The Puppet Masters (film)

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The Puppet Masters
Thepuppetmastersposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStuart Orme
Screenplay byTed Elliott
Terry Rossio
David S. Goyer
Based onThe Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
Produced byRalph Winter
Starring
CinematographyClive Tickner
Edited byWilliam Goldenberg
Music byColin Towns
Production
company
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures
Release date
  • October 21, 1994 (1994-10-21)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$8,647,042

The Puppet Masters is a 1994 science fiction film, adapted by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and David S. Goyer[1] from Robert A. Heinlein's 1951 novel of the same title,[2] in which a trio of American government agents attempts to thwart a covert invasion of Earth by mind-controlling alien parasites. The film was directed by Stuart Orme and stars Donald Sutherland, Eric Thal, Keith David, Julie Warner and Andrew Robinson.

Plot[]

When a flying saucer reportedly lands in rural Iowa, Andrew Nivens (who runs a secret branch of the CIA), decides to investigate. He goes in person, accompanied by agents Sam Nivens and Jarvis, as well as Dr. Mary Sefton, a NASA specialist. They find that parasites have indeed landed and are planning to use their mind-control powers to take over the Earth. The parasites are slug-like creatures, and they are attaching themselves to people's backs, taking control of their victims' nervous systems and manipulating those people as puppets.

The slugs spread steadily, and soon attack the agents, Sam and Jarvis. Jarvis kills himself in the hospital. Controlling Sam, the aliens almost possess the president but are defeated by the agents. The Agents then learn they can remove a slug via electric shock, and free Sam from the possession of a slug. It is soon found out all slugs share a common consciousness, a sort of a "group mind."

The parasite quickly reproduce by division, soon controlling not only most of the population of the infested area, but also military personnel sent to the area to fight them.

As agents learn where the "hive" is located, they attempt to sneak in and release Mary, whom parasite captured earlier. Together, they find surviving people whom slugs couldn't possess. They take one of them, a boy, with them, leaving the hive.

It is soon found out the boy suffered from encephalitis in the past, and that apparently was the reason a slug couldn't possess him. Biological warfare is adopted, and seemingly all parasites die. During a later inspection of a hive, Andrew is attacked by the last healthy slug. In a fight on a helicopter, Sam destroys the parasite attached to the body of his father.

Cast[]

Screenplay[]

The screenplay went through a number of rewrites due to differences between the writers, Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott, who wanted to remain faithful to Heinlein's story, and executives at Disney who wanted an adaptation that they could sell. As a result, the final script leaves out some elements of the novel, while portions of the movie follow the basic plot.[3]

Reception[]

Reviews were unfavorable, as The Puppet Masters holds a rating of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 24 reviews.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Puppet Masters". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  2. ^ Heinlein, Robert A. (2009) [1st pub 1951 by Doubleday]. The Puppet Masters. New York City: Baen Books. ISBN 978-1439132838.
  3. ^ Building The Bomb, Screenwriter Terry Rossio's essay about the film's tortuous creation process, 1995.
  4. ^ The Puppet Masters (1994), retrieved 2021-11-21

External links[]

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