Who would have thought that I would enjoy a movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren? Call it a guilty pleasure, but I thought “Universal Soldier” was actually a pretty darn entertaining film back when I first saw it in 1992. I’ll grant you that neither Van Damme nor Lundgren ever showed any real acting chops in any of their films, but their karate chops on the other hand can be something worth watching. Back in the day, Van Damme turned out some fairly good action flicks in spite of his somewhat limited acting skills. Guys liked him because he could pretty much kick anyone’s a** with his rapid-fire punches and kicks. Women loved him for that silly accent and his ability to do the splits just about anywhere. Lundgren was a bit of a different story, as his only real claim to fame was his stint as Grace Jones’ boy toy, and his nearly beating Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa to a pulp in “Rocky IV.” As Ivan “I must break you” Drago, Lundgren was a pretty formidable figure.

Later films really didn’t do much to put him on the top of the Hollywood food chain. However, I had this memory that both actors did a pretty good job in “Universal Soldier.” Watching it again recently on the new Special Edition DVD release from Lions Gate proved my memory correct.

The premise of “Universal Soldier” wasn’t necessarily anything new, what with all the movies that have been made about technologically enhanced soldiers. What elevated above most of these other films, I believe lay in the hands of the director. I was surprised when I received the DVD and read that it was directed by Roland Emmerich. I’ve unfortunately had to knock some of his more recent films for being a bit leaden in the plot and acting departments. But in spite of that weakness, he is still a very good visual director. But if I go back a few years, I realize this weakness wasn’t there in “Stargate” or “Independence Day”, so ergo it hadn’t developed during “Universal Soldier” either.

When he was filming “Universal Soldier”, he was still working under a limited budget, and didn’t have access to all the amazing technological wizardry that is available today. Fueled by the lack of great special effects, he had no choice but to focus on the plot and characterizations. And under his watchful eye, Emmerich somehow pulled some pretty good performances out of his two stars. He also made up for the lower budget status by utilizing some great camera shots and effects. The resulting film, while not a classic by any standard, is still makes for an exhilarating watch.

The storyline starts out in 1969, with Van Damme playing a Vietnam soldier who’s done his time and wants nothing more than to go home. Lundgren is the polar opposite, a superior officer with an obsession for war. When the two have a confrontation over Lundgren’s massacre of an innocent village, the two go head to head and wind up killing each other. The last thing we see is their body bags being zipped up and packed in ice. We quickly get the idea that everything is not quite over for these two.

We then cut to present day America (well, present day in 1992) and we meet a group of scientists working with their newest experiment. Universal Soldiers, they are called. They are the ultimate weapon for the ultimate war. Guess who two of the soldiers turn out to be? You got it. There memories have been erased and they have been programmed to take orders and fight. But as in any good experiment, things go wrong. Their personalities start to return, and after Van Damme saves a reporter (Ally Walker), the chase is on.

This new Special Edition DVD offers up a really good transfer of the film as well as some very illuminating extra features. There are two brand new featurettes, the first being a fairly in-depth look at the making of the film. It runs a little over 18 minutes and features interviews with Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Van Damme and Lundgren. The other takes a look at the lives of the two stars and compares their upbringing and careers. There is also a listing for new interviews with Van Damme and Lundgren, but I cannot find them on the DVD. I’m guessing that listing refers to the interview footage in the featurettes. There is also an audio commentary by Emmerich, Devlin, Van Damme and Lundgren, which is very accent intensive. They’re pretty laid back and joke quite a bit about the film.

“Universal Soldier”, though it looks a bit dated, still holds up as an entertaining action movie.

Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Ally Walker, Ed O’Ross, Jerry Orbach
Extras: Director, Writer and Talent Commentary, Alternate Ending, Guns, Genes and Fighting Machines: The Making of Universal Soldier - Featurette, Tale of Two Titans - Featurette, New Interviews with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1) Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: 10/19/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (For Strong Graphic Violence and for Strong Language)
Website

We'll give Universal Soldier a B-.