Universal Soldier: The Return

Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
TriStar Pictures
Directed by Mic Rodgers
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, Bill Goldberg

In 1992, Roland Emmerich kicked-off his Hollywood career with the science fiction thriller Universal Soldier. Years later director Mic Rodgers is helming the theatrical sequel, Universal Soldier: The Return. There were two made-for-television sequels made in 1998, but this film decides to ignore their canon and reset the events in the Universal Soldier timeline. Set several years after the events of the first film, the story picks up with Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) working with the government to refine and perfect the UniSol program. A supercomputer that controls the program, SETH, goes renegade when about to be shut down, and causes the new UniSols to kill any opposing threat. Soon SETH transfers his mind into a human body (White) and tracks down Deveraux, the only one with the code to shut him down.

The first Universal Soldier was very short of spectacular, and the sequel is no different. The Return is worse than the original in all aspects. The acting is worse, the plot is completely scattered and obsolete, and the action is completely cliché and unforgettable. The idea of a rogue computer has been seen once too many times on screen, and Universal Soldier is no place for that plotline. The film struggles because of a weak villain. SETH does not have the screen presence of Dolph Lundgren’s character from the original. Deveraux’s biggest threat is Romeo (Goldberg) who is the leader of the UniSols. Goldberg just feels out of place in this film and needs to stay inside a wrestling ring. He is not the greatest wrestling actor, but he is not much worse than any other cast member.

This sequel is completely not necessary as the first film does not need a lackluster sequel. All of the original ideas are lost and instead the story focuses on unentertaining action sequences from Van Damme and Goldberg using his wrestling moves. The film suffers from a poor script, bad directing, and horrible acting. Universal Soldier: The Return is a terrible film and completely destroys the fun factor of Universal Soldier. There is little hope that the franchise can recover from this mess.

Rating: D-


June 9, 2010