquent classmate Annie (Margarita Levieva) and her henchmen in the thriller, THE INVISIBLE. Convinced that Nick ratted on them, Annie and her gang viciously attack Nick and throw his limp body into a manhole in the woods. Nick isn't quite dead, but he's not really alive, either, and his spirit must get someone to help his physical body before he succumbs. Nick haunts his perfectionist mother (Marcia Gay Harden) and his best friend, but he mostly hangs around Annie. She's guilt-ridden but unwilling to confess, even though the cops know she's involved. Her family life is messed up, Nick discovers, so perhaps her bad choices -- like accidentally offing him -- aren't really her fault. As out-of-body Nick continues to try to communicate with Annie, he becomes convinced she's his only hope.
Is it any good?
Most teens aren't serious film buffs, but even casual movie-going adolescents know the difference between a compelling, well-crafted high-school flick (Mean Girls, Brick) and a muddled mess like The Invisible. What's most ridiculous about this film -- even by teen-drama standards -- is that eventually Nick and Annie develop a thing for each other. (Apparently being a ghost makes you extra forgiving, especially if your killer is gorgeous beneath her hoodie and skullcap.) In one scene, Nick has to repress his invisible-man urge to spy on her in the shower. And Annie, for some preposterous reason, decides to crash into Nick's room, where she caresses his face in old albums as if he'd been her boyfriend instead of, you know, the guy she bloodied.
By the time the climactic hospital scene occurs, it's hard to care whether Nick or Annie are ghosts, semi-conscious, or just plain dead or alive. But as long as teens buy tickets, the studios will just keep churning out these laughable stories.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about parental expectations and gender issues. It's unusual for a teen thriller to have a female villain like this one -- instead of a catty high school "mean girl," she's aggressive, violent, and in many ways "masculine." Do parents expect different behavior from boys than they do from girls? Why? Does the media play a role in establishing those expectations? If so, how?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Hey it's a pretty good movie!
Yeah I don't know why everyone hates this movie, because I thought it was good. It has an original plot and the actors are pretty cool. The one part I don't like is the second to last scene where Annie is bleeding all over but no one notices. That was really not believable. But the rest was good!!
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
i love it
omg i thought this movie was seriously really good! the girl learns her mistakes and does something good b4 she dies. and i dont know if im the only one who thinks this but i think nick and annie were falling in love in the end . i just think its a rly goo d movie and if u dont mind violence u should watch it
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Well I found this stunning.
Oh boy, I absolutely adored this movie.
I am, particularly dissapointed at some of these critiques. Personally it failed my expectations of someone who has a career of reviewing things.
[Little note; Nick wasn't 'surpressing the urge to watch Annie in the shower' His World Body was dieing, so his soul started to fade as well. You notice that throughout the movie. Thought I'd point that out since some people are dimwitted, such as whoever wrote this review.]
A lot of parts in this are relatable and I admire the fact that the producer/writer/etc. were able to get viewers to change there view on Annie.
At the beginning I'm going to assume we all looked down on her and at the end I was hoping incredibely that her and Nick would end up together.
[Also I'd like to note that they didn't end up hooking up. Did whoever write this review pay attention?]
Of course it had it's faults such as things like Annie being in a hospital and just dieing... And the nurses not caring that the mother slapped her and such.
Also that a lot of the responses in the beginning by the characters are monotone and very robotic.
It also would have been nice to see some loose ends tied up, although you can't get everything, eh?
But in general I really enjoyed it.
I loved the poetry aspect and the fact the entire movie in itself was a metaphore. As well, in the end when Nick had on a bird shirt (representing the idea of how he figured out what was happening to him.)
I am quite dissapointed with the review for this movie on this site because they overlooked the good aspects of this, and not just because it was a negative review, but it wasn't given much thought.
Anyhow,
Wonderful movie. <3
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
a movie that teaches a lesson
This movie really teaches that everyone has a good and a bad side. I really enjoyed it and think it is worth seeing.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
I saw this movie a few years ago, maybe 5th or 6th grade, and let me tell you, I absolutely loved it. The story was amazing, and I saw it more than once. It never gets old. Now if someone is mature enought to watch it, they can watch it. I didn't see anything wrong with it in my opinion. I'm sure 8 year old kids shouldn't watch it because they might not get the idea, but it was a really awesome movie!!! Five stars!! [=
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
An amazing teenage thriller!
This movie may not have a very positive message and may contain some violence but I thought it was amazing.
It was soo touching and kinda shows that even the bad guy in a story has a heart. The last half hour was gold and tear worthy.
An amazing thriller.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Oh, So Very Bad.
Wow. This was horrible. In fact, it was so horrible that I'm not even going to waste my time writing a full review about it. Good-bye.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
This is not preposterous
I really enjoyed the movie it was quite good. You on the other hand common sense media ARE preposterous. You mis rate a lot of good shows and games, if that is not preposterous I do not know what is! (I will get flagged for hate speech)
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Well I would let my 13-year-old see it.
A great film for a mature audience only know your kid.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Buena Vista |
| Director: | David S. Goyer |
| Cast: | Justin Chatwin, Marcia Gay Harden, Margarita Levieva |
| Genre: | Thriller |
| Run time: | 97 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 27, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | October 16, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | violence, criminality, sensuality and language -- all involving teens. |
Review It
Video review
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
