Movie review - Invasion

Invasion (originally, Invasie) ** (out of 5) I can’t recall any military or other action flicks coming here from the Netherlands. But back in the days when the western hemisphere was being carved up by European powers, they grabbed their share of the turf. Although mostly supplanted in subsequent centuries, they still have dominion over the Caribbean islands of Curacau and Aruba. So when the fictional dictator of the fictional Veragua pulls a sneak attack on both, its’s time for the Dutch Marines to save the day.

What unfolds is a by-the-numbers soldiering sojourn as our handful of intrepid marines and naval forces find ways to oust occupiers, save hostages and overcome personal issues we’re supposed to care about. There’s the first female member of the corps, a guy with a career-ending fear of heights, some brave family members among both the ranks and the civilians, etc. As usual, the military side is hampered by political machinations in Holland and the Hague. And so it goes. Almost everything is in Dutch and from the viewpoint of the defenders. The Veraguans might as well be aliens from another galaxy for all the insight we get into them and their motives.

The action sequences are well done, and the Caribbean setting provides a lovely backdrop for the proceedings – especially overhead shots of jungles, forests and coastlines. Performances, dialog and plot threads are all more standard than any genre fan would prefer. The body count is relatively low, with little needing to be spent on fake blood.

You’re probably familiar with the phrase “deus ex machina”, which describes a big problem in a story being suddenly resolved by an unlikely element arriving out of the blue, as if a god dropped in from an unknown bullpen just when they needed it most. Well, this one’s polytheistic, with THREE Deuses (Deisi? Dei?) contributing to aspects of the outcome.

Other than the novelty of its nationality, there’s nothing to make this one’s best option among such films. The pace is good, coming in at a brisk 91 minutes without the slowdown of excessive exposition. Those who speak the language will probably be more entertained than others.

(Invasion, mostly in Dutch with smatterings of English and Spanish, opens in theaters and Video on Demand on 2/21/25)