After listening to a disparate group of Americans in a Manhattan bar gripe about taxes, the draft, and government intervention, Mr Ohman (Dan O'Herlihy), a self-described "forecaster" swirls his brandy and asks them to consider the ramification of their objections. Suddenly there is a news broadcast about a surprise enemy attack on Alaska, followed by reports that A-bombs have been dropped on west-coast air-force bases. The film follows the bar patrons as they try to get home or enlist as the war escalates. Despite giving more that it gets, America is soon on the ropes, as atomic torpedoes sink carriers, bombers shatter infrastructure, enemy paratroopers drop from the skies, and cities start to fall to the invading hordes of unidentified (but vaguely Slavic) soldiers. Finally, as New York is nuked and the seat of government in Washington D.C. is overrun, the last of the original bar patrons dies, choosing self-sacrifice of over a 'fate worse than death'. Is it all real or is it one of Mr. Ohman's 'forecasts'? 'Invasion U.S.A.' is heavy-handed cold-war propaganda at its finest. The 'peace through strength' drum is steadily beaten, as an ineffectual president tries to maintain morale in his outgunned country and a congressman learns the hard-way that cuts to military budgets pave the road to disaster. The film is almost entirely stock-footage from WWII and Korea and little attempt is made for accuracy, other than a some footage of MIG fighters, all of the aircraft seen are USAF, including the ones bombing American cities, and early on we are told that the invading troops are wearing U.S. uniforms and carrying American weapons, saving the producers the cost of equipping an 'enemy army'. From 'Mr. Ohman's' name to the closing quote from George Washington, there is nothing subtle about 'Invasion U.S.A.', the film is purely an attempt to scare people into unwavering support for the US military. Apparently the message was not lost on audiences: the film was very popular and did well at the box office. All in all, a watchable relic but its meager budget makes it more of interest historically than as entertainment. I suspect that the film's abysmal IMDB score is more a function of post-cold-war viewers' distaste for its message than its merits as a low-budget 'futurist' adventure.
Review of Invasion, U.S.A.
