Universal Soldier pits two 1990s B-movie action titans (Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren) against each other in a sci-fi action epic, that while extremely dumb at times, manages to be an entertaining romp just the same.
The start of Universal Soldier takes us back to 1969, to the Vietnam war: GI Luc Devereaux (Van Damme) tries to stop his crazed sergeant, Andrew Scott (Lundgren) from killing some Vietnamese villagers; in the ensuing mayhem, Devereaux and Scott end up killing each other.
Flash-forward to the present: Devereaux and Scott have been brought back to life - sort of - as part of the Universal Soldier program, an elite, top-secret outfit that goes around thwarting terrorists and whatnot. Each of the Universal Soldiers ("UniSols" for short) have no memory of their past lives; they're basically zombie-like puppets following orders over a radio.
After taking down some terrorists at Nevada's Hoover Dam, Luc's memory is triggered and he has flashbacks to his previous life. One thing leads to another, and soon Luc is on the run with a plucky TV news reporter (Ally Walker) in tow; hot on their trail are the rest of the Universal Soldiers: the commanders want to get their property back and keep the collateral damage to a minimum, but Scott views Devereaux as a deserter and a traitor and wants him dead. Hmmm, it seems like someone else is remembering the good old days...
What follows from here are a series of gun battles, chases, vehicular mayhem, fist-fights, and massive explosions as Luc tries to figure out his past and get home, while Scott tries to spoil the party. Everything is basically a setup for the inevitable big martial-arts finale between the two stars, and while the action in Universal Soldier isn't revolutionary, it's well-staged and choreographed by director Roland Emmerich, and there's lots of it. Universal Soldier has some flaws, but being boring isn't one of them.
What else Universal Soldier has going for it is a sense of humor, which helps gloss over some of holes in the Terminator-styled plot. Universal Soldier is a funny movie at times, thanks in no small part to Lundgren's over-the-top villain turn; he's surprisingly effective in the "heavy" role, gleefully giving it his all. Universal Soldier would have been a considerably weaker movie if Lundgren wasn't in it. Try not to laugh during Lundgren's big monologue in the grocery store; kudos to the director for allowing the store's muzak to keep playing during this Oscar-worthy clip.
Van Damme is funny too, albeit in a deadpan/earnest kind of way. He's more of the straight man in this one; a wise choice, as it keeps his wooden thespian tendencies in the background. His scene in the roadside diner - where he "just wants to eat" - is probably the most humorous bit in the movie, though.
It's hard to tell how much of the comedy in Universal Soldier is intentional, but an action movie with a sense of humor is only a good thing.
Universal Soldier has a mostly-solid mix of action and laughs, but it does fall down in other areas, like plotting and acting. The storyline is predictable, with its main themes being lifted from better flicks like RoboCop and The Terminator. There are also logic gaps and plot holes that are kind of hard to ignore.
In the acting department, save for Lundgren and Walker, no one really registers; sure, nobody watches Van Damme and Lundgren movies for the great emoting, but most of the secondary characters in Universal Soldier are one-note archetypes (nerdy scientists, hot-headed commander, redneck sheriff, etc.) who don't get much development or meaningful dialog.
Still, Universal Soldier is a mostly-effective action flick that should satisfy fans of movies like this.
The start of Universal Soldier takes us back to 1969, to the Vietnam war: GI Luc Devereaux (Van Damme) tries to stop his crazed sergeant, Andrew Scott (Lundgren) from killing some Vietnamese villagers; in the ensuing mayhem, Devereaux and Scott end up killing each other.
Flash-forward to the present: Devereaux and Scott have been brought back to life - sort of - as part of the Universal Soldier program, an elite, top-secret outfit that goes around thwarting terrorists and whatnot. Each of the Universal Soldiers ("UniSols" for short) have no memory of their past lives; they're basically zombie-like puppets following orders over a radio.
After taking down some terrorists at Nevada's Hoover Dam, Luc's memory is triggered and he has flashbacks to his previous life. One thing leads to another, and soon Luc is on the run with a plucky TV news reporter (Ally Walker) in tow; hot on their trail are the rest of the Universal Soldiers: the commanders want to get their property back and keep the collateral damage to a minimum, but Scott views Devereaux as a deserter and a traitor and wants him dead. Hmmm, it seems like someone else is remembering the good old days...
What follows from here are a series of gun battles, chases, vehicular mayhem, fist-fights, and massive explosions as Luc tries to figure out his past and get home, while Scott tries to spoil the party. Everything is basically a setup for the inevitable big martial-arts finale between the two stars, and while the action in Universal Soldier isn't revolutionary, it's well-staged and choreographed by director Roland Emmerich, and there's lots of it. Universal Soldier has some flaws, but being boring isn't one of them.
What else Universal Soldier has going for it is a sense of humor, which helps gloss over some of holes in the Terminator-styled plot. Universal Soldier is a funny movie at times, thanks in no small part to Lundgren's over-the-top villain turn; he's surprisingly effective in the "heavy" role, gleefully giving it his all. Universal Soldier would have been a considerably weaker movie if Lundgren wasn't in it. Try not to laugh during Lundgren's big monologue in the grocery store; kudos to the director for allowing the store's muzak to keep playing during this Oscar-worthy clip.
Van Damme is funny too, albeit in a deadpan/earnest kind of way. He's more of the straight man in this one; a wise choice, as it keeps his wooden thespian tendencies in the background. His scene in the roadside diner - where he "just wants to eat" - is probably the most humorous bit in the movie, though.
It's hard to tell how much of the comedy in Universal Soldier is intentional, but an action movie with a sense of humor is only a good thing.
Universal Soldier has a mostly-solid mix of action and laughs, but it does fall down in other areas, like plotting and acting. The storyline is predictable, with its main themes being lifted from better flicks like RoboCop and The Terminator. There are also logic gaps and plot holes that are kind of hard to ignore.
In the acting department, save for Lundgren and Walker, no one really registers; sure, nobody watches Van Damme and Lundgren movies for the great emoting, but most of the secondary characters in Universal Soldier are one-note archetypes (nerdy scientists, hot-headed commander, redneck sheriff, etc.) who don't get much development or meaningful dialog.
Still, Universal Soldier is a mostly-effective action flick that should satisfy fans of movies like this.
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