Universal Soldier: The Return: Difference between revisions
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DVD was released in [[DVD region code|Region 1]] in the United States on December 28, 1999, and also Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 1 July 2002, it was distributed by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment]]. On 4 October 2010, Universal Soldier Trilogy DVD was released. On 11 February 2013, Universal Soldier Quadrilogy Box Set was released. |
DVD was released in [[DVD region code|Region 1]] in the United States on December 28, 1999, and also Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 1 July 2002, it was distributed by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment]]. On 4 October 2010, Universal Soldier Trilogy DVD was released. On 11 February 2013, Universal Soldier Quadrilogy Box Set was released. |
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In 2012, as part of a distribution deal with [[Sony]], [[Mill Creek Entertainment]] re-released the film as part of a Jean-Claude Van Damme themed ''Hollywood Hits'' set along with [[Knock Off (film)]], [[The Hard Corps]] and, [[Second in Command]].<ref>http://www.millcreekent.com/universal-soldier-the-return-knock-off-second-in-command-the-hard-corps-4-movie-collection-dvd.html</ref> |
In 2012, as part of a distribution deal with [[Sony]], [[Mill Creek Entertainment]] re-released the film as part of a Jean-Claude Van Damme themed ''Hollywood Hits'' set along with [[Knock Off (film)]], [[The Hard Corps]] and, [[Second in Command]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.millcreekent.com/universal-soldier-the-return-knock-off-second-in-command-the-hard-corps-4-movie-collection-dvd.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=August 4, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20150709154853/http://www.millcreekent.com:80/universal-soldier-the-return-knock-off-second-in-command-the-hard-corps-4-movie-collection-dvd.html |archivedate=July 9, 2015 }}</ref> |
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In 2013, a second [[blu-ray]] of the film was released, again by [[Mill Creek Entertainment]], as a double feature with [[Second in Command]].<ref>http://www.millcreekent.com/universal-soldier-the-return-second-in-command-bd-double-feature.html</ref> |
In 2013, a second [[blu-ray]] of the film was released, again by [[Mill Creek Entertainment]], as a double feature with [[Second in Command]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.millcreekent.com/universal-soldier-the-return-second-in-command-bd-double-feature.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=August 4, 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20150515135122/http://www.millcreekent.com/universal-soldier-the-return-second-in-command-bd-double-feature.html |archivedate=May 15, 2015 }}</ref> |
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The film has since been featured in various action film compilations from [[Mill Creek Entertainment]]. |
The film has since been featured in various action film compilations from [[Mill Creek Entertainment]]. |
Revision as of 19:06, 21 July 2016
Universal Soldier: The Return | |
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Directed by | Mic Rodgers |
Written by | William Malone John Fasano |
Produced by | Daniel Melnick Michael I. Rachmil Jean-Claude Van Damme Allen Shapiro |
Starring | Jean-Claude Van Damme Michael Jai White Kiana Tom Daniel von Bargen Xander Berkeley and Bill Goldberg |
Cinematography | Mike Benson |
Edited by | Peck Prior |
Music by | Don Davis |
Production companies | Long Road Entertainment IndieProd Company Productions Baummgarten-Prophet Entertainment |
Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $45 million[1] |
Box office | $10,717,421[1][2] |
Universal Soldier: The Return is a 1999 American science fiction action film directed by Mic Rodgers in his directorial debut. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, Bill Goldberg, Heidi Schanz, Kiana Tom and Xander Berkeley. The film was released in the United States on August 20, 1999. This was Jean-Claude Van Damme's last widely released film until 2012's The Expendables 2.
It is the second theatrical film in the Universal Soldier series, following two made-for-TV movies, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business.[3] The film was received with highly negative reviews and was a box office bomb. Subsequent films in the series ignore the events of The Return and contradict it in some places throughout the series; today it is no longer considered part of the series' canon.
Plot
Seven years after the events in the first film, Luc Deveraux (Van Damme), now an ordinary human, is a technical expert who is working with the government with his partner Maggie (Kiana Tom), who has been through countless hours of combat training with him, in order to refine and perfect the UniSol program in an effort to make a new, stronger breed of soldier that is more sophisticated and intelligent to reduce the use of normal, human soldiers in the battlefield. All of the new UniSols, which are faster and stronger than the original UniSols, are connected through an artificially intelligent computer system called S.E.T.H. (voice of Michael Jai White), a Self-Evolving Thought Helix.
When S.E.T.H. discovers that the Universal Soldier program is scheduled to be shut down because of budget cuts, it takes action to protect itself. Killing those who try to shut off its power, and unleashing a platoon of super soldiers, led by the musclebound Romeo (Bill Goldberg), S.E.T.H. spares Devereaux, only because Devereaux has the secret code that is needed to deactivate a built-in program that will shut S.E.T.H. down in a matter of hours. With the help of Squid (Brent Hinkley), a rogue cyberpunk, S.E.T.H. is able to put its program in a UniSol which Squid made superior to any of the newer models (White). A team of four UniSols massacre a bunch of troops stationed outside the premises. Luc goes in later with another bunch of special troops, but most of them get killed.
Not only must Luc contend with ambitious reporter Erin Young (Schanz), who will not leave his side, but he must also contend with General Radford (Daniel von Bargen) who wants to take extreme measures to stop S.E.T.H.. S.E.T.H. has arranged Romeo to kidnap Luc's injured 13-year-old daughter Hillary (Karis Paige Bryant), killing Maggie in the process.
However, Luc is the only person who can rescue Hillary, because Luc knows firsthand how a UniSol thinks, feels, and fights. Luc infiltrates the UniSol building, but finds Maggie, now revived as one of the UniSols. S.E.T.H is able to figure out the code itself, decides to kill Luc and raise Hillary as a daughter, who it has healed using UniSol technology. During the fight Luc covers S.E.T.H. in liquid nitrogen then shatters S.E.T.H.'s frozen body. Luc and Hillary leave the lab and head towards the exist, but find Romeo waiting for Luc. Luc then engages into a final fight with Romeo, which ends when Maggie finally rebels against the UniSols by shooting Romeo, and allows Luc and Hillary to get out of the building on time. However, the bomb that General Radford had placed was deactivated by S.E.T.H.. As Romeo and the platoon of Universal Soldiers start to march out for battle, Luc fires at the explosive charge blowing up the building, killing all the Universal Soldiers and destroyed all UniSol equipment.
Cast
- Jean-Claude Van Damme as Luc Deveraux
- Michael Jai White as S.E.T.H.
- Heidi Schanz as Erin Young
- Xander Berkeley as Doctor Dylan Cotner
- Justin Lazard as Captain Blackburn
- Kiana Tom as Maggie
- Daniel von Bargen as General Radford
- James R. Black as Sergeant Morrow
- Karis Paige Bryant as Hillary Deveraux
- Bill Goldberg as Romeo
- Brent Anderson as Technician #2
- Lyle Kanouse as UniSol 2500 (voice)
- Adam Russell Stuart as the General's Aide
Reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2015) |
The movie did poorly at the box office debuting at #4.[4] Universal Soldier: The Return grossed $10 million in the United States. Reviews were mostly negative, with the film earning a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[5] James Berardinelli gave the film a score of one and a half stars out of four and remarked, "Some of the explosions are cool. There's an exploitatively entertaining sequence in a strip joint that features a bevy of topless women. Still, despite all the pyrotechnics, I almost dozed off twice."[6][7]
Soundtrack
A film soundtrack was released by Trauma.
Track listing
- "Crush 'Em" – Megadeth
- "Remain Calm" – One Minute Silence
- "Awake" – Clay People
- "Crazy Train" – The Flys
- "Bled For Days" – Static-X
- "Fueled" – Anthrax
- "Majic, No. 3" – Jact
- "Hatred" – D Generation
- "Securitron (Police State 2000)" – Fear Factory
- "Eureka Pile" – Ministry
- "Chaos" – Tim Skold
- "Saddam A-Go-Go" – Gwar
- "Target: Devereux" – Don Davis
- "Supernova Goes Pop" – Powerman 5000
Home media
DVD was released in Region 1 in the United States on December 28, 1999, and also Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 1 July 2002, it was distributed by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. On 4 October 2010, Universal Soldier Trilogy DVD was released. On 11 February 2013, Universal Soldier Quadrilogy Box Set was released.
In 2012, as part of a distribution deal with Sony, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the film as part of a Jean-Claude Van Damme themed Hollywood Hits set along with Knock Off (film), The Hard Corps and, Second in Command.[8]
In 2013, a second blu-ray of the film was released, again by Mill Creek Entertainment, as a double feature with Second in Command.[9]
The film has since been featured in various action film compilations from Mill Creek Entertainment.
References
- ^ a b "Universal Soldier: The Return". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ "Universal Soldier II: The Return". The Numbers. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ "Van Damme in Engaging Battle in Sleek 'Universal Soldier' Sequel". The Los Angeles Times. August 23, 1999. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ "As 'Sixth Sense' Sizzles, Newcomers Feel a Chill". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
- ^ Universal Soldier: The Return on Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Universal Soldier: The Return Review by James Berardinelli
- ^ "Universal Soldier: The Return". Variety. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
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External links
- Template:Wayback Official website
- Universal Soldier: The Return at IMDb
- Universal Soldier: The Return at AllMovie
- 1999 films
- 1990s martial arts films
- 1990s science fiction films
- American films
- American martial arts films
- American science fiction action films
- English-language films
- Martial arts science fiction films
- American sequel films
- TriStar Pictures films
- Universal Soldier (franchise)
- Directorial debut films
- Film scores by Don Davis
- Films about computing
- Films set in Dallas, Texas
- Films set in Los Angeles, California
- Films shot in Ontario
- Films shot in Texas