Upon watching the trailer for Bobby Boermans’ Invasion, I thought this looked like another great acquisition for Well Go USA. First impressions it looked as if it had everything going for it with seemingly great production values, quality action and an interesting premise. After watching the film, some of what I initially thought is true. The production values are certainly there, with nice photography and some well staged action.
When neighboring country Veragua suddenly attacks Curaçao and Aruba, the Dutch government is taken completely by surprise. With them quickly trying to put together a plan to resolve the situation, events on the ground quickly escalate. While the troops on the ground attempt to fight off the attacking forces, three young Marines have to work together to rescue a Dutch Ambassador who has attempted to flee the invasion.
For roughly the first half of the film, Invasion was ticking many of the boxes of what I look for in an action film. Obviously I could nitpick that those planning the invasion aren’t exactly the smartest invaders in the world, attacking a holiday resort first, rather than the army barracks which seemed to be their secondary target. However, Boermans kept things moving along at a relatively swift pace during these stages, what with his building of tension mixed with some explosive gunfights that I ended up overlooking how illogical the plot is.
Then the second half of the film came. I can’t remember the last time my opinion of a film so quickly changed. After the explosive opening, the latter stages of the film decide to go in a different direction, ending the film on something of a damp squib. When the title of your film is Invasion or Invasie to use the original translation, you would expect this to be the focus.
Initially this is the case, with the invasion being front and center, but for some inexplicable reason, the second half of the film moves away from the titular invasion and instead focuses on the rescue of diplomat Maurits Caan (Gijs Scholten van Aschat), who is lost in the jungle. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue if this was a short interlude, with the film returning to the invasion later. But after this section of the film is done, the film is quickly and abruptly over. It would be the equivalent of making Pearl Harbor (2001), but not showing the attack or the aftermath. Invasion seriously shortchanges its audiences which is a shame considering the promise shown in the early sections of the film.
I don’t think that all the blame can be laid at the feet of director Bobby Boerman, as he does what he can with the script he has to work with. Whilst the plot ultimately lets the film down, he manages to elicit decent performances from his cast as well as staging some well done action scenes as I had already mentioned. I wasn’t aware of much of Boreman’s work beforehand, other than his work on the excellent crime series The Golden Hour (2022). This initially got me excited, thinking if Invasion had the same level of quality we would be on to a winner. Admittedly, Boerman has brought along some of the skills displayed on The Golden Hour, but the finished product seriously pales in comparison.
Although the trailer makes it appear as if Tarikh Janssen’s Andy will be the lead character, for the most part Invasion is much more of an ensemble, focusing on different sets of characters during the different stages of the invasion. It’s only really in the latter stages of the film that it focuses more on Janssen, where he goes on a solo rescue mission to help his friends.
There are hints of some family rivalry between Andy and his brother Judsel played by Jasha Rudge, but nothing comes of it, with this element like so many other story strands being thrown aside in the film’s rush to reach the end. Janssen does well as Andy, although his character does come across as quite childish at times. I was glad at one point when Gijs Blom’s Jack ended up telling him to stop whining so much.
Like Janssen, Blom does well with the limited material he is given. There isn’t much in the way of backstory for him, or for any of the cast to be honest. Him and Ortal Vriend’s Noa could be gender swapped, with each other playing the other role and it would have little bearing on the plot.
The only real character to stand out is Gijs Scholten van Aschat’s Dutch Ambassador Caan, and that’s mainly because he is a complete arsehole. He may not be the film’s villain, but if you don’t find yourself wishing for his downfall you’re more patient than me.
There are attempts to show the more political side of the story, with the film cutting back to the politicians wringing their hands in how to deal with what is developing, but for the most part these scenes add very little other than allowing for some exposition.
Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, a film like Invasion should really be more epic. I honestly couldn’t believe it when the film reached the end and the titular invasion was so easily resolved. It made the events that unfolded over the duration of the film seem mostly inconsequential.
Invasion had so much potential to be a quality action movie. If it was a lack of budget I could almost understand it being so disappointing, but I have watched countless quality actioners who had less resources at their disposal. I would find it hard to recommend Invasion to anyone, although it isn’t close to being the worst film I have seen this year, or this month for that matter.
Plot: 1/5
Acting: 2.5/5
Action: 2.5/5
Overall: 2/5