Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

A one-man army comes to the rescue of the United States when a spy attempts an invasion.

Director:

Joseph Zito

Writers:

James Bruner (screenplay), Chuck Norris (screenplay)

Stars:

Chuck Norris, Richard Lynch, Melissa Prophet

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chuck Norris	...	Matt Hunter
Richard Lynch	...	Mikhail Rostov
Melissa Prophet	...	Dahlia McGuire
Alexander Zale	...	Nikko
Alex Colon	...	Tomas
Eddie Jones	...	Cassidy
Jon DeVries	...	Johnston
James O'Sullivan	...	Harper
Billy Drago	...	Mickey
Jaime Sánchez	...	Castillo (as Jaime Sanchez)
Dehl Berti	...	John Eagle
Stephen Markle	...	Flynn
Shane McCamey	...	Kurt
Martin Shakar	...	Adams
James Pax	...	Koyo

Storyline

A terrorist, Rostov, is planning to unleash a reign of terror on the U.S.. But before he does he decides to go after Matt Hunter, a former CIA agent who lives in Florida. Hunter once had Rostov's life in his hands, but on orders took him alive, and now Rostov is plagued by nightmares of Hunter killing him. So Rostov goes after him but misses, so Hunter, who has already been approached by his former employers to go after Rostov, after initially turning down the job, because he believed that they should have let him terminate Rostov when he had the chance, decides to go after him. But he is only one man and Rostov has hundreds of men ripping the country apart, so how will he stop it?

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Plot Keywords:

machismo | explosion | coors beer | ends with freeze frame | chick | 

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Taglines:

America wasn't ready...but HE was!

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the boar's head patch seen on the left shoulder of the brassard of the military policeman at 1:24:24, the soldiers taking part in the making of the film are either from the Georgia Army National Guard or are extra using surplus National Guard uniform paraphernalia. The same patch can be seen on Koyo's left shoulder (played by James Pax) at 1:06:10 (though it looks like there is an Airborne tab above it which means the uniform originally came from a soldier from H Company, 121st Infantry (Airborne) (Long Range Surveillance)). There is no indication that Pax was ever in the military so the uniform is likely surplus.

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Goofs

Tomas and his henchman arrive at the strip club in a brown Chevy Camaro, and park beside a red Cadillac. After dispatching some thugs and a prostitute, Hunter breaks Tomas' hand and puts a live grenade in it. Everyone scampers for safety except the wounded Tomas, who throws the grenade through the window. It lands on the Cadillac, blowing it up. The Camaro has disappeared.

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Quotes

Matt Hunter: Tell me something John, what are you going to do when the social security people find out you've been moonlighting?
John Eagle: Ain't found out about my air boat business. Been doing it for 40 years.
Matt Hunter: That's probably because you haven't made a profit in the last thirty-nine.

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Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version was cut by 10 secs by the BBFC to remove bullet impacts from a groin shooting and to edit a scene where a woman snorting cocaine through a straw is hit across the head by Rostov. For the video release a further 4 secs were made to edit a scene where a man's hand is impaled to a table with a knife. The cuts were fully restored in the 2004 DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Odd Thomas (2013)

User Reviews

Only in the movies...

A cheese fan's dream, with Chuck Norris on top form as a gun-toting hardman out to single-handedly stop the invasion of America by those pesky Russians. From start to finish, INVASION U.S.A. is one of Cannon's most outrageous and over-the-top action epics, featuring a plethora of outlandish action scenarios all achieved on what must have been a relatively low budget.

The movie features B-movie stalwart Richard Lynch as a deranged madman out for revenge on our bearded hero. Along the way, Lynch takes care of sleazy coke dealer Billy Drago and his coke-snorting prostitute in one of the most violently laughable set-pieces ever put on film. From then on in, it's Chuck versus the terrorists. Our hero proves fast with his mini machine guns and even faster with his one-liners, dispatching crim after crim in a series of spectacular showdowns. Highlights include the attempted bombing of a school bus and a massive shoot-out in a shopping mall (so good they copied it in Seagal's MARKED FOR DEATH).

Things end with a massive battle that provides a maximum number of explosions for your dollar – even if one scene of an exploding van is repeated three times, each from a different angle in an attempt to make it look like a different vehicle. Supporting characters are wisely kept out of the way, walls are demolished, the scenery-chewing hits an all-time high and Chuck doesn't even attempt characterisation (in fact, he barely even speaks). No, this was the same year that COMMANDO came out and automatic weaponry ruled the box office. It's an action fan's delight, proving far funnier than any mainstream comedy you can name.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian Spanish

Release Date:

27 September 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Invasion

Filming Locations:

Georgia Pacific Building in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,891,609, 29 September 1985

Gross USA:

$17,536,256

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,536,256

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cannon Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1