Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning Review

• 18th Feb 2013

The Action Movie revival that stumbled through the door in 2010 with the likes of The Expendables, the A-Team, The Losers, Predators and various other flicks has finally stumbled one step too far and come crashing down like a drunken lunk in a back alley and landed in the trash bins this year.

The Expendables 2 last year (which featured just about every 80’s action icon you can think of) was a terrible let down, and clearly the public are in no mood for forgiveness for the two years of faith they have put into the genre upon getting such weak results back.

The problem it seems is that the current batch of writers used are both cheap and inexperienced. The direction has been varied but nothing startling. The action set pieces again have been varied, but rarely stand out.

Perhaps our clueless heroes are finally get their just desserts as the former  Planet Hollywood trio have all been given a right whooping for their latest efforts – including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s much anticipated “Official” return to the big screen with The Last Stand.  Sylvester Stallone even teamed up with 80’s directorial icon Walter Hill, only to deliver the turkey Bullet to the Head which was a mere shadow of the past. And Bruce Willis dug up his own past (or did he just dig his own grave) with the 12A Die Hard film that just went on general release. This is not a good sign, or a good time for action heroes or the actors that helped made the genre so popular.

Has the public finally had enough of terrible films that they now refuse to pay to see them in force? And is it too late for the studios and the stars to learn that they need better writers, intelligent and character driven action and not just a huge effects budget with the dumbest stunts played out imaginable.

And what does any of this have to do with the fourth “official” Universal Soldier film.

Well the film has both Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundren back who are from the 80’s action alumni. The lead however is newish kid on the block (and Expendables 2 supporting villain) Scott Adkins in the hero role.

Adkins it seems is something of a saving grace in action, yet he has primarily been used as a double and has yet to have a big break out on the silver screen. He has decent acting ability and can work choreography better than most of his colleagues at the moment. So the fact that JCVD and Dolph barely register in the film doesn’t hurt so much by the fact that there is a fairly charismatic lead. Adkins plays a tortured soul seeking vengeance for the murder of his family, committed it seems by one Luc Deveraux (Van Damme). We follow his pursuit in what has become an action mystery in order to get answers and fine the man responsible.

It does still hurt though that JCVD would take top billing and then get maybe 10 minutes of actual screen time spread out (Less time than he appeared in Expendables 2). Dolph Lundgren gets a long pretty speech about half an hour in, but again his presence comes and goes. He gets perhaps 15-20 minutes of screen time.

The Universal Soldier series is becoming akin to that of the Highlander films. The continuity makes no sense whatsoever. JCVD ran a facility in the second one? He was a guinea pig in the third and now suddenly he is the villain?  Lundgren doesn’t even get an explanation for where he came from in this new one.

Bizarrely the new film has the same director for the last film (John Hyams (son of Peter)). And it seems Hyams and his team are happy to wipe the slate and play with ideas instead of following character arcs – which to be fair is actually a benefit to the series as it keeps it fresh; bizarre; but ultimately interesting.

Here JCVD and Lundgren are added to help promote the film to as wide an audience as possible and given as interesting an idea for their characters as possible. Lundren’s part has more meat and dialogue; JCVD’s is more bizarre (Even more bizarre when you see him with Baron Samaedi make-up in the final reel!).

But as for the action itself, it is very impressive. Hyams did some amazing action in Universal Soldier: Regeneration, and here builds on that experience, and doesn’t shy away from his 18 rating. Sure a lot of CGI is used to explode heads and spray blood on the walls; but the bone crunching is pretty convincing, and again Adkins and his support are well choreographed.

The climax in particular follows Adkins through the tunnels of a complex in what seems like a one shot but is disguised and cut in the darkness. But is no less exciting if you can ignore where the cuts are.

So is Action dead?  It’s like the continuity of this film series: It is in limbo.  The old stars are not earning their pay. They don’t show up for what is required of them and rest on their laurels and the good will from the support of their fans for credit they do not deserve. But the young action stars are still game – but their success depends purely on writing and directorial talent. A shame the writers like Steven E De Souza no longer seem to work as doing a “Lawrence Kasdan” with them might be beneficial. Old dogs teaching new tricks.

It doesn’t seem quite right though that US: DOR goes straight to disc, but, despite the lack of screen time from its two big names, delivers more bang than the Planet Hollywood trio could muster in their three theatrical releases at the moment.

Steven Hurst