Movie Guerillas,
Last wee we watched another Cannon Films Classic “Invasion USA” starring Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris. By our judgment it was decidedly mediocre. The action sequences were actually pretty good, unless you count the planning of the final attack which seems to take place on one street for budget reasons.
This movie was written by Chuck Norris, so direct all plot hole questions directly to him. There seems to be some kind of bad blood between the main bad guy Burny McBurnface and Matt Hunter. And for some reason, someone is paying Burny to attack America, it’s never explained and there is never a reason for any of the attacks.
He imports 100s of Latin american terrorist guerillas onto the beaches of Miami using WWII boats. Why? How? where did he get the boats? Never addressed. But first he must take out Matt Hunter in his Everglades swamp shack. In the process Hunter’s only friend ‘Old indian guy” is killed. They bazooka the shit out of the shack, Matt Hunter walks away uninjured.
The Police, Military, FBI, CIA, Sheriffs, or locals citizens are powerless to stop the chaos. The only hope is Chuck Norris just randomly driving in his pickup truck around the greater Atlanta area stopping disasters. The individual sequences are actually pretty exciting. Attacking the neighborhood and mall were pretty intense. BUT… then he grabs a bomb from in front of the church which is ATTACHED TO A WIRE, then somehow teleports onto the building across the street above the terrorists. HOW!?
What happens in between these sequences? There’s some kind of subplot with a reporter figuring things out. But it’s never really addressed.
In the end Hunter literally tricks ALL of the terrorists into attacking a police station in downtown Atlanta. It’s literally out of Looney Tunes. The terrorists go room to room just spraying bullets into empty offices. Eventually it leads to a big battle outside, in what feels like you’re camping on the spawn in Halo. Just way too many people out in the open in the same area. Also featuring the world’s largest tower of sandbags. Hunter and Burny face off in a hallway with rocket launchers. One of them gets blown out a window.
This whole movie feels like it was made by low IQ stunt guys… because it was!
I probably won’t be able to make it this week, as we land in Las Vegas around 330. but I’ll try. It’s Chris Johnson’s pick so I hope to be there!
-Mark
I enjoyed the movie in all its nonsense. There were some pretty laugh out loud illogical sequences and slapstick violence.
Movie Facts: BTS Documentary <– check out the last part about giving out guns to local extras. Ahhh the 80’s
The film was followed by a sequel in 1986 entitled Avenging Force with Michael Dudikoff taking over the role of Matt Hunter
According to the documentary on Cannon Films, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films, the scene where terrorists destroy homes in a suburb with rocket launchers featured explosions in actual houses. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport was going to bulldoze an entire suburban neighborhood to extend a runway, so the filmmakers were allowed to destroy the existing homes. Similarly, part of Avondale Mall was being rebuilt, so the filmmakers were allowed to destroy everything in the actual mall.
Budget: $12 million
Domestic Total Gross: $17,536,256
Ranks 32nd all time for Terrorism movies!
Invasion U.S.A. is a 1985 American action film made by Cannon Films starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Joseph Zito.[5] It involves the star fighting off a force of Soviet/Cuban-led guerrillas.
Both Chuck Norris and his brother, Aaron, were involved in the writing. It was made in the greater Atlanta area of Georgia, and Fort Pierce, Florida. Miami landmarks such as Dadeland Mall and Miracle Mile can also be seen in the film.[6] The 1986 film Avenging Force was originally intended as a sequel until Chuck Norris turned it down. It was instead made as a standalone film starring Michael Dudikoff, sharing only the protagonist's name.[7]
source : wikipedia
