Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16256 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-05-28
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch, English, German, Turkish
• Dubbed in: German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 99 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Universal Soldier offered director Roland Emmerich and screenwriter Dean Devlin their first venture before going on to make a mountain of money as the creators of Independence Day and Godzilla. Teaming up for this action flick disguised as a science fiction thriller, muscle hunks Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren play embattled Vietnam soldiers who kill each other in combat. They are subsequently revived 25 years later as semi-android "UniSols" in a high-tech army of the near future. Their memories were supposedly wiped clean, but flashbacks occur to remind them of their bitter hatred (Lundgren committed wartime atrocities; Van Damme had tried to stop him) and the warriors resume their tenacious battle while a journalist (Ally Walker) uncovers the truth about the secret UniSol program. With energy to spare, the standard action sequences are adequate for anyone with a short attention span. And besides, with Van Damme and Lundgren in the lead roles, who needs dialogue? --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Teaser Trailer
Trailer
"Making of Universal Soldier"
Behind The Scenes Footage
Director and Scriptwriter's Commentary
Languages: English DTS 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, German, Dutch, Turkish.

Synopsis
Luc is a genetically enhanced supersoldier pitted against his former comrades in arms as he tries to remember his past. Andrew is also a universal soldier who, driven by a hatred born decades before in Vietnam, wages a deadly pursuit against traitorous Luc. But something goes wrong and these war machines begin to revert to their past selves and slip away from their creators.

Customer Reviews

THE FUTURE HAS A BAD ATTITUDE
Universal Soldier might be dumb and derivative but I couldn't care less, it is also one of the most entertaining action films to be released in the 1990s and provided signature roles for two of my favourite trash icons, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The film also serves as a testament to the last good movie made by Roland Emmerich before selling his soul to the Hollywood machine.

This film has long been a favourite with genre fans. Universal Soldier was a theatrical box office hit but really developed its cult following on video. I watch this film every couple of years and I'm always struck by the quality of the writing, directing and yes, even the acting. This is simply a well crafted movie and an excellent example of a film that is so much more than the sum of its admittedly tawdry parts.

Universal Soldier owes a hell of a lot to "The Terminator". It lifts a whole raft of ideas from Cameron's action classic, including the basic concept of a good guy with superhuman strength protecting a woman from a bad guy with superhuman strength. Actually, it even borrows minor details like the eye-cam, the nude walk and an act of self-mutilation. Nevertheless, the film never feels like a blatant rip off. Roland Emmerich, while never a particularly original mind, injects sufficient change and innovation into the film to ensure it has a distinct energy of its own.

The film recycles old ideas with great skill due to the excellent screenplay. The action comes thick and fast, and the dialogue is first rate for an action film. Furthermore, it provides several memorable characters and successfully introduces an element of black humour without detracting from the action. No matter how well written it is, an action film is only as good its action sequences and Mr Emmerich does not disappoint. The film contains several fantastic set pieces, from the grandeur of the hostage rescue to the phenomenal truck chase through the desert, which even manages to find time for a mid-chase game of "catch" with live grenades and a string of memorably corny one-liners. Emmerich is in his element, filming explosions and stunts from every imaginable angle. Universal Soldier is also far gorier than his later films and is all the better for it.

The film would not be half as enjoyable without its leading men. Jean-Claude and Dolph both give great performances. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Jean-Claude was at his physical peak and excels during the action scenes. He performs several signature flying kicks in a great fight with Dolph, which is mercifully filmed in a long shot - I wish the John Woo wannabes from the "cut and paste" school of directing who directed Jean-Claude's later films had taken note. Dolph is great fun as the villain, making crazy eyes for all he is worth and relishing every trashy one-liner. They both are more than adequate in their non-action scenes, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that they are essentially playing refined zombies who walk around naked a lot. The supporting cast is also great. Ally Walker showed a lot of promise as the female lead and has gone on to have a good career in television. Jerry Orbach and Tico Wells, also TV regulars, give memorable performances in minor roles.

Universal Soldier is relentless, the film starts with a bang and never lets up. It might be trashy, but it is never less than completely entertaining. In my opinion, this is one of the seminal action films of the 90s. The sequels, however, are only recommended for experienced action fans who can't get enough of the Universal Soldier films.

Thank you for reading my review.

One of the most underrated movies of the 90's!!
This movie was an extremely clever idea, soldiers who were killed in vietnam and were then turned into super soldiers called unisols, short for universal soldiers. Honestly, who would be better for the large menacing bad guy named sgt. Andrew Scott, Dolph at a good 6"5 and muscle bound more than fitted the build, and van damme also done an excellent job of playing the shy good guy, the plot is great the action is excellent and the acting aint too bad either.
This movie is one of the best action movies that I personally have ever seen!. An absolute hoot for action fans and also a good film for people who respect decent films.
Dolph is excellent, van damme is excellent and with roland emmerich directing, how can you possibly go wrong, BUY THIS MOVIE NOW!!!!. 5/5, 10/10 you cant go wrong with this one!

The Ultimate Soldiers
Dead bodies are used to create the ultimate soldiers, and that is exactly what this movie is about. After being killed in Vietnam, Luc Devreaux (Van Damme) is genetically reanimated as the ultimate killing machine, GR44.

However, when things go wrong, GR13 (Dolph Lundgren) becomes a search and destroy unit tracking down GR44. Universal Soldier is a superbly directed action thriller that keeps up the pace and tension throughout.

No matter what type of movie you prefer, this will definitely appeal to you, and with the enhancement of DVD technology, this movie really kicks!