There are such a large number of “Universal Soldiers” “flying” online that it will be difficult for an uninitiated person to determine which films belong to the famous franchise. Let me clarify right away that “Universal Soldier: Regeneration” is a direct continuation of the film by Roland Emerich (3). It ignores the two "Universal Soldiers" that came out straight to DVD, as well as the 1992 sequel, "Universal Soldier: The Return", in which Jean-Claude Van Damme returned in the original role. In “Renaissance” Van Damme returns again as Luc Deveraux, just like his real actor-partner in the first part Dolph Lundgren, again playing the (very funny) role of Deveraux's immortal enemy named Andrew Scott.
The script for “Renaissance” was written by Victor Ostrovsky and directed by John Hyams, the son of Peter Hyams, a Hollywood mainstay who has two excellent Van Damme films under his belt – Timecop and Sudden Death. At the very beginning of the sequel, a gang of Russian rebels led by an unknown villain, who later turns out to be a participant in the program of the last generation of universal soldiers, kidnaps the son and daughter of the President of Russia. The not-so-secret government program has been disbanded, but a rogue professor (Carrie Shale) believes he has an opportunity to create his own army of universal soldiers (unisols). To achieve this, he teamed up with a Russian rebel commander who was using the remains of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in his operations, threatening to explode (both the reactor and the President's children) if his demands were not met.
Despite the colorful DVD packaging and press claims that the film would be a true comeback for original two stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, the reality is quite different. Although Deveraux's (Van Damme) face is shown quite often, much of the film is far from action-packed as his character tries to "fit in" with society with the help of a kind British scientist (Emily Joyce). Almost the entire first hour of the film is devoted to how Russian-American units led by Captain Kevin Burke (Mike Pyle) are trying to neutralize the rebels hiding in their secret lair near a nuclear reactor. The rebels, in turn, fight back with the help of big guy Andrei Arlovski, a tough guy from the new generation of unisols. As for Scott, he doesn't appear until the end of the first hour, and even then the long-awaited confrontation between Scott and Deveraux lasts about a scant 10 minutes of the entire film. I was disappointed.
However, to his credit, Hyams took the right path and tried to make a grittier, bloodier version of Universal Soldier with an impressive opening sequence. The film focuses on a few noteworthy sequences, such as Devereaux's running fight, which is finally reactivated and returned to duty. He single-handedly destroys all the rebels, using everything he can get his hands on, from firearms to knives. Another memorable moment is the fight with Scott, during which the opponents break through walls and fight as if they really hate each other. Of course, the two stunt doubles got most of the work, but the fact that Van Damme and Lundgren are still striving for such things in their advanced years is already quite impressive.
If you're a fan of the first film, I don't think you'll be disappointed with Rebirth. The lack of action from Devereaux and Scott in the first hour of the film, I admit, surprises me, because I was waiting for this couple to start breaking each other's bones and shooting out limbs again. I waited and waited... Meanwhile, John Hyams supplemented the cast with mix fighters like Arlovski, who makes a very strong impression. Of all the mixfighter guys, Pyle has proven himself to be the best actor as an actor (if you don't count the punches to people's faces with their own fists), which explains his de facto lead in the film, despite his minor role. Clearly, Higham's background in the world of MMA influenced much of the variety of fistfight sequences that the director filmed in the style of UFC fights. This is noticeable in the way the unisols sometimes throw each other around like cage fighters, but you get used to it over time. I must admit that the MMA fighters in “Renaissance” showed their best side.
I'll be honest with you: I've never watched the two DVD sequels to The Return, so I won't even try to compare them to The Return. As an addition to the Universal Soldier franchise, Rebirth is a worthy straight-to-DVD sequel. The $14 million budget was spent wisely, including a great chase scene early in the film and plenty of explosions and gunfire throughout. Naturally, I would have liked to have seen a lengthy update on Scott and Deveraux's acquaintance (I mean, I would have liked to have seen them beat each other up more than once throughout the film), but the last 30 minutes are the kind of frenetic "whack" that should be appreciate.
Author: Nix
Source: beyondhollywood.com
Translation: EvilDollaR
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Tags: Universal Soldier: Regeneration, John Hyams, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Tags: Universal Soldier: Regeneration, John Hyams, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Ooh, I want to check out this movie.
The last ones were interesting!