Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Invasion U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 4, 2019

I can’t believe this is happening here.

Invasion U.S.A., released in 1985 when Cold War paranoia, not terrorism, was at the forefront of everyone’s minds, tells a frightening, almost predictive story of what looks like a modern-day terror campaign, an endless slaughter of innocent civilians who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. “Why? There has to be a reason!” one survivor cries out in emotional anguish. The movie largely ignores rhyme or reason for the attacks but does fold in a bit of history between protagonist and the film’s primary antagonist, largely for no other purpose than to set up the inevitable end-film showdown. It's B-grade Cannon/Golan-Globus cinema fodder that's extremely violent and mostly entertaining as a crude throwback to a time when even cut-rate action could stand on its own and films like this found success with the more crude hammer-and-nails approach.

Soviet bad guy Mikhail Rostov (Richard Lynch) is leading an invasion of the United States! He has cobbled together a group of heavily armed thugs who are not an invading army but rather terrorists bent on destroying the American way of life. Their attacks are swift and violent. And only one man can stop them: retired CIA operative Matt Hunter (Chuck Norris) who refuses to get back into the game until he learns that it's his longtime nemesis who is leading the terror campaign on his home turf, and only after Rostov and his goons kill Hunter's friend and destroy his home. As countless Americans are slaughtered in their homes, on the street, and in places of commerce and supposed safety, Hunter, wielding matching micro-Uzis and a bad attitude, confronts the violence head-on, leaving behind a body count nearly as large as that accrued by the terrorists as he works his way towards his arch-nemesis.

Who doesn’t want to watch a movie featuring Chuck Norris wrasslin’ an alligator, sportin’ a big belt buckle, and dual-wieldin’ a pair of micro-Uzis? “But remember, I work alone,” he says when he agrees to lay waste to those who are doing his country wrong, supposedly forgetting his literally little friends strapped to a nifty shoulder-holster rig. He then proceeds to engage in a shoot-out with bad guys at a shopping mall, where magically a large glass window is shattered by a hail of bullets but the televisions behind it remain unharmed. Once the story is set in motion, it’s basically Chuck moving from one attack point to the next, foiling a plot to bomb a church, gunning down a bunch of bad guys posing as US military, and removing a bomb from a school bus full of children.

The film is excessively violent. Two different men are shot with a pistol shoved down their pants, explicitly painful reminders of what the film’s bad guy will do to get his way. It depicts massacres of families at Christmastime. Party-goers are gunned down by men posing as police officers, and the survivors then go on the offensive agains the real police who arrive to help. Terrorists attempt to blow up a church and a school bus full of children. Hunter wages a one-man war on anyone and everyone pointing a gun in his direction, or at any innocent bystander. The lack of a more solidified plot line isn’t much of a downer considering the movie’s unflinching commitment to depicting scenes of mass slaughter of innocents and the retribution the aptly-named Hunter rains down upon the killers. It’s a very black-and-white film that follows the George W. Bush credo of “you’re either with us or against us,” and the film, like so many from the Cannon Group, was on the side of punishing evildoers well before 9/11.

Invasion U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Invasion U.S.A.'s 1080p image is by-and-large presentable and filmic. Grain is a little dense and snowy, with notable increases in density in a very hazy scene at the 1:38:00 minute mark. Print scratches and pops are not entirely uncommon but not particularly distracting beyond a couple of shots. Detailing is fairly impressive. Look at the "Captain's" hat in the film's early minutes. There's a good bit of visual complexity in play, including spots of blood after the massacre, light caked-on dirt, and material density to be seen. Skin textures are impressively firm, and viewers will be able to identify practically every strand of Chuck Norris' facial hair. Interiors and exterior environmental details and wear on various firearms are also notably complex. Colors present well with a pleasant neutrality about them. Saturation is good, particularly in daylight. A yellow school bus seen in chapter eight serves as a good example of the color palette's accuracy. Black levels are a little overpowering at times, with nighttime exteriors and dark interiors teetering on crush, such as a scene at the 16-minute mark. The image suffers from no overwhelming encode flaws. This is a very well-rounded and enjoyable presentation from Shout! Factory.

Invasion U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Invasion U.S.A.'s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a high yield listen. The film opens on the water, with fatigued migrants floating towards Florida from Cuba. Water sloshes about, the boat creaks, and music offer a seamless width and depth, a complimentary full-stage immersion. Moments later, gunfire rips through the crowd on the boat. Shots ring out with frightening zip and depth with engagement all over the stage. Gun battles are regularly similar, with high impact shots and seamlessly busy and well integrated surround usage. Explosions are powerful, sending debris scattering all over the stage with a good, pronounced boom. A scene in which the terrorists blow up several houses in chapter five is a good example, which also includes the rockets zipping through the stage form point of origin to point of impact. Music follows, with wide and deep stage integration and commendable clarity with only a few very brief hiccups in delivery when there are a few slight dropouts or tonally uneven notes. Various environmental supports bring several scenes to fluid life, including out in the swamp in chapter two or in a busy shopping mall in chapter six. The track is consistent in terms of music, action, and environmental construction alike, making full and regular use of the entire sound field. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized for the duration.

Invasion U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Invasion U.S.A. contains an audio commentary, two featurettes, and some additional fluff extras. No DVD or digital copies are included.

• Loose Cannons: With Screenwriter James Bruner (1080p, 29:04): An interesting discussion with Bruner, who did not go to traditional film school but rather learned the process and the business in the "real world" processes that led him to penning Invasion U.S.A. He covers the process of working as a writer with Chuck Norris and Cannon films on Missing in Action and involvement with American Ninja. He then goes on to cover Invasion U.S.A. in some detail, including characters and actors, story details, crafting action scenes, humorous anecdotes from the shoot, later Cannon works, and more.
• Cannon Carnage: The Make-Up Effects of Invasion U.S.A. (1080p, 17:48): Greg Nicotero, Tom Savini, and Howard Berger discuss the production's history and explore some of the specifics pertaining to the film's visual effects. They even discuss their own salaries at the time.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:33).
• T.V. Spot (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 0:31).
• Still Gallery (1080p, 2:35): About 30 auto-advancing stills and promotional images.
• Braddock: Missing in Action 3 Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 4x3, 1:32).
• Audio Commentary: Red Shirt Pictures' Michael Felsher and the film's Director Joseph Zito piece together a flowing, insightful track in which they explore the production's story and reveal various anecdotes within, not simply rehashing the on-screen action. Note that this extra is not listed with the other supplements but instead under the "Setup" menu option.

Invasion U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Invasion U.S.A. lacks storytelling finesse but it's confident in seizing the opportunity to explode into a parade of violence both against the innocent and against the evildoers. For as extreme as it may be, it's equally gratifying in watching Norris kick butt and blow away anyone and anything that would wrong him or the innocent people around him. It's classic Cannon fodder that genre fans will certainly want to add to their collections, and Shout! Factory's Blu-ray is the film's best home video release ever. Offering strong video and audio presentations as well as a handful of solid supplemental content, the release comes highly recommended.