Customer Reviews

Invasion U.S.A.

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I've been waiting for this DVD for a long time and it was worth the wait. Chuck Norris is at it again, defending the free world and bringing down the bad guys. If you like the average action movie, you'll love this as it is an outstanding example of the genre.

MGM Gave this movie a pretty good transfer treatment, a fully anamorphic widescreen transfer with actual surround sound. Not bad for a 16 year old film that wasn't a blockbuster. Not much in the extras department, but digging up a widescreen trailer for the film is better than the nothing that they've given with some films.

All in all a good, satisfying Chuck Norris movie and a great value DVD purchase.

Boy I really loved the 1980's. It was a time when you could have films that were totally unapologetic in their over-the-top patriotism. Just try to get a movie like this made today...the lefties would never let it fly. This was when Chuck Norris was at his peak with movies like this, "Delta Force" "Missing in Action" and "Code of Silence". The plot is utterly ridiculous but that's really what makes it so fun. It was the 1980's. The time of excess. Logical plots need not apply. it was a Cannon film so enough said.

The premise has a rogue soviet agent named Rostov, played by preeminent screen baddie Richard Lynch, leading a terrorst invasion in South Florida. The mixed bag of European, Asian, and Middle-Eastern terrorists start by blowing up residential homes with bazookas, and just as the family had been decorating the tree for Christmas. Later they impersonate police officers and shoot up a Latino street party. When the real cops arrive the party guests pelt them with rocks and bottles. The terrorist goal is to spread panic in America. Totally outrageous!

Norris is Matt Hunter, a former CIA agent. He is asked to go after Rostov but refuses since he could have killed the agent several years ago but his superiors had ordered him to capture him alive. Rostov now has nighmares about Hunter and wants nothing more than to see him dead. They try blowing up his home in the swamp but Hunter escapes and finally goes after the terrorists with full force.

There are really some classic scenes such as Hunter plowing into a crowded mall filled with holiday shoppers, Uzi's blazing as he takes out the terrorists without a single civilian getting hurt. Later the terrorists attach a bomb to a school bus loaded with kids. Hunter grabs the bomb off the side, races after the terrorists, pulls up next to them and says "Did you lose this?" and tosses the bomb in their car...Boom! Just classic, cheesy action of the highest order. This all leads to the inevitable climax. The Army finally arrives and surrounds the terrorists after they've set a trap for them. The streets are filled with those big steel girders blocking the road, just like on the beaches of Normandy in a surrealistic scene. And finally Hunter has his showdown with Rostov in the (literally) explosive final moments.

Oh this is artful camp at its most skilled but this really is one fun movie. Chuck says little, which is probably a good thing and lets his feet and guns do the talking. Great actioneer!

Don't listen to any of these people over-analyzing this movie! Chuck Norris is here in all of his mid-80's glory. I don't think the point of this movie was to be compelling or thought-provoking. This movie has everything you could love about the action movie (which doesn't exist today, no thanks to Vin Diesel!)

Plot: Bad guys mess with Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris kills them...all. 'Nuff said. Hordes of terrorists all waiting in line to wreak havoc? No problem for Chuck. Armed with machine guns, rocket launchers and a 4-wheel-drive truck, he WILL deal out his justice. Most poignant are the scenes where he mercilessly drives a knife into a baddie's hand and twists it. Also, the end scene where the head bad guy is cowering in fear in an office is great. Chuck strolls in with his twin uzis strapped to his chest, fearless. Great stuff.

If you don't enjoy watching Chuck destroy anything in his path, don't get this movie. If you love watching somewhat cheesy (in a good way), violent fun, buy it! I say bring back the good old bearded, angry action heros.

This is the type of movie that made Chuck Norris a household name in America.Just like in the Octogan Chuck goes out and defeats the forces of evil. A small army of terrorists invades the Unites States. These terrorists are led by a very evil and a very bloodthirsty master terrorist. He also happens to be an arch enemy of our hero Chuck Norris. The invading terrorist start spreading anarchy and panic all over the area. These terrorist even attempt to assasinate Chuck Norris in his retirement home in the Florida Everglades.After this act Chuck comes out of his retirement and the battle is on. Chuck starts making life hard for the terrorists. There is many a battle. Chuck and his arch enemy have a final showdown. Once again Chuck emerges victorious. Be sure to rent or buy this movie. It is exciting and entertaining. See Chuck Norris before he became Walker Texas Ranger.

Written by the guy (James Bruner) who wrote THE DELTA FORCE and MISSING IN ACTION and directed by the guy (Joseph Zito) who brought us MISSING IN ACTION, FRIDAY THE 13TH THE FINAL CHAPTER and the gruesome 1981 slasher THE PROWLER, INVASION U.S.A. is the true story of how one guy managed to defeat a terrorist army with nothing but two Uzi's, his beard, a old beat up truck and a couple of snappy lines like "I'm gonna hit you with so many rights, you're gonna beg for a left."

When I was a kid, this along with ALIENS and Hitchcock's PSYCHO was one of my absolute favorite movies. I easily watched it over 50 times. Why don't they make action movies like this or COMMANDO anymore?

Chuck Norris doesn't want a lot of trouble. He just wants to live in peace in the stinky ol' swamp and play with his pet armadillo. He's so cute! But when the bad guys blow up his house and start killing innocent people around town Chuck ain't got no choice but to kick ass.

And kick ass he does! With almost supernatural like ability Chuck somehow manages to keep one step ahead of the terrorist: plan on shooting some people outside a grocery store? Better watch out for Chuck coming around the corner at 88 m.p.h. with his Uzi's blazing! Think your gonna blow up a church? Think again sinner. Chuck's done relocated the bomb to blow you up! Ah-ha!

Bouncer: "Hold it! Where are you going, I don't think I know you pal!"
Chuck Norris: "That makes us even, I don't know you either."

Chuck Norris: "Nikko was easy. Now it's your turn. One night you'll close your eyes, and when they open I'll be there. It'll be time to die."

When a group of terrorists invade America, only Matt Hunter (Chuck Norris) can stop them. Pretty simple stuff, not an ounce of plot to get in the way of the story, but what a story it is. Invasion U.S.A. was one of the million or so b-movie thrill rides put out by the now, sadly, defunct Cannon Pictures. I was fearful that changing times (and fashions) would date Invasion U.S.A. some, and, to be honest, they have. But it still retains enough of its bad movie charms to entertain in a brainlessly high octane way. Stuffed with enough action for two Cannon Pictures, this is an essential for both Cannon and Chuck Norris fans - though the 'good' movies The Chuckster did for the studio are, in my opinion, the first Missing in Action and The Hero and The Terror. But this is my favorite of the bunch and I give it my highest recommendation.

I would say this is the great Chuck Norris movie, no wait, the greatest movie of all-time except for one thing. And that is that all Chuck Norris movies are created equal and better then the movies like the Godfather, Schlinder's List, Back Door Sluts 9, and Braveheart combined. Chuck Norris is a much better actor then Tom Hanks and Marlon Brando because he knows karate. Hell Chuck Norris invented Karate as well as Judo, Kung Fu, and Hamster style Jap Slapping. Do yourself a favor and buy this movie so you can call yourself a man. And if your a woman buy this movie and pray Chuck Norris comes to your house and gets you pregnant.

This message was approved by Chuck Norris.

This movie is incredible. It is what defines us as human beings. The drama which takes place between Chuck Norris and the villains is a mirror image of the real worlds struggle for peace and unity. Chuck's acting is superb, and had he changed his facial expression even once I would not say this, but Chuck Norris may well be the greatest actor who has ever lived. I am at a loss for words at the beauty of what takes place within the all too short 110 minutes of this epic motion picture. The only comparable media i can think of with which to give you an idea of the greatness of this film is the Holy Bible. Do yourself a favor and purchase this testament to mankind. It WILL change your life.

Our hero Matt Hunter just wants to be left alone.

He wants to spend his retirement from the CIA by passing the time in his shanty in the Florida Everglades with his pet armadillo. He just wants to ride around in his Fan Boat and wear jean shirts. That is all he wants.

Even when his former employers in the CIA try to get him to come back he refuses. Nope, after a lifetime of spying and killing and terrorizing terrorists ol' Matt wants to just be left alone.

Sadly, nobody tells Rostov this, the man who is enacting a full scale terrorist invasion of 1980's America! ...and a guy that happens to like to execute people by firing his handgun down into their pants (seriously). He decides the best way to keep Matt Hunter out of his rediculously bleached hair is by killing Matt's neighbor buddy and blowing his shack into a million pieces.

BAD IDEA.

It seems this is just the thing to get him out of his retirement...and he will stop at nothing to make every last terrorist pay.

The Gods who were Golan and Globus have blessed the world with this eternally fun and gratuitously violent movie. They stop at nothing to make these terrorist guerillas the most reprehensibly vile people on earth to the point where you absolutely drool at the notion of Chuck Norris emptying his twin uzis into them.

School buses, churches, beach goers, entire neighborhoods (this is a particularly jaw dropping scene), shoppers. Nothing and nobody is safe.

And did I mention it takes place during the Christmas season? If anything makes the terrorists in this movie even more evil it is their lack of Christmas spirit. And yes, Santa isn't safe either.

This is one of those rare movies I can watch over and over again and never get sick of. If you like your movies with a copious amount of uzis, shotguns, bazookas, coke snorting, grenades, mullets, 80's hair, and the CHUCK NORRIS you will absolutely love INVASION U.S.A.

Anyone around in the 80's, when Nancy Regan told us to 'just say no', the US military was paying $900 for a hammer, and and Member's Only jackets were cool, will have most likely had the experience of seeing a Cannon film. For better or worse, the Golan/Globus group were quite prolific, and their movies tended to focus on visceral elements to satisfy the public, while other aspects like a credible plot, believable story, or realistic characters got swept under the rug, but hey, it worked pretty well and they made great gobs of money (I'd be happy with a single gob of money myself). This is the company responsible for such films as American Ninja and it's sequels, Sylvester Stallone classics as Over the Top (it's Rocky, but instead of boxing, it's arm wrestling...where's Joel and the 'bots when you need them?) and Cobra, Superman and it's sequels, Deathwish 2 thru 5, Missing in Action movies, Delta Force, and Invasion U.S.A, to name a few. During the 80's, the Cannon EZ Bake movie machine churned out up to 15 movies per year up until it's bankruptcy in 1990. One thing for certain, if it was a Cannon movie, you were pretty sure to get big guns, car chases, people getting shot, people getting blowed up real good, and lots of explosions, and Invasion U.S.A certainly doesn't disappoint. The antagonistic roles in these movies often was decided by how the political winds blew at the time. Be it the Russians or the Arabs or whoever angered us, you could be sure they would show up as an evil force in a Cannon movie bent on destroying the Amaerican way of life. Things you weren't guaranteed to get were cohesive plots, character development, continuity, and credibility. These were testosterone fueled, shoot-em up explosion orgies intended to entertain without requiring a lot of thought.

Invasion U.S.A. features Cannon perennial Chuck Norris as Matt Hunter. Matt is an ex-operative of some government agency, we're never told which one, so I'll guess it's the CIA. He lives in the middle of a swamp, I'm assuming Florida, as much of the action in the movie takes place in Miami. Why he'd want to live in the middle of a swamp by himself I don't know, but maybe it has something to do with his past work with the CIA and just wanting to leave it all behind.

Soon we are introduced to our lead bad guy, Mikhail Rostov, played by Richard Lynch. You may not recognize the name, but you'd most likely recognize the face. He's had quite a career in movies and TV, generally always playing a bad guy, due to his somewhat sinister look. Eventually we learn he's planning an invasion of the USA and a small army of armed men hit the beach. Their plans involve dressing up like authority figures, attacking civilians, and causing civil unrest. Apparently, Rostov and Hunter have a past history, as Rostov wants to eliminate Hunter. Once it's discovered that Rostov is in the US, the agency tries to get the now retired Hunter back into action, but he declines, as he says they should have let him kill Rostov when he had the chance, and it's now their problem, not his. Rostov, still bearing a super sized grudge, finds Hunter's place in the swamp and blows it up real good, but doesn't manage to kill Hunter. Along with his house, they also killed his friend, and now Hunter decides to take on the mission. Naturally the agency says that if he is caught, they will have to disavow any knowledge of Hunter. By now, I am starting to wish I could disavow any knowledge of this movie....

We get various scenes of the bad guys blowing stuff up, killing Americans here and there, and talking about how weak we are, how easy it is to kill us. One scene in particular is when they pull up into a suburb and start blowing up houses. Rostov shoots like six houses with a bazooka, and it must have been one of those spiffy auto-loading kind as I never saw him reload once. I always thought bazookas were one shot deals, and needed to be reloaded after each use, but what do I know?

Anyway, Hunter mixes it up with terrorists he finds, dispatching them usually with twin uzis strapped to his chest. He takes out large numbers of terrorists with much ease. This all leads up to a final confrontation, where a trap is set for the terrorist army, and the fall for it. The terrorists end up fighting the army in a fairly large battle, while Hunter and Rostov square off and guess who comes out a live in the end? Rostov is dispatched in a typically spectacular fashion, as is par for these kinds of movies, and the day is saved. Oh yeah, I alomst forgot, there is a side story involving a female reporter, but that goes nowhere, so it's not really worth mentioning.

Given what this movie was, there a couple of things that kind of annoyed me. One was the attempt to present it as somewhat patriotic. This was a common theme at the time this movie came out, but looking at it now, it seems so transparent. And Chuck Norris really didn't get to use his martial arts skills in this movie. He hit and kicked a couple of people, but why cast a martial arts expert in an action movie if you aren't going to allow him to use his skills? Seems like such a waste. Even at the end, when he's fighting Rostov hand to hand, they could have incorporated some into that, but they blew it. Oh well....If you want a no brainer actioneer with lots of guns and explosions and little or not plot, then this movie is for you.