3 1/2 stars for this underrated sequel

Universal Soldier-The Return(released August/99)is certainly an underrated sequel to the first Universal Soldier.The film is filled with lots of action and suspense mixed with a nice on going sub plot concerning the value of family and love.Van Damme is certainly on top of his acting game in this one.
The story concerns the Uni-sol project and Luc Deveraux(Van Damme)who this time around is a consultant and trainer for the project.His wife has passed on and he is a single father who has one daughter Hillary(Karis Bryant)who he dotes over lovingly.One day the overseeing General Radford(Danile Von Bargon)informs the project team that he has to pull the plug on the project.It has become a liability and the government won't stand for anymore mishaps.SETH,the artificial intelligence that runs the computer systems including commanding the Uni-sols themselves,decides this is against protocol and initiates a defensive posture.He takes over total control of all systems and instructs the soldiers to clear the facility in preparations for a total assault on the outside world.
Luc possesses the code which would be able to terminate SETH and with his help the General tries repeatedly to shut things down but without success;with much loss of military life in the process.In the meantime SETH has gone from a computer based intelligence into a human host(Michael Jai White).He also kidnaps Luc's daughter from her hospital bed and holds her as a bargaining chip.In the finale of the film Luc and SETH battle toe to toe until Luc manages to turn on the cryo freezing unit which turns SETH into a human popsicle;this in turn enables Luc to give one last high flying kick which disintegrates SETH into pieces.As Luc runs from the building he shoots and ignites explosives which destroys both the building and the remaining Uni-Sols.The film ends with Luc reunited in his daughter's arms.
As I mentioned above Van Damme was definitely on his acting game in this one and it is especially evident in his on screen relationship with his daughter.He emotes all the right feelings at just the right moments throughout and this is one of his better moments on the screen in that regard.Michael White makes for a very menacing SETH and ex football player/wrestler Bill Goldberg makes a fine antagonist to our hero Luc.Fine acting,supporting and lead,all the way through makes this an enjoyable action romp.Once the action starts there is no let up.
Technically the film has been transferred well and the picture is crisp and clear.There is a little inherent graininess now and again but nothing major.This DVD is a dreaded DDD(double sided disc) so be very careful re scuffing and scratching.One side has the widescreen version and the other the full screen.The film is also available in Dolby 2 and 5.1 sound.Extras include the trailer,talent files,an almost 4 minute look into the work out routine of Mr.White,a making-of featurette and a look at some of Van Damme's other film product for Columbia Tri-Star with comments by Van Damme on them and his career.
In conclusion I do recommend this film/DVD.A very nice fast moving action packed sequel to the original,with Van Damme on top of his game.

Universal Soldier Review on Blu-ray

Excellent movie! A must have along with the the other two sequels: The Return and Next Generation.

The UniSols Go Rogue Again, Who Didn't See That Coming?

Seven years after the original "Universal Soldier" was a worldwide box office success, and two made for TV sequels bored audiences at home, Tristar Pictures released "Universal Soldier: The Return". Serving as the first "official" sequel to the 1992 original, this film brought back star Jean-Claude Van Damme, but even his presence wasn't enough to bring back repeat business for this lackluster film.

"Universal Soldier: The Return" picks up several years after the events of the previous movie. Now, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a technical adviser/trainer for the next generation of UniSol's. Led by a powerful supercomputer named S.E.T.H. (Michael Jai White) this new crop of soldiers is more controlled, faster, and deadlier than their predecessors. However, when the government seeks to cut the funding to the UniSol program altogether, S.E.T.H. takes drastic measures to protect his army and ensure his survival no matter the cost.

You know, it's never a good sign for a movie, when the moment the first scene ends the viewer is already rolling his eyes at how ridiculous everything has been thus far. From that first scene alone, which was also the film's first action sequence (talk about not wasting anytime), I already had a growing suspicion that I was going to regret watching this movie. Of course, much to my dismay the remaining hour and twenty minutes or so managed to prove my suspicions correct; leaving me with 90 minutes of my life stripped away with nary an ounce of enjoyment from the experience.

The story for "Universal Soldier: The Return" sounded like a promising follow-up to the vastly superior original film. Yet, a promising story does not always make for a good movie, and screenwriters William Malone ("Supernova") and John Fasano ("Darkness Falls") saw to that. The plot for this entry is so riddled with holes and inconsistencies that it is borderline incoherent and I for one was stunned that the studio even allowed this movie to see the light of day. Events in the movie would repeat themselves, bits of information previously brought to light in an earlier scene would be rehashed (with the same characters present, mind you) as if the information had never been heard before. Not to mention, the dialogue is so amateurish that it is more cringe inducing than the worst written daytime soap opera or your typical tweens show on the Disney Channel.

The action sequences are average at best, some of them were exciting, but for the most part even they felt tired and boring. I would have never suspected that fight scenes could become so generic that I could almost doze off, yet somehow this movie found a way. What's surprising about how run-of-the-mill the action in this film was is that two skilled martial artists are involved in the movie, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Jai White. One should feel fairly confident in the assumption that with two martial artists on the set, that one of them could have ensured that at least the action sequences would be top-notch. However, that assumption would be incorrect. Not to mention the director, Mic Rogers, is no stranger to action movies having served as Assistant Director on several high-profile films, such as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Wanted". Apparently, no matter who was involved in this production, with horribly written material as the backbone, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the movie would begin to suffer.

Speaking of other areas that suffered in this movie, the acting in this film was laughable at best. Sole returning cast member Jean-Claude Van Damme was given far too many comedic moments (whether intentional or not) that his character didn't even remotely feel like the same man from the original. I just have a hard time picturing the Luc Deveraux from the first film, whether an active UniSol or not, kicking and/or punching some bad guy, then spouting off some lame one-liner. Also, I guess no one noticed that in the first movie, Jean-Claude's dialogue was kept to a minimum to disguise his thick accent that didn't fit his namesake; however, in this film no such effort was made and his accent was a definite distraction.

As if the problems with Jean-Claude's performance weren't enough, the movie's villains didn't fare any better. Serving as the main antagonists to Jean-Claude are former WWE wrestler Bill Goldberg ("Half Past Dead 2") and martial arts expert Michael Jai White ("Spawn"). Bill Goldberg must have been under the impression that the method of "acting" used in the WWE is the same for movies. Because every line he speaks or grunts or whatever, sounds as if he's giving a sound bite from a cue card on "Monday Night Raw". His lines all fall flat and his acting is so wooden that he makes Keanu Reeves look lively.

As for Michael Jai White, his fighting ability looks to be above reproach as he believably holds his own against the skills of Van Damme. As for his acting it's not nearly as impressive in this film. I've seen him in other movies, and typically he turns in a solid performance, but like everything else in this abysmal film, his acting manages to fall well short of expectations and/or talent.

I feel fairly safe in saying that if given the opportunity, every single person associated with this movie would go back and undo the damage this movie did to the franchise, and potentially to their careers. This is especially true for Jean-Claude, who shortly after this film's release began to see his movies making their way to Direct-to-DVD shelves everywhere. This movie is a prime example of what can happen when money talks more than quality, and the end result is nothing short of terrible.

Lastly, "Universal Soldier: The Return" is one of those rare films that will make you question your sanity for even bothering to finish the movie. Very few action films will make you long for the most brainless Direct-to-DVD efforts, but this one does its level best to do so.

"Universal Soldier: The Return" is rated R for violence, language, and nudity.

leave no plate of glass unshattered . . .

The official sequel to Universal Soldier (1992), Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) is a lower budget continuation of the saga that offers little that is new, and is disappointing in most every way. Granted, the original film was like a comic book, and far from classic science fiction, but the concept was somewhat interesting. Unfortunately, the quality of script and production values of the sequel, is several levels below the original. The opening action sequence involving a boat chase in a swamp, is actually the most exciting and well-executed action scene in the entire movie. Nothing that follows makes much sense, or seems very believable.

Jean-Claude Van Damme returns as Luc Deveraux, the former universal soldier (Unisol), is now an advisor for the revamped UNISOL 2500 program. Once again there are problems, both with unisols going berserk, and with the master computer named SETH that is in control of each Unisol. When the Department of Defense decides to close down the Unisol program, SETH acts to keep the Unisols viable, employing Romeo (Billy Goldberg), a hulkish unisol with an evil grin, as his point man. SETH is a talking computer, voiced by Michael Jai White, who mechanically issues audible commands. Even in 1999, a talking computer used a device to explain plot elements, was pretty lame.

The storyline in the sequel is that Deveraux married reporter Veronica Roberts, played by Ally Walker (Profiler) in the original movie. Veronica has died, leaving Deveraux with a daughter, Hillary. Fitness expert Kiana Tom (Bodyshaping) makes her feature film debut as Luc's assistant Maggie. When SETH takes over the facility, Maggie gets Hillary to safety, although the girl is injured and requires hospitalization. Meanwhile Deveraux continues to have a thing for reporters, this time it is Erin Young (Heidi Schanz) who has lost her cameraman and needs rescuing. Schanz is dressed like TV's Nancy Drew, and bears a slight resemblance to Ally Walker. Her character is soon in the familiar role, of the scared chick tagging along for the ride.

The best is yet to come, as SETH takes human form, inhabiting Michael Jai White's fabulously well built body. Led by Luc, the army mounts an assault on the facility, with disastrous results. Needing a secure computer line, Luc and Erin naturally wind up at a strip club, for some gratuitous nudity, and bouncer ballbusting. SETH needs a security code from Deveraux, and kidnaps Hillary from the hospital. Romeo continues to inflict damage, claiming Maggie as one of his victims. Back in the lab, Deveraux's battle with SETH features some athletic maneuvers and fancy footwork, with almost a dozen glass panes shattered along the way. Too bad for SETH, he winds up in pieces himself. For all his talk, he accomplished practically nothing. Without making sure his daughter is safe, Luc sets off a huge chain reaction explosion that takes the down the whole facility, and the remaining unisols, bringing this poorly written and acted mess, to a close. Action fans may get a few laughs from The Return, but if this atrocious film is memorable, it will probably not be for a good reason.

The dual sided disc contains both widescreen and fullscreen versions, and also has a few special features, including a Van Damme featurette, some workout tips from Michael Jai White, and short making of featurette. Not much, but better than nothing. Of interest to fans of the franchise, is the upcoming direct to video release of Universal Soldier: Regeneration, scheduled for February 2, 2010. The film features original stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, as well as MMA's Andrei 'Pit Bull' Arlovski. A preview clip is available at Amazon, with the early buzz, apparently on the positive side.

I love Jean-Claude

I think this movie rocks. I always have. I love Jean-Claude he's so sexy. I wish there were more movies out there like this and the first movie but they wouldn't be the same with out that sexy accent.