Universal Soldier: Regeneration

Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Directed by John Hyams
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Andrei Arlovski

After the failure of the two television films and reboot film Universal Soldier: The Return, Sony Pictures has released a direct-to-video sequel that tries to reboot the Universal Soldier franchise by ignoring the middle installments. Originally shown at the Austin Fantastic Fest in 2009 and later released on home video in 2010, Universal Soldier: Regeneration is a direct sequel to the original film starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Set in the present times, a group of Russian terrorists kidnap the prime minister’s children and hold them hostage at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The terrorists are in league with a rogue American scientist who has created a Next Generation UniSol (NGU) which is much stronger than the original super-soldiers. When the military and several original UniSols fail, it’s up to Luc Deveraux (Van Damme), to save them. The only problem is that he has been in psychiatric treatment to remove his UniSol programming.

This film is a masterpiece compared to The Return, but it still has some major flaws. The Universal Soldier franchise has never been known for its acting or plot. It has been known for its dark tone and action sequences. There are several good fight scenes in the film with the aging Van Damme and UFC Champion Andrei Arlovski, and long awaited rematch between Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. One of the interesting aspects of Regeneration is how Deveraux is trying to recover from his experiences as a UniSol. These scenes show a more mature side to the franchise with Deveraux in rehab dealing with his twisted past. He has finally gotten past his UniSol training and is becoming a regular citizen, and then suddenly he is pulled right back in. This plot line could have delved deeper into Deveraux’s psych, but instead heads right into action flick territory.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration is another example of Hollywood rehashing old ideas and franchises. Both Van Damme and Lundgren are past their primes, and this film shows it. Van Damme has made a recent comeback with 2008’s JCVD, but Lundgren has not made a career comeback. His acting in this film is not up to par with Van Damme. This film has the two stars as top billing, but neither actor has a tremendous amount of screentime. In fact, Arlovski has the most screentime as a UniSol. Lundgren is barely in the film and serves no real purpose, except for nostalgia. In the end, Universal Soldier: Regeneration boils down to a mediocre action flick that tries to capitalize on Van Damme’s recent comeback, he is no longer in his prime for these types of action flicks. There are absurd storylines, horrible acting, and some nice fights. Universal Soldier: Regeneration is far better than The Return, and is a right step for the franchise.

Rating: C-


June 10, 2010

Universal Soldier

Universal Soldier (1992)
TriStar Pictures
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren

Within the science fiction genre, genetically enhanced super-soldiers have become a staple of futuristic warfare. The idea has been showcased in several films including The Terminator and Robocop. Newcomer German director Roland Emmerich brings us Universal Soldier, the story of super-soldiers who are reanimated and sent to stop a terrorist takeover. Starring action megastars Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Universal Soldier is heavy on action and short on plot.

Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) and Andrew Scott (Lundgren) are two soldiers during the Vietnam War who end up killing each other over a hostage dispute. Twenty-five years later, Deveraux and Scott are reanimated as UniSols, genetically enhanced soldiers who have no fear, freewill, or memories. The government sends in a squad of UniSols to stop a terrorist attack on the Hoover Dam. During the attack, Deveraux recovers some of his old memories and runs from the government with TV reporter Veronica Roberts (Ally Walker). Scott also regains his freewill and memory and takes over the UniSol program. He sends his team to find and destroy the renegade Deveraux.

Universal Soldier is a mindless action film that tries to feature some morals within it. The film fails on this level when it could have explored the cyborg’s motives and feelings instead of rushing into a straight action story. There is not much plot here: basically it is a cat-and-mouse story with unstoppable cyborgs. One of the biggest problems with Universal Soldier is the acting. Both Van Damme and Lundgren are not known for their acting skills. With other 80’s actions stars such as Stallone and Seagal, these types of films are about the fight scenes and not the acting or story.

The final fight scene between Deveraux and Scott is well choreographed and is entertaining. It is probably the true redeeming scene of the film. Other than the action climax, there is not much that makes Universal Soldier stand out as a science fiction cornerstone or a masterpiece. It is a mindless popcorn flick that features two upcoming action stars that have barely made it out of the 80’s action wave. Universal Soldier could have been a wonderful story that delves into cyborgs and freewill, but instead it cannot get about a B-level film which features a few good fight scenes.

Rating: C-


June 8, 2010