Invasion U.S.A.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

The President's Man.Invasion USA.Walker:Texas Ranger.Kick Drugs Out Of America.......maybe Chuck Norris' longitivity as a screen action hero would have extended further had he not pledged this rather off-putting 'I Love America'isms in all his work.There's nothing wrong with his proudness of his heritage,but expecting people from around the globe to invest into what is clearly labeled as America's problem is perhap's going to be slightly controversial.

Invasion USA itself spouts some new and original ideas for the genre,but let's itself down by how incoherently it is told.Norris' screen presense remains tightly wound throughout ,but he occupies suprisingly lesser time than one would have expected.The story of the Irab terrorist invasion of America is engaging,and the central villain is rather hissable as a guy who dos'nt care who he hurts as long as he meets his narrow minded ideals.The action sequences,the end shootout especially,are also done very well.If only there was'nt such a patronising tone to it,and more of a consistent plotline to follow.Look out for an early ,low key appearance from Billy Drago in another Norris film.***

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.

In 1985, when this film was out, it was a rocking thriller that any of Norris' fans would have given their thumbs to see.

It has NOT aged well.

The plot itself, about communists invading America, was a little far-fetched even for then. A good "what if" scenario at the most.

But when Chuck cuts loose, watch out.

A series of action scenes that make ol' Chuck out to be nothing less than a superhero. The bomb on the bus. The bomb in church. The truck chase. The supermarket shoot-out. The man had ESP and ice in his veins. As great as these scenes may have looked, reality was non-existent.

When Rostov firebombs the homes on Christmas eve however, it was sad to see. Seeing the little girl crying in her front yard while her home and family burn down will NOT be easy to see. Showing kids playing in the street and people getting Christmas shopping out of their cars before the carnage brought it home. This was the "This Rostov guy is SCUM" scene. Made you hate him even more.

Kudos to Richard Lynch. He does make a great villain.

Oh come on! This movie is hilarious!!

Chuck Norris is the funniest action hero since Charlie Sheen in "Hot Shots Part Deux"! Of course the plot (what there is of one) is completely ridiculous, and only exists to have an excuse to blow stuff up and for Chuck to beat people up. This only adds to the laughability! I highly recommend this to any person looking for the ultimate in exagerated action films. And those quotes! Classic!!

"If you come in here again, I'll hit you with so many rights..you'll beg for a left!"

...the Israel-based film company responsible for roughly 50% of all the B-movies made in the mid-80's. And that's a crying shame. This one is a doozy, even by their standards, and in some ways could be said to be the quintessential 80's action film: it's violent, features a lot of excessive explosions, is moronically jingoistic, and features drug-dealing Communist terrorists as the bad guys. Chuck Norris stars as a former Special Ops agent who has retired to the bayou, where he drives an airboat and captures gators with his Native American buddy. Chuck's introductory scene, at the controls of his airboat, shirtless and wearing a denim vest as his mullet flaps in the wind, tells you all you need to know about his character.

Richard Lynch co-stars as the villainous ex-Soviet agent Rostov, who has amassed a small army with plans to take over America. Their vicious assault on the typical American suburban neighborhood (during Christmastime, no less!) will set your patriotic blood boiling. It's up to Chuck, his jacked-up pickup truck, and his tiny machine guns, to save the day. Also featuring Melissa Prophet as a tepid love interest, but this movie doesn't really care about that kind of mushy stuff, so she's barely there. Slimy movie bad guy Billy Drago shares a scene with lead baddie Lynch, and it becomes a real sleaze-off as to who is the creepiest. Directed by Joseph Zito, and Chuck worked on the screenplay. At one point, Chuck takes time out to watch Earth vs the Flying Saucers on TV. Even during a Communist invasion, you have to take time for the good things in life.