After the disappointment of Universal 2 I was afraid this would be just as bad or maybe worse. To my surprise it ended up being a pretty good action movie. The story is straight forward. A situation arises and requires the return of Luck (Van Damme). The fighting scenes are pretty well crafted and the return of Lundgren was quite enjoyable. I suppose I need to remind people again that these types of movies are not intended to change the world! They are action movies and should be reviewed as such. As far as the bad, the story is really basic and the movie is a little short. I was pleasantly surprised by the acting overall. Yeah there is almost no dialogue, but Lundgren and Van Damme seemed to have learned a little bit about their craft. I hope Van Damme continues to make these types of movies and I look forward to one of them getting a serious theatrical release. It's been a long times since one of these movies has hit the big screen. I for one would love to support this type of movie.
128 Reviews
Brooding, Bloody & Brutal.
airlight-europe2 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was surprisingly good. It mostly takes place in and around the Chernobyl reactor area. Some people are taken hostage, and they are in need of rescue.
It's place in the Universal Soldier series is not an easy one to pinpoint. I've only seen the first one from 1992 and "Universal Soldier: The Return" from 1999. It doesn't compare to either in terms of tone or feel. Some original characters are in the film, but that is about it. The best thing to do when viewing this movie would probably be to forget any UniSol film other than the first one, and from that one only bring the knowledge of the basic events and characters, and the concept of the UniSol program. "Regeneration" is very different in style, tone and execution to the original 1992 film, so if you expect any continuity in these areas, you might be disappointed. Luc Deveraux is portrayed as a broken man, if he can even be called that anymore. Not much is shown of his everyday life, other than the fact that he sees a psychiatrist and has problems with his memory. If you ever are going to accept the premise of people who are killed being brought back to life and used as brainwashed genetically enhanced soldiers who can even be "programmed" like computers before being sent into a war zone, this movie portraying them as semi-zombie hunks of meat is probably as realistic and thematically cohesive as you are going to get (again, forget any previous UniSol movie where Van Damme cracks smiles, or has kids, or jokes around with other UniSols).
It has a very dark tone throughout, and the plot and events are very straightforward. The movie is more in the area of horror/action than the original films action with mild comedic moments. There are basically no humorous elements in the script at all, no romance and even no fairly light moments.
The acting is quite passable, and but for a few examples no one stands out as either good or bad. Since the movie is not very "Hollywood" in being overly dramatized or containing witty comments etc, actors get by well by just keeping it simple.
The action and combat sequences are very nicely filmed and choreographed and are the highlight of the film. The musical score is very bare-bones and atmospheric with mostly moody underscore and percussive elements, and contains no string elements to evoke emotion or brass to punctuate moments of action.
See if it you like "realistic" and unforgiving action (think the recent Rambo film) and consistency in tone and execution, and if you like the original film, or the general concept. Also if you are drawn to films with a quite hopeless, empty or apocalyptic atmosphere.
Avoid it if you want a more conventional "Van Damme-film", or expect any humor or easily digested entertainment.
It's place in the Universal Soldier series is not an easy one to pinpoint. I've only seen the first one from 1992 and "Universal Soldier: The Return" from 1999. It doesn't compare to either in terms of tone or feel. Some original characters are in the film, but that is about it. The best thing to do when viewing this movie would probably be to forget any UniSol film other than the first one, and from that one only bring the knowledge of the basic events and characters, and the concept of the UniSol program. "Regeneration" is very different in style, tone and execution to the original 1992 film, so if you expect any continuity in these areas, you might be disappointed. Luc Deveraux is portrayed as a broken man, if he can even be called that anymore. Not much is shown of his everyday life, other than the fact that he sees a psychiatrist and has problems with his memory. If you ever are going to accept the premise of people who are killed being brought back to life and used as brainwashed genetically enhanced soldiers who can even be "programmed" like computers before being sent into a war zone, this movie portraying them as semi-zombie hunks of meat is probably as realistic and thematically cohesive as you are going to get (again, forget any previous UniSol movie where Van Damme cracks smiles, or has kids, or jokes around with other UniSols).
It has a very dark tone throughout, and the plot and events are very straightforward. The movie is more in the area of horror/action than the original films action with mild comedic moments. There are basically no humorous elements in the script at all, no romance and even no fairly light moments.
The acting is quite passable, and but for a few examples no one stands out as either good or bad. Since the movie is not very "Hollywood" in being overly dramatized or containing witty comments etc, actors get by well by just keeping it simple.
The action and combat sequences are very nicely filmed and choreographed and are the highlight of the film. The musical score is very bare-bones and atmospheric with mostly moody underscore and percussive elements, and contains no string elements to evoke emotion or brass to punctuate moments of action.
See if it you like "realistic" and unforgiving action (think the recent Rambo film) and consistency in tone and execution, and if you like the original film, or the general concept. Also if you are drawn to films with a quite hopeless, empty or apocalyptic atmosphere.
Avoid it if you want a more conventional "Van Damme-film", or expect any humor or easily digested entertainment.
A Nutshell Review: Universal Soldier: A New Beginning
DICK STEEL30 January 2010
I have a confession to make – I have never seen a Universal Soldier film, not in its entirety anyway, nor even the original way back in 1992 when it starred Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as these programmed super soldiers who are impervious to pain, and a small troupe can take out battalions of a conventional army. For those like me who are not well versed in the mythos, fret not as this film's subtitle – a new beginning – made it a point to do a quick recap of the secret super soldier programme to bring us all up to speed to where the film now takes place.
There were some in the audience who found it rather startling that the film opened in abrupt manner, chiefly because this is meant for the straight to video market overseas. So the distributor's logo doesn't kick in to pre-empt you that this is not a trailer, but the start of the film proper. And boy does it start with a bang, with an ambitious, noisy car chase cum massacre where a small group of freedom fighters kidnap the children of the Russian Prime Minister, and demands the release of their countrymen in lockup, in which failure meant the killing of the kidnapped children, plus the detonation of another reactor in Chernobyl where they are dug in, which has enough radioactive material to cause another fallout.
This of course mobilizes a NATO-Russian alliance of sorts to fight back with 2 mission objectives under 72 hours, with the only snag in the mission being the use of an NGU (Next Generation Uni-Sol) by the opposition, played to mean perfection by Andrei Arlovski as the ultimate killing machine who feels no pain and dishes out his fair share of punishment to maim and kill without remorse. The response of course is for the coalition to send in their own Uni-Sols, which are painfully outdated and obsolete when faced with the NGJ, so all hopes rest on one man, Jean Claude Van Damme, erm, his Luc Deveraux that is.
Director John Hyams keeps it tight and relevant here by creating a film that doesn't try too much fanciful stuff. It's good ol' military and B-action all the way, which at times resembled a violent video game especially in JCVD's first mission outing when unleashed into enemy territory, adopting a third person, behind the character view as he charges and cuts through enemy ranks. Then there's some nifty camera-work as well, the highlight being a continuous take where it's a Counter-strike game-type with JCVD going from primary rifle, to secondary firearm, to default knife, and the fists as he rips through scores of faceless soldiers. I thought that was one of the best action sequences in the film, since the much touted plummeting with Dolph Lundgren, who also returned for this film, was nothing not already seen before, save for the expectation of a rematch here.
For action junkies, there is a bit of a nostalgia in seeing how our old school action heroes still have it in them to carry a movie and give the new wannabes a run for their money. Visibly aged, this film follows the trend of late with our 80s action icons coming out and banding together for one last hurrah. While this may be for the video market in the US, it certainly didn't scrimp on its limited production values to turn in something professional looking, with some impressive gory action compensating for a standard, average plot with room to grow the franchise further. Now bring on The Expendables, and boy, will we action fans just rejoice with that reunion!
There were some in the audience who found it rather startling that the film opened in abrupt manner, chiefly because this is meant for the straight to video market overseas. So the distributor's logo doesn't kick in to pre-empt you that this is not a trailer, but the start of the film proper. And boy does it start with a bang, with an ambitious, noisy car chase cum massacre where a small group of freedom fighters kidnap the children of the Russian Prime Minister, and demands the release of their countrymen in lockup, in which failure meant the killing of the kidnapped children, plus the detonation of another reactor in Chernobyl where they are dug in, which has enough radioactive material to cause another fallout.
This of course mobilizes a NATO-Russian alliance of sorts to fight back with 2 mission objectives under 72 hours, with the only snag in the mission being the use of an NGU (Next Generation Uni-Sol) by the opposition, played to mean perfection by Andrei Arlovski as the ultimate killing machine who feels no pain and dishes out his fair share of punishment to maim and kill without remorse. The response of course is for the coalition to send in their own Uni-Sols, which are painfully outdated and obsolete when faced with the NGJ, so all hopes rest on one man, Jean Claude Van Damme, erm, his Luc Deveraux that is.
Director John Hyams keeps it tight and relevant here by creating a film that doesn't try too much fanciful stuff. It's good ol' military and B-action all the way, which at times resembled a violent video game especially in JCVD's first mission outing when unleashed into enemy territory, adopting a third person, behind the character view as he charges and cuts through enemy ranks. Then there's some nifty camera-work as well, the highlight being a continuous take where it's a Counter-strike game-type with JCVD going from primary rifle, to secondary firearm, to default knife, and the fists as he rips through scores of faceless soldiers. I thought that was one of the best action sequences in the film, since the much touted plummeting with Dolph Lundgren, who also returned for this film, was nothing not already seen before, save for the expectation of a rematch here.
For action junkies, there is a bit of a nostalgia in seeing how our old school action heroes still have it in them to carry a movie and give the new wannabes a run for their money. Visibly aged, this film follows the trend of late with our 80s action icons coming out and banding together for one last hurrah. While this may be for the video market in the US, it certainly didn't scrimp on its limited production values to turn in something professional looking, with some impressive gory action compensating for a standard, average plot with room to grow the franchise further. Now bring on The Expendables, and boy, will we action fans just rejoice with that reunion!
We enthusiastically support Universal Soldier: Regeneration!
tarbosh2200028 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
When a terrorist group takes over part of Chernobyl and threatens radioactive death if their demands are not met (and they kidnapped the son and daughter of a prominent politician to boot), Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) is called back into active duty. Now in a kind of rehab/therapy where he's learning to live again, he must retrain for combat. He faces his toughest challenge yet, as the terrorists used stolen technology to create the ultimate emotionless, unstoppable killing machine, dubbed "The Freak" by U.S. forces (Orlovsky). But they also open Pandora's box and resurrect Deveraux's old nemesis Andrew Scott (Dolph). Deveraux has his work cut out for him this time around...
It's actually pretty shocking how good Universal Soldier: Regeneration truly is. It doesn't even really HAVE to be this good. Far from your average "dumb" action movie, this seems to be a rejection of that notion, striking an excellent, precise balance between melancholy intelligence and frighteningly brutal violence.
Regeneration appears to be a reaction to The Return. Almost as if the filmmakers were embarrassed by the badness and silliness of that unfortunate outing, the swung the pendulum back the other direction (almost too much), creating a dark, adult, nihilistically violent creation, but it's not without some emotion and humanity as well. Just a great job done all around.
Everything from the production values, to the acting, to the action, and everything else in between is light years beyond The Return, making it truly a travesty that that turkey was released theatrically in the U.S., while this wasn't. Regeneration is well-shot and well-directed by John Hyams, son of director Peter. Hyams treats the material seriously and with respect, and everything that happens plotwise makes perfect sense. It's all idea-based (even retaining the best ideas from the first Universal Soldier film), not throwaway action. In the hands of another director, this could have been half-heartedly slagged off as "just another Universal Soldier movie". But the fact that Hyams does not do that, or even come close, is totally refreshing and comes as a great relief for true action fans.
Hyams hits all the right notes - from utilizing the bleak Bulgarian locations to their fullest potential, to bringing the Universal Soldier franchise into the present day. Using the Navy Seal-like soldiers strongly reminiscent of the U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the uncompromising nature of war, as a background to amplify the audience's fears about our own mortality. After all, even our best soldiers are no match for their SuperSoldiers. We'll definitely be watching to see what Hyams does in the future, as he seems to have a strong grasp of how to do muscular action.
Undoubtedly, many consumers probably thought that this IS just another Universal Soldier installment - it's almost a shame that this movie doesn't have another title. Having been burned on The Return, consumers might not know what they're truly getting here - something much, much different and worthwhile.
Van Damme puts in an excellent performance, Dolph is always awesome, and Orlovsky is perfectly cast as the scary freak. All the actors in the film do a pitch-perfect job. A definite win for everyone involved, we enthusiastically support Universal Soldier: Regeneration.
For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
It's actually pretty shocking how good Universal Soldier: Regeneration truly is. It doesn't even really HAVE to be this good. Far from your average "dumb" action movie, this seems to be a rejection of that notion, striking an excellent, precise balance between melancholy intelligence and frighteningly brutal violence.
Regeneration appears to be a reaction to The Return. Almost as if the filmmakers were embarrassed by the badness and silliness of that unfortunate outing, the swung the pendulum back the other direction (almost too much), creating a dark, adult, nihilistically violent creation, but it's not without some emotion and humanity as well. Just a great job done all around.
Everything from the production values, to the acting, to the action, and everything else in between is light years beyond The Return, making it truly a travesty that that turkey was released theatrically in the U.S., while this wasn't. Regeneration is well-shot and well-directed by John Hyams, son of director Peter. Hyams treats the material seriously and with respect, and everything that happens plotwise makes perfect sense. It's all idea-based (even retaining the best ideas from the first Universal Soldier film), not throwaway action. In the hands of another director, this could have been half-heartedly slagged off as "just another Universal Soldier movie". But the fact that Hyams does not do that, or even come close, is totally refreshing and comes as a great relief for true action fans.
Hyams hits all the right notes - from utilizing the bleak Bulgarian locations to their fullest potential, to bringing the Universal Soldier franchise into the present day. Using the Navy Seal-like soldiers strongly reminiscent of the U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the uncompromising nature of war, as a background to amplify the audience's fears about our own mortality. After all, even our best soldiers are no match for their SuperSoldiers. We'll definitely be watching to see what Hyams does in the future, as he seems to have a strong grasp of how to do muscular action.
Undoubtedly, many consumers probably thought that this IS just another Universal Soldier installment - it's almost a shame that this movie doesn't have another title. Having been burned on The Return, consumers might not know what they're truly getting here - something much, much different and worthwhile.
Van Damme puts in an excellent performance, Dolph is always awesome, and Orlovsky is perfectly cast as the scary freak. All the actors in the film do a pitch-perfect job. A definite win for everyone involved, we enthusiastically support Universal Soldier: Regeneration.
For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
Maddening
jael-632-11417111 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I can't tell whether it is due to the poor budget or the poor script, but I cannot express how disappointed I am of Universal Soldier: Regeneration. Of course, the movie is for fans only, but that does not allow such a waste of our time. How this movie is rated a 6.4 is a miracle. I sense a disturbance in the force.
I really enjoyed the first movie, and The Return was different, but refreshing and rich with story and effects. The third part lacks these things. In the second movie Luc was getting his live together, he had decent conversations with the people and had an educated opinion about things like moral fibre, justice and the like. Unfortunately in Regeneration Luc has the brain power equal to a wet toast. He is forgetful, unnecessarily aggressive and is charmless. He has exactly the characteristics of the mindless drones of his assembly line.
The special thing about the protagonist right from the beginning of the trilogy was his longing for more, his efforts to breach the barrier of being a mindless tool. In Regeneration he shows barely no sign of that fighter spirit to begin with, then as he joins the action again, this spirit is even exterminated as Luc is being resetted to the mindless drone he was made to be. Unfortunately he shows then no more signs of overcoming his programming and his facial expression is frozen to lost-love-puppy-stare.
The movie itself is dark and careful with colour. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes you are reminded of The Return, which quite frankly looks in comparison like a Disney production regarding colours and special effects. Sure, there are about three explosions and one helicopter ride in the film. But honestly, if you're filming in Bulgaria about Tschernobyl, the do the damn homework and buy some Russian shields and put some warning signs on the road.
In the end it was the script that ruined the movie. There are no side-plots, no tension, no excitement in the movie. It was Dolph Lundgren mumbling about three sentences, and Jean-Claude Van Damme mumbling about four sentences. For crying out loud, the first movie had ten times more dialogue between the two.
In the first movie the two protagonists were slowly fighting their way back from being a toaster to being human. In Regeneration they loose the fight entirely and start off as imbeciles and end up as nut-jobs. Mission accomplished.
I really enjoyed the first movie, and The Return was different, but refreshing and rich with story and effects. The third part lacks these things. In the second movie Luc was getting his live together, he had decent conversations with the people and had an educated opinion about things like moral fibre, justice and the like. Unfortunately in Regeneration Luc has the brain power equal to a wet toast. He is forgetful, unnecessarily aggressive and is charmless. He has exactly the characteristics of the mindless drones of his assembly line.
The special thing about the protagonist right from the beginning of the trilogy was his longing for more, his efforts to breach the barrier of being a mindless tool. In Regeneration he shows barely no sign of that fighter spirit to begin with, then as he joins the action again, this spirit is even exterminated as Luc is being resetted to the mindless drone he was made to be. Unfortunately he shows then no more signs of overcoming his programming and his facial expression is frozen to lost-love-puppy-stare.
The movie itself is dark and careful with colour. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes you are reminded of The Return, which quite frankly looks in comparison like a Disney production regarding colours and special effects. Sure, there are about three explosions and one helicopter ride in the film. But honestly, if you're filming in Bulgaria about Tschernobyl, the do the damn homework and buy some Russian shields and put some warning signs on the road.
In the end it was the script that ruined the movie. There are no side-plots, no tension, no excitement in the movie. It was Dolph Lundgren mumbling about three sentences, and Jean-Claude Van Damme mumbling about four sentences. For crying out loud, the first movie had ten times more dialogue between the two.
In the first movie the two protagonists were slowly fighting their way back from being a toaster to being human. In Regeneration they loose the fight entirely and start off as imbeciles and end up as nut-jobs. Mission accomplished.
Is this some kind of a sick Joke ??!!
big_pete_52 January 2010
Oh my God!!Where do i begin.I've just seen this turd last night and I'm in shock.What happened to JCVD??He looks tired and ill.Why did Dolph Lundgren sign up for this mess??Andrew Scott was the light of the party in the first movie,he had great lines and a strong presence he practically erased JCVD's character Luc Deveraux. The sets were extremely cheap and the story made no sense whatsoever.Until this instant i don't understand why this was called universal soldier.This looks like it was directed by ED WOOD or something,the action is very poor and after a while gets too repetitive.I was expecting something in terms of a plot similar to the first flick,i was waiting to see JCVC and DOLPH working together and later watching Dolph's character go crazy again and killing the entire platoon.That didn't happen and instead we see a pointless fight between the two of them.On top of that Dolph practically makes a CAMEO. Don't waste your time and money watching this.
Solid action, awful story.
somewhereovertheturnip30 December 2009
There's really not much to write about, so I'll keep this brief.
The film delivers where it needs to. The gun battles are extremely satisfying (especially the sound effects), the hand-to-hand combat is brutal and in places quite creative, and some of the sequences are amongst the best I've seen from straight to DVD action.
A few scenes stuck out as particularly well done: A sequence with Van Damme entering a building and systematically taking out the terrorists with only his knife was excellent. The inevitable Van Damme Vs Lundgren confrontation won't disappoint either, with walls being demolished and windows shattered as the two legends fling each other about with scant disregard for the structural integrity of the building surrounding them.
The main antagonist is played by Andrei Arlovski, a UFC champion, he really is an excellent fighter and his scenes are just as fun (and my favourite parts of the film).
Don't expect a coherent story, it's absolutely ridiculous. And anyone expecting to see Van Damme in new light after JCVD will be severely disappointed, he's almost comatose thought the entire film. No other members of the cast are worth a mention.
Strictly for action buffs, this film is a lot of fun if you're prepared to only turn your brain off, but completely remove it from your cranium for the duration.
4/5 for action, 1/5 for the film itself.
The film delivers where it needs to. The gun battles are extremely satisfying (especially the sound effects), the hand-to-hand combat is brutal and in places quite creative, and some of the sequences are amongst the best I've seen from straight to DVD action.
A few scenes stuck out as particularly well done: A sequence with Van Damme entering a building and systematically taking out the terrorists with only his knife was excellent. The inevitable Van Damme Vs Lundgren confrontation won't disappoint either, with walls being demolished and windows shattered as the two legends fling each other about with scant disregard for the structural integrity of the building surrounding them.
The main antagonist is played by Andrei Arlovski, a UFC champion, he really is an excellent fighter and his scenes are just as fun (and my favourite parts of the film).
Don't expect a coherent story, it's absolutely ridiculous. And anyone expecting to see Van Damme in new light after JCVD will be severely disappointed, he's almost comatose thought the entire film. No other members of the cast are worth a mention.
Strictly for action buffs, this film is a lot of fun if you're prepared to only turn your brain off, but completely remove it from your cranium for the duration.
4/5 for action, 1/5 for the film itself.
Luc Deveraux and Andres Scott are back in business! It's all good!
freddy_at_home30 December 2009
In the third and by now the last Universal Soldier series, both Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren are back for one last showdown together.
This time they are both in a different place a different time for a different reason. But with the same anger and history.
So, is it any good? Well, being a STV and the fact that i's filmed in Bulgaria, it's pretty good actually.
I would say that it's not by far the same as the first Universal Soldier, but still good old action fun with two old action stars.
Anyways, good action, so so on the story and some cool violence and effects. The movie were kinda fun.
I'll rate it 7 out of 10 stars, cause I like Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. :)
This time they are both in a different place a different time for a different reason. But with the same anger and history.
So, is it any good? Well, being a STV and the fact that i's filmed in Bulgaria, it's pretty good actually.
I would say that it's not by far the same as the first Universal Soldier, but still good old action fun with two old action stars.
Anyways, good action, so so on the story and some cool violence and effects. The movie were kinda fun.
I'll rate it 7 out of 10 stars, cause I like Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. :)
Universal Soldier Regeneration: Just as stupid as you'd expect
Platypuschow5 July 2018
Lets not kid ourselves, Universal Soldier is a mindless action franchise that started poor and has gotten gradually worse.
Whether we're talking the television universe movies or the Van Damme universe ones they are dumb action flicks with a mediocre concept which they don't even manage to capitalize on.
Here we have Van Damme returning again as Luc who is being forced to return to the field for one last mission and yadadadadada.
Cue generic fight scenes, gunfire, explosions and a plot so thin a fart would tear it.
One for fans of the franchise and those who enjoy take your brain out paint by numbers action tosh.
The Good:
Emily Joyce
The Bad:
Lungrens presence felt a bit pointless
It's all so very generic
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Lungren must have had more lawyer fees to pay
Whether we're talking the television universe movies or the Van Damme universe ones they are dumb action flicks with a mediocre concept which they don't even manage to capitalize on.
Here we have Van Damme returning again as Luc who is being forced to return to the field for one last mission and yadadadadada.
Cue generic fight scenes, gunfire, explosions and a plot so thin a fart would tear it.
One for fans of the franchise and those who enjoy take your brain out paint by numbers action tosh.
The Good:
Emily Joyce
The Bad:
Lungrens presence felt a bit pointless
It's all so very generic
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Lungren must have had more lawyer fees to pay
Better than expected
jacob-noergaard30 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Did the world really need yet another Universal Soldier movie? Well, no. But at least this one is "official", in the way that it's got the original ensemble, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. This time we get Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski as well.
The story is simple. Terrorists have placed bombs at the abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear reactor and threatens to blow the place up (thus exposing the core) if their terms aren't met.
This wouldn't normally be such a problem, but unfortunately they have a scientist from the Universal Soldier program on board, and he brought along some of his "experiments": The Next Generation Universal Soldier (NGU). And so the original, Luc (Van Damme) is found and brought into action again. But he will not face only one, but two Universal adversaries.
Sure, the movie is predictable and clichéd to oblivion, but somehow I found it to be pretty entertaining. There is also a long cut with Van Damme kicking ass which I first believed would be done in one long take. Unfortunately it wasn't. It was still a relatively long take, and kudos to the directors for that.
In the end we have a fairly polished B-movie. Effects are reasonably well done, acting is mostly pretty pathetic, but it's all quite entertaining in its own way. I give the movie 7 out of 10 which is based on the fact that it's a b-movie (straight to video) and the fact that I didn't really expect much from it. Solid effort.
The story is simple. Terrorists have placed bombs at the abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear reactor and threatens to blow the place up (thus exposing the core) if their terms aren't met.
This wouldn't normally be such a problem, but unfortunately they have a scientist from the Universal Soldier program on board, and he brought along some of his "experiments": The Next Generation Universal Soldier (NGU). And so the original, Luc (Van Damme) is found and brought into action again. But he will not face only one, but two Universal adversaries.
Sure, the movie is predictable and clichéd to oblivion, but somehow I found it to be pretty entertaining. There is also a long cut with Van Damme kicking ass which I first believed would be done in one long take. Unfortunately it wasn't. It was still a relatively long take, and kudos to the directors for that.
In the end we have a fairly polished B-movie. Effects are reasonably well done, acting is mostly pretty pathetic, but it's all quite entertaining in its own way. I give the movie 7 out of 10 which is based on the fact that it's a b-movie (straight to video) and the fact that I didn't really expect much from it. Solid effort.
Baaaad
yasenp4 January 2010
It's weird how current rating is ~ 7. This is honestly one of the dumbest movies I've seen recently. Amateur's job. It's about some Russian country where people speak Bulgarian and Serbian languages. The action is supposed to be in Chernobil but there are writings and signs everywhere which show it's filmed in Bulgarian military base. I'm really amazed how how stupid was the scenario. The performances of Dolph and Jean are as usual but there was nothing they could do to make the movie better even if they were De Niro and Paccino. I regret I lost ~ hours to enjoy it, total disaster I would say. Almost all the movies filmed in Bulgaria look the same, amateur.
Punch, smash, bam, scrunch, pow, bang, slam, boom! A B-Grade action movie with A-Grade direction.
dvc51596 February 2010
After a decade-long hiatus since the abysmal "The Return", this third outing in the "Universal Soldier" cult franchise sees original stars Van Damme and Lundgren, returning to arguably their most memorable roles. Joining them are fighters Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski and Mike Pyle.
Now obviously the "Universal Soldier" series inevitably became dead as soon as "The Return" was released. That film was so cheesy it was unbearably bad, and it put Van Damme's career straight to the direct-to- video business (at least until "JCVD" two years ago). So should you have hopes for this movie? It was released in the United States of America, direct-to-video. That's a sign for a bad movie, no? But I live in Malaysia, and this movie (renamed "Universal Soldier: A New Beginning") was released theatrically here, giving me the chance to see one of the action heroes I grew up with, on the big screen. This is my first JCVD movie in the cinema, so I walked in expecting a cheese-fest.
My. God.
Did I really just see that movie? Was that really "Universal Soldier 3"? The film blew me and my expectations away. I mean, sure it's not gonna win any Oscars, but still, hot damn! The action is lean, mean and balls- to-the-wall brutal, prompting some faint-hearted people to look away at many points. The fight scenes were VERY well handled with actors doing 90% of their own fights/stunts. The mood of the film is very dark, brooding and moody (a complete 180 departure from the previous two); the same can be said of its John Carpenter-esquire electronic music score, which is PERFECT throughout the movie. From the moment the movie starts, the action never lets up until the very end.
The story is brief: The Russian Prime Minister's children get kidnapped by terrorists looking to extradite prisoners in exchange, to make things serious they plan to detonate a nuclear plant in Chernobyl. Their ace up their sleeve? an NGU (Next-Generation Unisol). The allies forcibly bring Luc Devereaux back into action to help thwart this threat when all hope is seemingly lost. (It helps to understand that this movie ignores all other Universal Soldier sequels, it directly follows the first one.)
Simple, no? Just like any B-movie would. But nowadays there are D-movies starring Steven Seagal, but this is a definite B-movie. Short, straight to the point, and extremely entertaining from start to finish. THIS is how you make action movies.
Van Damme looks old. And he's moody. And doesn't say a lot. The same can be said for Lundgren. However both of them improved A LOT in their acting range, which is above-average. However, Van Damme appears nearly halfway through the movie and Lundgren's overall appearance is no less than 20 minutes. But when both of them are on screen they dominate it. Before smashing through it, of course. The main villain, the NGU played by The Pitbull, is a lumbering tank on autopilot, not unlike The Terminator. That's a good thing. Pyle plays an American soldier who secretly goes to complete the rescue mission while Van Damme, Lundgren and Arlovski are punching about. He's perhaps the most likable character in the movie.
What I like about this film is its meat-and-bones approach. The actors don't say much, the story is simplistic, but the action is fast and comes at you like a speeding bullet. The main actors don't appear much, because it focuses more on the story and the action. This is good, it shows that you don't really need stars in EVERY action scene. This isn't action in the vein of Jerry Bruckheimer or Die Hard where the characters kill people with glorious music in the background and comic relief. You will find no music and no comic relief throughout the film (although there is a funny scene near the end of the movie). The used of CGI is absent in this movie (thank God for that refreshing trait). There is little shaky-cam in the movie, allowing you to see the mano-e-mano action in all its glory. All the stunts you see in the movie are REAL with a capital R. And who do we have to thank for this? Director John Hyams. He knows what he wants and boy does he delivers. His direction is taut, solid and focused throughout. And the way he directs a low-budget B-movie, imagine if he gets a bigger-budgeted project. His father is Peter Hyams, who worked with Van Damme on "Timecop" and "Sudden Death". Dad Peter works as cinematographer for this one, and he captures the bleakness of the film beautifully. It's much better than that "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt".
In short, I'm really surprised at how well-directed the film is, and I'm also surprised that I ended up really liking the movie. It's sad for it not to be released theatrically in the U.S., because it deserves that. JCVD and Lundgren still got it, but I'll be keeping an eye out for John Hyams. He looks like a very promising director.
Entertainment value: 10/10
Overall: 8/10
Now obviously the "Universal Soldier" series inevitably became dead as soon as "The Return" was released. That film was so cheesy it was unbearably bad, and it put Van Damme's career straight to the direct-to- video business (at least until "JCVD" two years ago). So should you have hopes for this movie? It was released in the United States of America, direct-to-video. That's a sign for a bad movie, no? But I live in Malaysia, and this movie (renamed "Universal Soldier: A New Beginning") was released theatrically here, giving me the chance to see one of the action heroes I grew up with, on the big screen. This is my first JCVD movie in the cinema, so I walked in expecting a cheese-fest.
My. God.
Did I really just see that movie? Was that really "Universal Soldier 3"? The film blew me and my expectations away. I mean, sure it's not gonna win any Oscars, but still, hot damn! The action is lean, mean and balls- to-the-wall brutal, prompting some faint-hearted people to look away at many points. The fight scenes were VERY well handled with actors doing 90% of their own fights/stunts. The mood of the film is very dark, brooding and moody (a complete 180 departure from the previous two); the same can be said of its John Carpenter-esquire electronic music score, which is PERFECT throughout the movie. From the moment the movie starts, the action never lets up until the very end.
The story is brief: The Russian Prime Minister's children get kidnapped by terrorists looking to extradite prisoners in exchange, to make things serious they plan to detonate a nuclear plant in Chernobyl. Their ace up their sleeve? an NGU (Next-Generation Unisol). The allies forcibly bring Luc Devereaux back into action to help thwart this threat when all hope is seemingly lost. (It helps to understand that this movie ignores all other Universal Soldier sequels, it directly follows the first one.)
Simple, no? Just like any B-movie would. But nowadays there are D-movies starring Steven Seagal, but this is a definite B-movie. Short, straight to the point, and extremely entertaining from start to finish. THIS is how you make action movies.
Van Damme looks old. And he's moody. And doesn't say a lot. The same can be said for Lundgren. However both of them improved A LOT in their acting range, which is above-average. However, Van Damme appears nearly halfway through the movie and Lundgren's overall appearance is no less than 20 minutes. But when both of them are on screen they dominate it. Before smashing through it, of course. The main villain, the NGU played by The Pitbull, is a lumbering tank on autopilot, not unlike The Terminator. That's a good thing. Pyle plays an American soldier who secretly goes to complete the rescue mission while Van Damme, Lundgren and Arlovski are punching about. He's perhaps the most likable character in the movie.
What I like about this film is its meat-and-bones approach. The actors don't say much, the story is simplistic, but the action is fast and comes at you like a speeding bullet. The main actors don't appear much, because it focuses more on the story and the action. This is good, it shows that you don't really need stars in EVERY action scene. This isn't action in the vein of Jerry Bruckheimer or Die Hard where the characters kill people with glorious music in the background and comic relief. You will find no music and no comic relief throughout the film (although there is a funny scene near the end of the movie). The used of CGI is absent in this movie (thank God for that refreshing trait). There is little shaky-cam in the movie, allowing you to see the mano-e-mano action in all its glory. All the stunts you see in the movie are REAL with a capital R. And who do we have to thank for this? Director John Hyams. He knows what he wants and boy does he delivers. His direction is taut, solid and focused throughout. And the way he directs a low-budget B-movie, imagine if he gets a bigger-budgeted project. His father is Peter Hyams, who worked with Van Damme on "Timecop" and "Sudden Death". Dad Peter works as cinematographer for this one, and he captures the bleakness of the film beautifully. It's much better than that "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt".
In short, I'm really surprised at how well-directed the film is, and I'm also surprised that I ended up really liking the movie. It's sad for it not to be released theatrically in the U.S., because it deserves that. JCVD and Lundgren still got it, but I'll be keeping an eye out for John Hyams. He looks like a very promising director.
Entertainment value: 10/10
Overall: 8/10
Looks like an art-house action movie!
Joejoesan1 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Universal Soldier: Regeneration comes as a nice surprise. The story takes place in the deserted town of Tsernobyl, Russia, and even adds some new elements to the story. The look of the movie is dark, colourless and grim. The Unisol characters of both Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren are what they are supposed to be: confused psychos who are haunted by nightmares and unanswerable questions about life. They're not your ordinairy hero and villain. Only medicine can control Van Damme. But not being able of being the man (or animal) he wants to be, destroys him from the inside.
Van Damme and Lundgren look old in this movie, but that does not hurt a bit. Their final clash is actually very well done. First time director John Hyams even manages to give their re-acquaintance an almost mythical quality.
There's almost no musical score in this movie. Abstract sounds accompany the images of a dead and destroyed town and I think that worked very well. The fighting machine that in the end takes over Van Damme delivers some brutal violence, which pretty much reminds us of the last John Rambo movie.
This last Universal Soldier sometimes even looks like an anti-action movie. I think director John Hyams succeeded in delivering an interesting and original movie, that deserves more than a direct-to-DVD audience. Lets keep an eye on John Hyams, because when your first movie looks like this, we can expect a lot more from him in the future! 7/10
Van Damme and Lundgren look old in this movie, but that does not hurt a bit. Their final clash is actually very well done. First time director John Hyams even manages to give their re-acquaintance an almost mythical quality.
There's almost no musical score in this movie. Abstract sounds accompany the images of a dead and destroyed town and I think that worked very well. The fighting machine that in the end takes over Van Damme delivers some brutal violence, which pretty much reminds us of the last John Rambo movie.
This last Universal Soldier sometimes even looks like an anti-action movie. I think director John Hyams succeeded in delivering an interesting and original movie, that deserves more than a direct-to-DVD audience. Lets keep an eye on John Hyams, because when your first movie looks like this, we can expect a lot more from him in the future! 7/10
Duummmbbbb!!!!!
inyourimage2 January 2010
Talk about a b-movie for has beens! It was so bad, I actually think it could have been a great male party movie for cracking jokes. Teens boys might like it on those movie and pizza marathon sleep overs. The acting was bad - Jean Claude Van Damme just gets worse and worse with age. Not even sure what the point of Dolph Lungren's part was - though he might make a good Nazi if the role could be part of a decent movie. I could pick apart the movie piece by piece, but it really isn't worth it. Rather, I might just ask some pointless rhetorical questions, like "what was the point of the rehabilitation bonding that went no where?" Or, "who the heck was the guy that got beat up in the diner?" I really could see this as a movie I might have enjoyed at around age 14 though. It is almost the perfect 80's action b-movie. So, maybe its not a complete waste.
This is not a movie, it's not even a poor excuse ! It's a sick joke !
chakan-727-1077522 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
For sure there must be reviewers here sent by the movie companies, because this "movie" has a score above a 0 or 1. This is the biggest shame in JCVD's career. I don't know what is wrong with him, is he really this much in need of money that he would star in such a worthless "movie".
Some key points:
There is no real plot, none at all. The whole movie makes no sense, at least I didn't get it. The whole thing is filmed in a large warehouse, probably rented out for very cheap. JCVD is more advanced than the other cyborgs because he can use pipes as weapons, the other ones are too stupid to be able to use weapons (except the one who can use knives). The dialogue is horrible, who wrote this script ? The bad guy doesn't make any sense, he doesn't even say much, JCVD doesn't even let him, probably because the script writers couldn't come up with anything for him to say. Seriously the bad guy only says something like: "I have to tell you something", then JCVD throws him out a window and climbs down. The bad guy says: "Hey come here, I gotta tell you something.", then JCVD throws him through a wall. The bad guy says: "Hey, man, I gotta say something", then ... again and again, ending in JCVD shoving a pipe into his head just as he was about to say the something. WTF !!! WTF ?!?!?!!?!?
I have to end it here, there's not much more I can say about how terrible this movie is. If you want to watch it go ahead, but you'll wish you hadn't. I suppose I should have looked at the deteriorating trend of this series and figured how terrible this one must be.
Some key points:
There is no real plot, none at all. The whole movie makes no sense, at least I didn't get it. The whole thing is filmed in a large warehouse, probably rented out for very cheap. JCVD is more advanced than the other cyborgs because he can use pipes as weapons, the other ones are too stupid to be able to use weapons (except the one who can use knives). The dialogue is horrible, who wrote this script ? The bad guy doesn't make any sense, he doesn't even say much, JCVD doesn't even let him, probably because the script writers couldn't come up with anything for him to say. Seriously the bad guy only says something like: "I have to tell you something", then JCVD throws him out a window and climbs down. The bad guy says: "Hey come here, I gotta tell you something.", then JCVD throws him through a wall. The bad guy says: "Hey, man, I gotta say something", then ... again and again, ending in JCVD shoving a pipe into his head just as he was about to say the something. WTF !!! WTF ?!?!?!!?!?
I have to end it here, there's not much more I can say about how terrible this movie is. If you want to watch it go ahead, but you'll wish you hadn't. I suppose I should have looked at the deteriorating trend of this series and figured how terrible this one must be.
Why I feel like shooting myself in the head right now!!
karl-haynes6 February 2010
This film is the worst piece of crap I have ever seen,I will kick JCVD's ass, there is no plot line, all characters suck, the action blows, and if you have nothing else to do but play with poop treat yourself watch this cos you will feel so fulfilled!!.... as I have to stretch this review to 10 lines I have to state as follows, ...this film will display the demise of 2 action stars careers, it also explains why you should always decide what the plot of the film is before turning up on the set and filming a bunch of soulless morons dancing around reeling off lame and empty dialogue, to finish this is an absolute waste of time. I have said nothing productive in my review of this film other than slate it as all this movie does is drag it's ass for what seems like a lifetime and all it deserves is to be named and shamed...ENJOY!!
Poor Cash-in.
Anoke6 February 2010
This shouldn't be called a film really. Universal Soldier: Regeneration is nothing more than a poor cash-in. It looks cheap, the lighting is TV-ish, camera movement substandard, the action scenes plain boring. The technical value of the US:R is low, much lower that the same aspects of Universal Soldier: The Return.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration is just yet another direct to DVD product made in Bulgaria. The bonus sad thing about it is cheating the audience by advertising it as Van Damme - Lundgren film. It is not. These guys have very limited screen time (Lundgren's role is a extended cameo really). Van Damme sleepwalks thru the movie, Lundgren has nothing to play with. To make it all worse the fighting scenes are badly choreographed and filmed and you can see Van Damme is using stunt double in some of the scenes.
All to all a bad pseudo-movie.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration is just yet another direct to DVD product made in Bulgaria. The bonus sad thing about it is cheating the audience by advertising it as Van Damme - Lundgren film. It is not. These guys have very limited screen time (Lundgren's role is a extended cameo really). Van Damme sleepwalks thru the movie, Lundgren has nothing to play with. To make it all worse the fighting scenes are badly choreographed and filmed and you can see Van Damme is using stunt double in some of the scenes.
All to all a bad pseudo-movie.
More than just a decent rematch
filmnut12 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
There have been a lot of positive reviews about UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: REGENERATION (2009) but this made me very cautious. I'd read Van Damme's role was a supporting one, a contractual obligation, and that some MMA fighter called The Pitbull would be the lead, although not in a heroic role. I then learned that this would be a direct sequel, one that ignored the cartoonish UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN (1999) and had an entirely new, raw tone. I just didn't know what to make of it. The experience of the film leaves you feeling the same way, a bit unsure of quite what it was you just experienced but very, very satisfied.
This is a distinctive film, one that follows some conventions and not others. The rules are broken and anything goes. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski gets top billing because Van Damme, while essentially the key character, only appears in a handful of scenes in the first half of the film. It's an action movie with an absent hero. Until he gets into action in the final act, Van Damme is seen only fleetingly, the main plot moving forward without him. It's peculiar because there are a large number of characters on screen but there isn't a single protagonist for us to identify with. Only "The Pitbull" commands the screen, hence top billing.
You get the impression that the plot was reworked to accommodate the limited amount of time Van Damme was prepared to devote and that's probably the case. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to raise the profile of the film further, they convinced Dolph Lundgren to make a brief return for a rematch. It worked; the film has been successfully marketed on that very promise. But while it's a great selling point, it's not the reason the film is actually very good. That's primarily because of the cinematography and the action sequences.
Obviously working with a very limited budget, director John Hyams has been able to give the film a blockbuster, cinemascope look (just as the 1992 original had) with the help of his father Peter Hyams. An experienced cinematographer and director of films with budgets vastly superior to this one. He also directed two of Van Damme's biggest movies, TIMECOP (1994) and SUDDEN DEATH (1995). There's not a touch of Hollywood glamour in the movie (even Van Damme's not the pretty boy he once was) but the fluid photography takes this way above the quality of other B-movie's with a similarly bleak Eastern European aesthetic. The locations look cheap but the standards are high.
Combining this camera-work with great choreography and editing make this a great action movie. From the very beginning you just never quite know what to expect from the movie and barely a minute passes before an excellent car chase kicks in that the makers of QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) could learn a thing or two from. Then the fight scenes come and get better and better.
Van Damme has made an effort in recent years to grow as an actor and his dramatic scenes early on are no doubt there at his request, but while he's good in those he's great when he gets into action. Perhaps taking a cue from the opening action sequence from JCVD (2008), the final act sees Van Damme setting off on his mission in a series of well planned, long take scenes. He shoots, he stabs and he brawls. He's a force to be reckoned with.
The rematch with Lundgren, he's playing a clone of his character from the first film, only lasts a couple of minutes but you really get your money's worth. With the help of stunt doubles they battle their way through a building, literally. Through walls, windows, ceilings; it's incredible. Then Van Damme and headliner Arlovski have their face-off and it's all over. Approximately 20 minutes of incredible action leaves you stunned. We just don't expect this sort of thing from a direct-to-DVD sequel.
This is a distinctive film, one that follows some conventions and not others. The rules are broken and anything goes. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski gets top billing because Van Damme, while essentially the key character, only appears in a handful of scenes in the first half of the film. It's an action movie with an absent hero. Until he gets into action in the final act, Van Damme is seen only fleetingly, the main plot moving forward without him. It's peculiar because there are a large number of characters on screen but there isn't a single protagonist for us to identify with. Only "The Pitbull" commands the screen, hence top billing.
You get the impression that the plot was reworked to accommodate the limited amount of time Van Damme was prepared to devote and that's probably the case. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to raise the profile of the film further, they convinced Dolph Lundgren to make a brief return for a rematch. It worked; the film has been successfully marketed on that very promise. But while it's a great selling point, it's not the reason the film is actually very good. That's primarily because of the cinematography and the action sequences.
Obviously working with a very limited budget, director John Hyams has been able to give the film a blockbuster, cinemascope look (just as the 1992 original had) with the help of his father Peter Hyams. An experienced cinematographer and director of films with budgets vastly superior to this one. He also directed two of Van Damme's biggest movies, TIMECOP (1994) and SUDDEN DEATH (1995). There's not a touch of Hollywood glamour in the movie (even Van Damme's not the pretty boy he once was) but the fluid photography takes this way above the quality of other B-movie's with a similarly bleak Eastern European aesthetic. The locations look cheap but the standards are high.
Combining this camera-work with great choreography and editing make this a great action movie. From the very beginning you just never quite know what to expect from the movie and barely a minute passes before an excellent car chase kicks in that the makers of QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) could learn a thing or two from. Then the fight scenes come and get better and better.
Van Damme has made an effort in recent years to grow as an actor and his dramatic scenes early on are no doubt there at his request, but while he's good in those he's great when he gets into action. Perhaps taking a cue from the opening action sequence from JCVD (2008), the final act sees Van Damme setting off on his mission in a series of well planned, long take scenes. He shoots, he stabs and he brawls. He's a force to be reckoned with.
The rematch with Lundgren, he's playing a clone of his character from the first film, only lasts a couple of minutes but you really get your money's worth. With the help of stunt doubles they battle their way through a building, literally. Through walls, windows, ceilings; it's incredible. Then Van Damme and headliner Arlovski have their face-off and it's all over. Approximately 20 minutes of incredible action leaves you stunned. We just don't expect this sort of thing from a direct-to-DVD sequel.
Over rated
brinleyang16 January 2010
I still remember the scene from the first Universal Soldier where they repelled down the dam and I enjoyed the first movie. On the other hand, Universal Soldier regeneration never had any original nor memorable scenes, while it was full of action it suffered from a poor script and never really exploited much of the coolness and invincibility of the universal soldiers like the first movie. Would have been better off watching Die hard or Speed.
Also look out for the "cameo" appearances of Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme where they only have a few lines of dialog. Not to mention they looked too old for this movie.
Watch this if you are bored and have never seen the first Universal Soldier and you would probably enjoy this like those who give this a good rating.
Also look out for the "cameo" appearances of Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme where they only have a few lines of dialog. Not to mention they looked too old for this movie.
Watch this if you are bored and have never seen the first Universal Soldier and you would probably enjoy this like those who give this a good rating.
Didn't expect to like it
headfulofghosts1264 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start by saying I'm grading this on a sliding scale. Given that this is a straight to video action flick and the second sequel (fourth if you want to get all nit-picky about it) I thought it was extremely successful with what it set out to do.
Maybe it's the my expectations were so low going into it. I liked the original but I'm nowhere near as fanatical as its die hard supporters. I've forgotten almost everything about "The Return" except that I thought it was the worst possible direction they could steer a potential franchise in. I've never seen the made for cable movies. Lastly, after his impressive turn in JCVD, I admit I thought this was a step backward for Van Damme.
But you know what? This movie is better than it has any right to be. The story is nothing spectacular (falling squarely between the original and "The Return" in terms of quality) but I only have one major gripe with it. I don't mind that they basically ignore the last one where Luc was completely normal again. The approach they take here makes a lot more sense and is much more interesting. The way they set him up as not being able to function on his own and having a doctor trying to reinsert him into society is pretty compelling stuff. And there's some early indications that they're going somewhere with all of it. So I was pretty disappointed when it became clear that once Luc straps his armor on, it's all action till the credits role. No character arc. No pay off for anything that came before. No indication that anything that happened to Luc prior to the climax had any impact on the overall story.
What really doesn't help this problem is Luc's late introduction into the film. We have no clear protagonist for the first third of the movie. No one to really care about or relate to. We're introduced to all the supporting cast and the story certainly moves forward, but there's a lack of clarity to the proceedings because there's no main character that any of this is happening to. Stuff's just happening.
By the time we do catch up with Luc we have minimal time to fill in the details because the clock's ticking and we only have one or two scenes before he inevitably has to be recruited for this mission. Had this story been told from Luc's POV from the get go (after the kidnapping and ransom demands were established) and had they actually given him a more defined character arc we would have an incredibly tragic hero and a film on par with the original. But honestly, after the last one and some of the other DTV action movies I've seen I'm pretty astonished they attempted to give him any character depth at all.
The film's biggest strength is its direction. John Hyams really elevates this material and I'm dying to see what he could do with a bigger budget and more resources at his disposal. He certainly knows how to shoot action. While there is some influence from the Bourne series and even stuff like Children of Men, it's shot and choreographed in a way that's still easy to follow. You always know what's going on. From the opening car chase all the way to the final fight, it's brutal and realistic and totally cohesive for a change.
The performances are also pretty solid. He even got a decent one out of Dolph (and given his recent fare that's no easy task). I'm not sure why the NGU got top billing but he's certainly a more formidable opponent than Goldberg. I've read a lot of reviews complaining that Van Damme & Dolph didn't team up at the end. This didn't bother me on my initial viewing but in retrospect it was a little strange having two "final" fights and not ever having all three of them in the same scene.
It's a dramatic shift in tone from the original but unlike the last sequel they use the low budget creatively and appropriately instead of making it look like it was shot in someone's garage.
You've probably heard people make comparisons of the score to early John Carpenter stuff. That's not totally off base. While it's essentially just a series of drones and tribal drums, it really does work with the film. It's never distracting and the minimalistic approach really does help the desolate and dangerous feel of the movie.
While I still feel the movie had a giant missed opportunity with Luc's character, the fact remains that it's extremely successful at what it set out to do and while it's not going to win any awards it should be an extremely welcome addition to any fan's collection.
Maybe it's the my expectations were so low going into it. I liked the original but I'm nowhere near as fanatical as its die hard supporters. I've forgotten almost everything about "The Return" except that I thought it was the worst possible direction they could steer a potential franchise in. I've never seen the made for cable movies. Lastly, after his impressive turn in JCVD, I admit I thought this was a step backward for Van Damme.
But you know what? This movie is better than it has any right to be. The story is nothing spectacular (falling squarely between the original and "The Return" in terms of quality) but I only have one major gripe with it. I don't mind that they basically ignore the last one where Luc was completely normal again. The approach they take here makes a lot more sense and is much more interesting. The way they set him up as not being able to function on his own and having a doctor trying to reinsert him into society is pretty compelling stuff. And there's some early indications that they're going somewhere with all of it. So I was pretty disappointed when it became clear that once Luc straps his armor on, it's all action till the credits role. No character arc. No pay off for anything that came before. No indication that anything that happened to Luc prior to the climax had any impact on the overall story.
What really doesn't help this problem is Luc's late introduction into the film. We have no clear protagonist for the first third of the movie. No one to really care about or relate to. We're introduced to all the supporting cast and the story certainly moves forward, but there's a lack of clarity to the proceedings because there's no main character that any of this is happening to. Stuff's just happening.
By the time we do catch up with Luc we have minimal time to fill in the details because the clock's ticking and we only have one or two scenes before he inevitably has to be recruited for this mission. Had this story been told from Luc's POV from the get go (after the kidnapping and ransom demands were established) and had they actually given him a more defined character arc we would have an incredibly tragic hero and a film on par with the original. But honestly, after the last one and some of the other DTV action movies I've seen I'm pretty astonished they attempted to give him any character depth at all.
The film's biggest strength is its direction. John Hyams really elevates this material and I'm dying to see what he could do with a bigger budget and more resources at his disposal. He certainly knows how to shoot action. While there is some influence from the Bourne series and even stuff like Children of Men, it's shot and choreographed in a way that's still easy to follow. You always know what's going on. From the opening car chase all the way to the final fight, it's brutal and realistic and totally cohesive for a change.
The performances are also pretty solid. He even got a decent one out of Dolph (and given his recent fare that's no easy task). I'm not sure why the NGU got top billing but he's certainly a more formidable opponent than Goldberg. I've read a lot of reviews complaining that Van Damme & Dolph didn't team up at the end. This didn't bother me on my initial viewing but in retrospect it was a little strange having two "final" fights and not ever having all three of them in the same scene.
It's a dramatic shift in tone from the original but unlike the last sequel they use the low budget creatively and appropriately instead of making it look like it was shot in someone's garage.
You've probably heard people make comparisons of the score to early John Carpenter stuff. That's not totally off base. While it's essentially just a series of drones and tribal drums, it really does work with the film. It's never distracting and the minimalistic approach really does help the desolate and dangerous feel of the movie.
While I still feel the movie had a giant missed opportunity with Luc's character, the fact remains that it's extremely successful at what it set out to do and while it's not going to win any awards it should be an extremely welcome addition to any fan's collection.
this is less than a paycheck movie for VAN DAMME..contains spoilers
iholtorf1 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
So my review now of UNISOLS 3-regeneration (should be called D-generation)
This movie was a real letdown in almost every aspect, lots of great opportunities wasted. Having Dolph Lundgren on board should have given the chance to really kick ass, but it seems as if good ideas these days are more than a b ( or is it c?) movie-budget can afford. There was a glimpse of hope with Dolph , just a few more lines of dialogue..lol...he even requested it, before van damme blasted his head off!!! But if your set is only a Bulgarian ruin of an industrial complex, it seems there isn't much to work with...you have a Russian terrorist/freedom fighter, a crazed doctor, a Übersoldier-also Russian...a nice woman doctor who takes care of van damme in therapy,lol....but then sends him on a mission without really trying to keep him out of that...kay, orders n stuff, but hell...the story is thinner than a hair....van damme...I've never seen him play with less passion, he looked so tired, it hurt!
The brutality in this movie bored me to death, no choreography whatsoever, just blood and cracking skulls n bones...its not the bodycount that makes a movie good, guys....why do you do that....to kill off 20 guys in a rush doesn't tickle my balls at all...
there wasn't one funny line in this movie, not one!! If i remember correctly, that was a big part of the first film, and it worked.
Van Damme has very few dialogue, but he played a braindead guy anyways....why not get the doctor nurse kidnapped , thus giving him at least , sort of, a motivation to go in there... I dunno what else to write, i could go endlessly, but this movie isn't worth it. In the end, Van Damme runs away from the scene, no happy ending hugs, no closure, no nothing. It seemed to me as if that scene wasn't part of the script, but more like...he really wanted to get away from this joke of a movie...cant blame him, really. I give this a 3 out of ten, just for the few scenes of Dolph, who really was the only hope in this movie, but some retard decided to blow it. peace out, welcome to retard cinema.
This movie was a real letdown in almost every aspect, lots of great opportunities wasted. Having Dolph Lundgren on board should have given the chance to really kick ass, but it seems as if good ideas these days are more than a b ( or is it c?) movie-budget can afford. There was a glimpse of hope with Dolph , just a few more lines of dialogue..lol...he even requested it, before van damme blasted his head off!!! But if your set is only a Bulgarian ruin of an industrial complex, it seems there isn't much to work with...you have a Russian terrorist/freedom fighter, a crazed doctor, a Übersoldier-also Russian...a nice woman doctor who takes care of van damme in therapy,lol....but then sends him on a mission without really trying to keep him out of that...kay, orders n stuff, but hell...the story is thinner than a hair....van damme...I've never seen him play with less passion, he looked so tired, it hurt!
The brutality in this movie bored me to death, no choreography whatsoever, just blood and cracking skulls n bones...its not the bodycount that makes a movie good, guys....why do you do that....to kill off 20 guys in a rush doesn't tickle my balls at all...
there wasn't one funny line in this movie, not one!! If i remember correctly, that was a big part of the first film, and it worked.
Van Damme has very few dialogue, but he played a braindead guy anyways....why not get the doctor nurse kidnapped , thus giving him at least , sort of, a motivation to go in there... I dunno what else to write, i could go endlessly, but this movie isn't worth it. In the end, Van Damme runs away from the scene, no happy ending hugs, no closure, no nothing. It seemed to me as if that scene wasn't part of the script, but more like...he really wanted to get away from this joke of a movie...cant blame him, really. I give this a 3 out of ten, just for the few scenes of Dolph, who really was the only hope in this movie, but some retard decided to blow it. peace out, welcome to retard cinema.
" If you have a fire, the best way to put it out is with a bucket of Gasoline "
thinker169117 March 2010
World wide terrorism is fast becoming the stereotypical plot for new age films. They could be about corrupt inner governments, renegade police or as in this case, rebellious disenchanted rogue soldiers. The film is entitled " Universal Soldier: Regeneration. " This is part three and as with the original premises, dead soldiers who died in armed combat, were stored in cryogenic coffins, revived, repaired and returned to duty. In this third sequel, Russian terrorists have the added help of NGU's or New Generation Universal Soldiers which are improved, re-generated, deadlier soldiers. Dolph Lundgren returns as Andrew Scott and Andrei Arlovski, have kidnapped the children of the Russian Premier. In addition, radical soldiers, have also seized control over the Cernobal nuclear power plant. Together it poses a world wide threat when the rebels promise to detonate a huge bomb there, which will release a massive dangerous radioactive cloud across the world. In response, the governments activate some elite soldiers of their own including their former Universal soldier, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who has under gone DE-programing, to combat the threat. The film is an improvement over the original in both drama and excellent acting. Ludgren and Van Dammn should be complimented on re-visiting former roles. With sufficient action, excitement and a generous supply of physical confrontation, the movie does a good job of keeping an audience entertained. ****
"Do you ever contemplate the complexities of life?"
Mash-the-stampede19 April 2010
So finally it happens, the original Universal Soldiers JCVD and Dolph Lundgren return to reprise their roles as Luc Devrau and Andrew Scott in what can only be described as an explosive action-packed extravaganza! Despite being a lower-budget non-theatrical release, this film is far superior to the 1999 sequel "Universal Soldier: the Return" (yep the one with Goldberg) which is a good thing. The overall look and feel of the film is very realistic and it is superbly shot both non-action and action scenes look great and the fight sequences are top-notch and reminded me of the "Bourne" films in a way. Van Damme is in good form in this film and for a man who is pushing 50...he's still lightning quick and his kicks are just as impressive now as they were back in his Hay-day! It's really good to see the quality of Van Damme films improving of late as his previous film entitled "JCVD" was excellent and truly raised the bar for his films to follow. "Universal Soldier: Regeneration" is a great action movie and is in many ways just as good if not better than the original 1992 "Universal Soldier" film. A must see for action fans : )
disappointing
finity69200027 February 2010
very disappointing, poor acting, stupid scenario, JCVD is more like a mummy, I wish I didn't see it just to keep the good memories of his previous movies, some actors don't grow old in a pleasant way, just compare him to Clint Eastwood for example, the guy never gets old. The sets are so cheap. the story made no sense whatsoever, it has nothing to do with what are called the universal soldier. The action is very poor and repeated like many times.I was expecting something out of its plot! pointless fight between JCVD and Dolph. it's really so sad to what JCVD ends this low!, selling his fame to get a tiny little role in a third class movie, does he needed money? or what?
Just another Van Damme flick
zooserve1 January 2010
No substance, predictable, and poor acting. It's just another Van Damme flick. I guess if you're 16 you might enjoy it but at any other age you might want to be entertained with substance and a plot that stimulates the imagination. It seems a waste of film and resources to me to make this type of movie. Perhaps if he took some time off from the Gym and took some acting classes he might have a chance to make a film that may be remembered instead of filed away in the teen B flick martial arts section.
Why cant he do a movie with substance like the Professional with Jean Reno? Is it because his only talents are looks and a kick? and even his looks are fading fast.
Why cant he do a movie with substance like the Professional with Jean Reno? Is it because his only talents are looks and a kick? and even his looks are fading fast.
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