Rating: 
Summary: Graphic sci-fi with a sharp sense of humor.
Review: "The Hidden" turned out to be a real surprise. The aliens in this picture love fast cars and rock-'n-roll music. The story is about an alien cop of one species looking for a criminal alien of another species, which he follows to Earth. Both aliens enter human bodies and control these bodies until the host is dead. Violent and graphic, this film doesn't cover new ground, but twists it by juxtaposing this violence with a keen sense of humor. Michael Nouri is fine as the haggard city cop trying to understand the random killings suddenly spreading throughout his city, and Kyle MacLachlan is perfect in the roll of the quirky alien using an FBI agent's body to hunt down the criminal. Between 1 and 10, "The Hidden" gets a marginal 7.
Rating: 
Summary: Memorable Sci-fi thriller, with good performances
Review: "The Hidden" is an underrated science fiction/thriller that is actually better than the usual fare. Director Jack Sholder gives the film a kinetic pace, while his camerawork style is equally energetic and eye-catching. Although the film has some dated aspects to it, the performances help compensate for that flaw. As Kyle Maclachlan gives a subdued and endearing performance as the FBI agent with a secret, while Michael Nouri's portrayal of the worn out cop is also enjoyable. Helped by good characterisation and a directorial flair by Jack Sholder, this is a pleasing thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: Even if you don't like horror...
Review: "The Hidden" is usually placed in the horror section of the videostore, which is a genre I don't usually watch. The only reason I picked this one up is because Siskel and Ebert said it was one of their secret pleasures. This movie is so much more than a horror film! It's witty and funny, satirical as well as full of pathos. Even though I've got this film in widescreen VHS, I'm going to get the DVD version because of the commentary track; I really want to know why the filmmakers made certain choices and what they think of them now that the film's several years old.
Rating: 
Summary: Recipe for THE HIDDEN:
Review: 1) Take equal parts TERMINATOR, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, and THE THING
2) Liberally stir in graphic John Woo-style gunplay
3) When nearly finished sprinkle in a touch of MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
4) Serve up with ham, may be a bit hard to swallow.
THE HIDDEN is a fun movie, if nothing else, but nowhere near as good as any of the films it reminds one of. An alien slug is sliming its way between human bodies, taking time to kill some folks and wreck some cars between each identity switch. MacLachlan does a fine job as an otherworldly policeman, but the rest of the cast is downright bad. The direction has a definite mid-80s made-for-TV movie feel and though the violence is intense, it's not necessarily effective. Special effects are few and far between and the one scene showing the slug switching bodies is well done, but one cannot help but notice that they stole the alien sound effects directly from THE THING. Other effects, MacLachlan's weapon, for example, are downright cheesy.
The greatest downfall of this film is that the device it uses to build tension fails. The alien is vulnerable when switching bodies - and it switches often (too often) - but MacLachlan is always a few seconds too late to catch it switching. One wonders why he simply doesn't run more often. After a few missed switches the viewer simply becomes frustrated. The climax of the film is well done (though the flame thrower is shamelessly foreshadowed earlier in the film), but once again the not-so-special effects effectively turn about to anticlimax.
All in all, a fun, if meaningless, film perfectly fit for late night viewing, but one which is unlikely to merit purchase or repeated viewing. Much more likely to whet your appetite for a repeat viewing of the films it echoes.
Rating:
Summary: a nifty creature feature
Review: A clever sci-fi flick, this is well written, with a lot of humor, and some great special effects. Michael Nouri is excellent as the cop baffled by the strange and murderous events going on in his town, and Kyle MacLachlan makes a good alien of the benign kind, who's been after a creature of the mean variety for 9 years (our time).The car chases are fast (aliens like Ferraris) the guns are big, and the actors do a fine job...especially the mutt...he's terrific ! There are some very funny scenes, like when Claudia Christian, as a stripper, has the cops looking at her assets instead of the mega-gun she's holding...this is a little known, highly entertaining movie, the kind you love to find on T.V., on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Rating:
Summary: Quite a ride once it gets rolling.
Review: A cop and an FBI agent (Michael Nouri and Kyle Machlachlan) team up to stop an extraterrestrial being that switches from body to body. Entertaining mix of action and horror starts off with a real bang with one of the best car chases in cinematic history, slows down considerably for awhile before jumpstarting with several thrilling shootouts and chases in the second half. Jack Nouri's solid direction and Machlachlan's and Nouri's fine performances make this one of the better action/horror films around.
*** 1/2 out of *****
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Sci/Fi Thriller.
Review: A Series of Bizarre, Unusual Crimes are Committed by Seemingly Ordinary Citizens of Los Angeles. L.A. Police Detective (Micheal Nouri) is totally buffled by these stranges crimes. When a Mysterious F.B.I. Agent (Kyle MacLachlan) is helping the Police Detective with these inexplicable robberies and murders but not telling the detective that a Demonic Extraterrestrial Creature is Invading the Bodies of Everyday Citizens and Transforming Them into Inhuman Killers. Directed by Jack Sholder (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2:Freddy's Revenge, Wishmaster 2:Evil Never Dies, Alone in the Dark) made a entertaining, wildly violent, kinetic, sci-fi action/thriller that is even touching with a sense of humour. This Independent Film has High Production Values was made with a Budget of $5-6 Million. This was a Small Hit for then Independent Studio-New Line Cinema. MacLachlan and Mouri are good in the film. DVD has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (also in Pan & Scan) with an digitally remastered-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an great filmmakers commentary track by the director:Sholder and another film director (Who nothing to do with the film production but He's a fan of the film):Tim Hunter (River's Edge). DVD also has Unused Footage, never seen before special effects production footage with narration by the director of the film and the Original Theatrical Trailer. This film has become a Cult Classic and it's also a Underrated Film. This is a Fast, Violent, Edge of your Seat Thrill Ride of a Movie. Writer:Bob Hunt, who wrote this film is really-Jim Kouf. Which Kouf wrote "The Stakeout Films" and the little seen-"Gang Related". Terrific Music Score by Micheal Convertino. Grade:A.
Rating:
Summary: Is democracy the best protection?
Review: A strange film that comes from the past and yet seems to be archetypical in the cinema. It is based on the simple form of an extraterrestrial, or an alien, that takes over a human body, or any living organism, as a shield and armour to protect itself while it is rampaging in the world for its own delightful entertainment. This invading extraterrestrial is chased by another that has the mission to destroy it. This other « ET supercop » has also taken human form. Nothing new under the sun. The theme has been exploited to the most threadbare end, could we think. What more does this film bring ? First, the obvious and pregnant question that saying « I want » leads to terroristic and dominating attitudes. This is valid for us. All the I-want-people are bullies and dictators because they do not take into account the existence of others, except as obstacles that have to be pushed aside and eliminated. Second, possessing entertaining goods or capturing power is a game that leads to many colateral victims and much incidential damage. Power is not supposed to be captured, but it is supposed to be shared by everyone. Material goods are not supposed to be possessed and used for plain immediate pleasure but for some creative and productive goal that promotes the individual in a society that is enriched by this promotion. The case of a Senator who suddenly « wants » to become President is a perfect example of the abuse of democracy to impose one's will to the community. In other words democracy is not a total protection against dictatorship. We can even imagine, and observe here and there, absolute dictatorship installed and instated through a democratic process. Who can be the judge and beacon of such a danger ? In this film cops and an extraterrestrial justice-maker. This is too short. We have to think it all over to make sure it is always the collective interest of society and humanity that is taken into account at government level. We are far from this ideal that has been experimented for quite many centuries, from Athens' democratic slavery system to our western power-delegating parliamentaryu republics or monarchies. This film could be a warning to our present evolution in western countries, an evolution that is based both on the rejection of the greater part of the world that does not behave and think like us, at best, and on the attempt to impose our own way of thinking and behaving to the rest of the world, at worst. I will regret that the humane and humanistic, hence sentimental and emotional, side of this film has been slightly neglected into some side story that does not take the full dimension it should take, because our real future is in the cultivation of humane emotions, sentiments and feelings, or a deeply spiritual inspiration.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
Rating:
Summary: A campy classic
Review: An underrated near classic, The Hidden is a B-movie that strives to be better than it should be, and it nearly succeeds on every level. Kyle MacLachlan stars as an otherworldly cop after a criminal alien lifeform that can jump from one person to another and has a taste for fast cars and heavy metal music. Michael Nouri stars as MacLachlan's human partner, and they work great together. While The Hidden is surprisingly well done, there are a few gripes; first off you can tell this movie was made in the 80's, and the relationship between MacLachlan and Nouri's daughter is never explained, not even in its straight to video sequel released a few years back (which was godawful), and the flamethrower is obviously foreshadowed in the beginning of the movie. All that aside, The Hidden is a surprisingly good sci-fi flick that fans of the Terminator series or the Aliens will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A good deal of fun, but it's not letterboxed!
Review: As many people have noted, the concepts and and general plot elements in The Hidden are all familiar. To say, as Roger Ebert has, that it is like a cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Terminator is not very wise, since The Terminator's ideas were culled from Harlan Ellison's Outer Limits and Star Trek teleplays, and the possessed-by-aliens motif wasn't even new when Jack Finney wrote The Body Snatchers. One could add that The Hidden is even reminiscent of Philip K. Dick in novels like The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (as was some elements of A Nightmare on Elm Street, curiously enough produced by New Line as well; and even more curiously, the first sequel to which was directed by Jack Sholder!).
The point is The Hidden's concepts are familiar genre tropes that don't necessarily originate from specific sources. What makes the film special are three things: the skillful way it synthesizes its ideas; the intelligent manner in which it tells its narrative, instead of spoonfeeding the audience; and the fact that it takes some time amidst all of the action to create interesting lead characters, giving the film a human side, that, even if it is underdeveloped, outweighs any thing in B.S. such as the same year's Lethal Weapon. Plus, how can anyone turn away from a film in which Claudia Christian appears as a stripper? Not a great genre film, but an entertaining and special one nonetheless.
One important note: the DVD case claims that the 1.85:1 widescreen version of the film is "letterboxed," but this is not true. It is actually a matted widescreen, which means that you get less picture on the top and bottom, rather than more picture on the sides. Personally, I think this particular film looks better in its full-frame version (especially during Claudia's scenes, since you get to see more of her!), so I would recommend choosing that option, although the menu refers to it as "full-screen." Why oh why can't these DVD companies get their terminology straight?
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