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Wow! Who woulda
thought? Almost twenty years after the original
release of “Universal Soldier”,
Jean-Claude Van Damme is trying once again
to prove to Steve Seagal that he is truly
the ultimate movie fighting action star.
Sure, he did his splits in “Universal
Soldier: The Return”… but this…
THIS is the big comeback. Well, in another
straight to Home Video release. But before
we discount his efforts here, let’s
actually take a look at “Universal
Soldier: Regeneration” and decide
if it’s worth your time.
Director John Hyams, who up until this
point has mostly only handled various TV
series, delivers a movie fraught with peril
as the children of a Russian Prime minister
are kidnapped by evil terrorists (as if
there are any other kind). But what makes
these evil terrorists even eviler is they
seem to be utilizing a ‘Universal
Soldier’ (Andrei Arlovski) to help
with their evil schemes.
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So when the scientists who were originally involved
with the ‘Universal Soldier’ project
are called in to help, they decide to call ex-Universal
Soldier Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) out of his quiet
retirement to open a can of whupass on them. Before
you know it, ex-Universal Soldier Andrew Scott
(Dolph Lundgren) is invited to the party and all
hell continues to break loose.
“Universal Soldier: Regeneration”
is a rather fun return to the series, full of
blood, guts, fighting, and action. Lots of firepower
and explosions wreak havoc throughout and with
the lights turned off and the sound turned up,
the film delivers on every expected level. Of
course, we’re not talking Academy Award
winning acting, but that would take away too much
from the action. Van Damme does do a decent job
of wrestling with his violent side versus his
pacifist side… he’s not Olivier…
but he does alright. Lundgren stays pretty stoic
most of the time so thankfully he’s not
called upon to emote a lot. As for Arlovski, he
mirrors Lundgren for lack of facial expression,
but surpasses him in the brutality department.
Sony’s Bluray for “Universal Soldier:
Regeneration” offers a strong transfer that
allows for a very sharp picture, with all the
colors looking perfect. I was even more impressed
with the sound as it filled our living room with
every bullet, voice and footstep. It offered a
fully immersive experience from start to finish,
and dialogue rarely got lost in the shuffle. I
was a little surprised that they skimped on the
extra features. Even on the Bluray, you only get
a by the number ‘behind the scenes’
featurette and a commentary by Hyams and Lundgren.
I will say that the commentary was at least worth
the listen, more so for Lundgren than Hyams. I
just kind of wondered where Van Damme was.
“Universal Soldier: Regeneration”
is everything one might expect it to be. Certainly
it is a bit better than your usual direct to Home
Video release, just don’t expect deep philosophical
meanings peppered throughout the mayhem.
Directed by: John Hyams
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren,
Andrei Arlovski
Extras: Commentary with Director John Hyams and
Dolph Lundgren; Behind the Lines Featurette; MovieIQ
Specification: 1080p High Definition (2.35:1);
5.1 DTS-HD MA
Studio: Sony
Release Date: 2/2/2010
MPAA Rating: R
http://www.sonypictures.com
We'll give Universal Soldier: Regeneration (Bluray)
a C+.
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