Luc Devreux and Andrew Scott are US soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam when Devreux interferes with Scott's slaughter of a friendly village. Listed as MIA, they are actually flash-frozen and shipped to a top-secret facility where a team of scientists led by Colonel Perry turn the two, along with other select specimens, into super-soldiers known as "UniSols." While helping foil a terrorist takeover of the giant McKinley Dam, Devreux starts having flashbacks to his former life, and makes a break from his colleagues. The increasingly human Devreux teams up with TV reporter Veronica Roberts, while they are chased across much of the Midwest by Scott, and also by Perry and the police, who capture them long enough for Scott to find them. After a chase, thinking that they killed Scott in a truck crash, Veronica takes Devreux home to his parents in Louisiana, only to have Scott catch up with them for a brutal confrontation. An elite team of soldiers has been used against terrorists where they use astounding physical capabilities to overcome them. Victoria, a reporter, follows them and discovers a part of their secret. When one of the team kills her cameraman she tries to escape. Luc, one of the soldiers begins to have flashbacks and turns sides and helps her as the remainder of the team follows to protect their secrets. Probably both Van Damme's and Lundgren's best, Universal Soldier is one of the best action movies of the early nineties, with plenty of explosive stunts, fights, a decent story, some fine acting, and lots of great dialogue. In the wake of Terminator 2 this, and most sci-fi action movies look inferior, but this is a great watch for action fans, and should be seen by non-fans too as it is a good slice of entertainment.<br/><br/>Van Damme stars as Luc Deveraux, a marine in 'Nam. His superior is Andrew Scott, played with menace by Lundgren. Their team stumbles upon a village in 'Nam where Scott goes on a kill crazy rampage, wiping out men, women, and kids, and when Luc tries to stop him, they kill each other. Flash forward to the nineties and the US Army has managed to save and restore both Luc and Scott an their team. The are now part man, part computer, easy to control soldiers with a much higher skill and strength rate than any human could have. The Army has created them for special missions and they have a flawless success rate. Veronica Roberts is a snoopy reporter who wants to follow the mysterious team, but can never get close. The soldiers are autonomous, doing whatever they are told, and with no memory of their past lives. However, as all computers inevitably turn against their masters, Luc and Scott begin to have flashbacks. Soon Scott has killed Veronica's cameraman, and Luc has saved her to become a renegade. He begins to remember everything and Scott takes control of his team with the sole objective of killing Luc and Veronica. The chase begins.<br/><br/>Once we accept the Universal Soldier's abilities etc the story is all simple and will of course end with a final confrontation between the two stars. Between these two points there is a lot of action, gun fights, bombs, the usual, but it is done with a fair amount of skill and style. Van Damme does well as a cyborg and has little to say, but shows off his martial arts skills. Lundgren has less to say but is effectively sneering. Walker is the feisty heroine and gives a fine performance, and the rest of the cast range from grunts with guns to comedic parts. There is a good amount of humour which helps to make the film more appealing, and there is the inevitable Van Damme nudity. There are some interesting elements involving the Government's control of mindless soldiers, sending in faceless masses to do their dirty-work, but of course this is reading between the lines. Overall it is a simple, but effective and well-shot action film, and one of the best of its kind.<br/><br/>8.5 out of 10 Luc Devreaux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and Sgt. Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) are two soldiers have killed each other in Vietnam. 25 Years Later… Devreaux, Sgt. Scott and other soldiers have been bought back to life by a secret government program known as "Unisols". They are genetically enhanced, unstoppable killing machines without memory, feelings or free will. But when Devreaux's memory has come back to him, he escapes the program with a sneaky T.V. reporter (Ally Walker). The superhuman chase begins.<br/><br/>Directed by Ronald Emmerich (The Day after Tomorrow, Independence Day, Stargate) made an extremely entertaining, violent, sci-fi thriller. This was a Box Office Hit back in 1992. This film that made director:Emmerich and co-writer:Dean Delvin to the A-List System in Hollywood. Emmerich went to direct major blockbusters film. Van Damme and Lundgren are nicely cast in the film as opposites.<br/><br/>DVD has an sharp non anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an digitally remastered-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound from the previous 1998 DVD. The latest 2004 DVD is the first time in anamorphic Widescreen with the same sound quality. DVD has an ingraining commentary track by the director, co-writer:Delvin and actors:Van Damme & Lundgren. DVD has two amusing featured and an darker alternative ending.<br/><br/>Universal Soldier went on to be Van Damme's best film, even Van Damme admits that his favorite film. This is Lundgren's best role to date. The film also stars:Ed O'Ross (Full Metal Jacket), Leon Rippy (The Patroit) and the late-Jerry Orbach (Dirty Dancing). Universal Soldier is followed by two t.v. sequels without Van Damme and Walker. Followed by a real sequel with Van Damme. Don't miss this violent but enjoyable film. Watch for the opening scene for Micheal Jai White, who went on to play The Lead Hero in Spawn and the Villain in Universal Soldier:The Return. Panavision. (****/*****). It's the kind of movie that crumbles into trash – non-recyclable – if you spend more than 10 minutes thinking about it. It's designed for dumb fun, and delivers some. [10 July 1992, p.D3]
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