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Invasion U.S.A. (1985 film)
Encyclopedia
Invasion U.S.A. is a 1985 action film
made by Cannon Films and starring Chuck Norris
. It was directed by Joseph Zito
. Both Chuck Norris and his brother, Aaron
, were involved in the writing. It was made in Fort Pierce, Florida
. Miami landmarks, such as Dadeland Mall
and Miracle Mile
, can also be seen in the film. The film was followed by a sequel in 1986 entitled Avenging Force
with Michael Dudikoff
taking over the role of Matt Hunter.
This film is unrelated to the 1952 film of the same name.
. They are at first met by what appears to be a U.S. Coast Guard boat, with armed personnel. The Guardsmen kill all the refugees and take several bags of cocaine
hidden in the boat. It is revealed that the armed personnel were communist Latin America
n guerrillas dressed as U.S. Coast Guardsmen.
The real Coast Guard eventually finds the boat full of the murdered Cubans off the coast of Florida. The FBI and the Miami Police Department
arrive at the docks to investigate the murders. The communist guerrillas eventually land in Florida
and exchange the drugs for weaponry from a drug dealer. They are led by Soviet operative Mikhail Rostov (Richard Lynch). Former CIA agent Matt Hunter (Norris) is asked to come out of retirement, but he first refuses. However, Rostov demands that Hunter be killed before they can begin their operation, because Hunter is his former nemesis. Rostov and his gang fail to kill Hunter, but destroy his home in the Everglades
. Hunter goes to meet his CIA contact, and tells him that he will come back.
Later in the day, hundreds of additional communist guerrillas invade the beaches of southern Florida. The guerrillas drive away from the beaches on several trucks. The guerrillas begin their assault by destroying suburban homes. Another group of guerrillas (dressed as Miami police officers) attack a community center in South Miami. Meanwhile, the FBI has no idea who is behind the attacks. Hunter and the CIA believe that Rostov is behind the attacks. As terrorist acts continue in Miami, race riot
s and general chaos develop within the city. By now, the public believes that terrorists are behind the attacks.
Next, the guerrillas attack a shopping mall where people are doing their Christmas
shopping. During the attack, Hunter comes into the mall and engages the guerrillas. Hunter tracks down the whole group that attacked the mall. The next day, National Guard troops are called up, while martial law
and a curfew are declared. The next two days, Hunter foils a plan to bomb a church and attack a group of people waiting outside a store. In the process, Hunter kills Rostov's right hand man Nikko (Alexander Zale). Soon after, Hunter saves a school bus full of children from a bomb that was about to detonate. In order to corner Rostov, Hunter coordinates a risky plan.
The U.S. Government builds a command center in Atlanta, Georgia
for the troops. At the command center, all 50 state governors and military officials meet how to stop the terror attacks. The FBI arrest Hunter for the killing of the terrorists and is taken to the command center in Atlanta; a plan orchestrated by Hunter. With Rostov wanting Hunter dead, he orders all the guerrillas to invade the command center in Atlanta. The National Guard surrounds the command center with M60 Patton
tanks and several hundreds of troops, using the arrest of Hunter as a trap. At the command center, Hunter comes face-to-face with Rostov and finally kills him. The terror crisis ends when the guerrillas on the street surrender to the National Guard.
it currently has a 27% with a 51% on the "Like It". Roger Ebert
writing for the Chicago Sun Times gave the film a negative review and called it "a stereotypical clone of action movies".
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
made by Cannon Films and starring Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
. It was directed by Joseph Zito
Joseph Zito
Joseph Zito is an American film director. He is perhaps well known for directing many low budget action B-movies of the 1980s such as, Missing in Action, Invasion U.S.A., Red Scorpion, and many others. In the mid-1980s, Zito spent a year of pre-production on the Cannon version of Spider-Man...
. Both Chuck Norris and his brother, Aaron
Aaron Norris
Aaron Norris is an American film producer, director, and actor.-Personal information:Norris, who is of Irish descent, is the younger brother of Chuck Norris. During the Vietnam war, both Aaron and his older brother Wieland Clyde Norris enlisted in the United States Army...
, were involved in the writing. It was made in Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
. Miami landmarks, such as Dadeland Mall
Dadeland Mall
Dadeland Mall is a large enclosed shopping mall located in the Miami suburb of Kendall, Florida, in the Dadeland district. The mall, originally developed by the Joseph Meyerhoff Company of Baltimore, opened October 1, 1962 as a , open-air complex of sixty stores and services...
and Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile
-Places in the United States:*Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, a district of Los Angeles*Miracle Mile , New York, a premium shopping district on the North Shore of Long Island*Miracle Mile , a shopping area in Coral Gables, Florida...
, can also be seen in the film. The film was followed by a sequel in 1986 entitled Avenging Force
Avenging Force
Avenging Force is a 1986 film directed by Sam Firstenberg. The screenplay was written by James Booth, who co-starred in the film. It is a sequel to the 1985 film Invasion U.S.A., which starred Chuck Norris in the role of Matt Hunter.-Plot:...
with Michael Dudikoff
Michael Dudikoff
Michael Joseph Dudikoff II is an American actor who has been in numerous films, including the American Ninja series , Tron , Bachelor Party , Platoon Leader , River of Death , Soldier Boyz , Ringmaster , and The Silencer , to name a few...
taking over the role of Matt Hunter.
This film is unrelated to the 1952 film of the same name.
Plot
The film begins by showing a group of Cuban refugees on a boat sailing for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are at first met by what appears to be a U.S. Coast Guard boat, with armed personnel. The Guardsmen kill all the refugees and take several bags of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
hidden in the boat. It is revealed that the armed personnel were communist Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n guerrillas dressed as U.S. Coast Guardsmen.
The real Coast Guard eventually finds the boat full of the murdered Cubans off the coast of Florida. The FBI and the Miami Police Department
Miami Police Department
The Miami Police Department or MPD, often referred to as the City of Miami Police, is the chief police department of the U.S. city of Miami, Florida. Their jurisdiction lies within the actual city limits of Miami, but have mutual aid agreements with neighboring police departments. The current...
arrive at the docks to investigate the murders. The communist guerrillas eventually land in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and exchange the drugs for weaponry from a drug dealer. They are led by Soviet operative Mikhail Rostov (Richard Lynch). Former CIA agent Matt Hunter (Norris) is asked to come out of retirement, but he first refuses. However, Rostov demands that Hunter be killed before they can begin their operation, because Hunter is his former nemesis. Rostov and his gang fail to kill Hunter, but destroy his home in the Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
. Hunter goes to meet his CIA contact, and tells him that he will come back.
Later in the day, hundreds of additional communist guerrillas invade the beaches of southern Florida. The guerrillas drive away from the beaches on several trucks. The guerrillas begin their assault by destroying suburban homes. Another group of guerrillas (dressed as Miami police officers) attack a community center in South Miami. Meanwhile, the FBI has no idea who is behind the attacks. Hunter and the CIA believe that Rostov is behind the attacks. As terrorist acts continue in Miami, race riot
Race riot
A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil disorder in which race is a key factor. A phenomenon frequently confused with the concept of 'race riot' is sectarian violence, which involves public mass violence or conflict over non-racial factors.-United States:The term had entered the...
s and general chaos develop within the city. By now, the public believes that terrorists are behind the attacks.
Next, the guerrillas attack a shopping mall where people are doing their Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
shopping. During the attack, Hunter comes into the mall and engages the guerrillas. Hunter tracks down the whole group that attacked the mall. The next day, National Guard troops are called up, while martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and a curfew are declared. The next two days, Hunter foils a plan to bomb a church and attack a group of people waiting outside a store. In the process, Hunter kills Rostov's right hand man Nikko (Alexander Zale). Soon after, Hunter saves a school bus full of children from a bomb that was about to detonate. In order to corner Rostov, Hunter coordinates a risky plan.
The U.S. Government builds a command center in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
for the troops. At the command center, all 50 state governors and military officials meet how to stop the terror attacks. The FBI arrest Hunter for the killing of the terrorists and is taken to the command center in Atlanta; a plan orchestrated by Hunter. With Rostov wanting Hunter dead, he orders all the guerrillas to invade the command center in Atlanta. The National Guard surrounds the command center with M60 Patton
M60 Patton
The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...
tanks and several hundreds of troops, using the arrest of Hunter as a trap. At the command center, Hunter comes face-to-face with Rostov and finally kills him. The terror crisis ends when the guerrillas on the street surrender to the National Guard.
Cast
- Chuck NorrisChuck NorrisCarlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
as Matt Hunter - Richard Lynch as Mikhail Rostov/Michael Hames
- Melissa Prophet as McGuire
- Alex Colon as Tomas
- Alexander Zale as Nikko
- Dehl BertiDehl BertiDehl Berti was an Italian American actor who often played native Americans, perhaps best known for his appearance on the American TV show Paradise in the late 1980s...
as John Eagle - Billy DragoBilly DragoBilly Drago is an American actor known for his roles as villains in television and motion pictures.-Personal life:Drago was born William Eugene Burrows in Hugoton, Kansas to William and Gladys Burrows. He took his grandmother's maiden name as his stage name to keep from being confused with another...
as Mickey
Reception
The film met with mostly negative to mixed reviews from critics. On the website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
it currently has a 27% with a 51% on the "Like It". Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
writing for the Chicago Sun Times gave the film a negative review and called it "a stereotypical clone of action movies".
Merchandise
- A novelization was released in October 1985 by Pinnacle Books.
- Jay ChattawayJay ChattawayJay Chattaway is an American composer of film and television scores. He is mainly known for his work as score composer for several Star Trek television series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise...
's scoreFilm scoreA film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was released by Varèse SarabandeVarèse SarabandeVarèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
on LPLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1985. It was later re-released, remastered with many minutes of new material, on CD in 2008 from Intrada RecordsIntrada RecordsIntrada Records is an American record company based in Oakland, California. Intrada Records is an American record company based in Oakland, California. Intrada Records is an American record company based in Oakland, California...
. This was a limited edition of 1,000 copies.