Universal Soldier: The Return
Encyclopedia
Universal Soldier: The Return is a 1999 American science fiction
action film
directed by Mic Rodgers and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme
, Michael Jai White
, professional wrestler Bill Goldberg
, Heidi Schanz, Kiana Tom
and Xander Berkeley
as Doctor Dylan Cotner. 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
.
, Luc Devereaux (Van Damme) is now 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, intelligent, and agile.
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 matters into its' own "hands" to protect himself.
Killing those who try to shut off his power, and unleashing his platoon of super soldiers, led by the musclebound Romeo (Bill Goldberg
), S.E.T.H. spares Devereaux, only because Deveraux 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. takes human form (White).
Not only must Luc contend with ambitious reporter Erin Young (Schanz), who would not leave his side, but Luc also must 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.
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. Luc and S.E.T.H. begin fighting each other in hand-to-hand combat at the end Luc freezes S.E.T.H. with liquid nitrogen
, then shatters S.E.T.H.'s frozen body, killing him. Luc then engages into a 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.
Universal Soldier: The Return grossed $10 million in the United States. Reviews were mostly negative, with the film earning a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
. James Berardinelli
gave the film a score of one and a half stars out of four
in the UK
. On October 4, 2010, Universal Soldier Trilogy DVD was released.
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
directed by Mic Rodgers and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
, Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
, professional wrestler Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
, Heidi Schanz, Kiana Tom
Kiana Tom
Kiana Tom is a television host, fitness expert, author, actress, and businesswoman.Kiana Tom is part Hawaiian, Chinese and Irish. Her name in Hawaiian means “calm water” or "moon goddess"....
and Xander Berkeley
Xander Berkeley
Alexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
as Doctor Dylan Cotner. It is the second theatrical film in the Universal Soldier
Universal Soldier (1992 film)
Universal Soldier is a 1992 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead...
series, following two made-for-TV movies, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms
Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms
Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms is a 1998 direct-to-video science fiction film, sequel to the 1992 film Universal Soldier. Despite featuring the same characters as the original, the film features none of the original cast or crew. It was followed the same year with triquel titled Universal...
and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business
Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business
Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business is a 1998 direct-to-video science fiction film. It was produced as a miniseries for a potential TV series. Like Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms, none of the actors or crew of the original returned, but all the cast and crew from the first sequel...
.
Plot
Seven years after the events in the first filmUniversal Soldier (1992 film)
Universal Soldier is a 1992 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead...
, Luc Devereaux (Van Damme) is now 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, intelligent, and agile.
All of the new UniSols, which are faster and stronger than the original UniSols, are connected through an artificially intelligent
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
computer system called S.E.T.H. (voice of Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
), 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 matters into its' own "hands" to protect himself.
Killing those who try to shut off his power, and unleashing his platoon of super soldiers, led by the musclebound Romeo (Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
), S.E.T.H. spares Devereaux, only because Deveraux 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
Brent Hinkley
Brent Hinkley is an American actor, director, and playwright. He is best known for his role as "Lou" the sidler in the Seinfeld episode The Merv Griffin Show, Officer Murray in The Silence of the Lambs, and Conrad Brooks in Ed Wood.-Filmography:Film credits include:-External links:* * * *...
), a rogue cyberpunk, S.E.T.H. takes human form (White).
Not only must Luc contend with ambitious reporter Erin Young (Schanz), who would not leave his side, but Luc also must contend with General Radford (Daniel von Bargen
Daniel von Bargen
Daniel von Bargen is an American film, stage, and television actor.Best-known for his roles as Mr. Kruger on Seinfeld and Commandant Edwin Spangler on the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Universal Soldier: The Return,...
) 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.
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. Luc and S.E.T.H. begin fighting each other in hand-to-hand combat at the end Luc freezes S.E.T.H. with liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is nitrogen in a liquid state at a very low temperature. It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. Liquid nitrogen is a colourless clear liquid with density of 0.807 g/mL at its boiling point and a dielectric constant of 1.4...
, then shatters S.E.T.H.'s frozen body, killing him. Luc then engages into a 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.
Cast
- Jean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
as Luc Deveraux - Michael Jai WhiteMichael Jai WhiteMichael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
as S.E.T.H. - Heidi Schanz as Erin Young, KTXD
- Xander BerkeleyXander BerkeleyAlexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
as Doctor Dylan Cotner - Justin LazardJustin LazardJustin Lazard is an American actor, producer, director, and model.-Early life:Lazard was born in New York, but was raised in Connecticut. His father, Sidney Lazard, is a former foreign correspondent, and his mother, Julie , is a photographer. In 1974, the family relocated to Paris where his father...
as Captain Blackburn - Kiana TomKiana TomKiana Tom is a television host, fitness expert, author, actress, and businesswoman.Kiana Tom is part Hawaiian, Chinese and Irish. Her name in Hawaiian means “calm water” or "moon goddess"....
as Maggie - Daniel von BargenDaniel von BargenDaniel von Bargen is an American film, stage, and television actor.Best-known for his roles as Mr. Kruger on Seinfeld and Commandant Edwin Spangler on the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Universal Soldier: The Return,...
as General Radford - James R. Black as Sergeant Morrow
- Karis Paige Bryant as Hillary Deveraux
- Bill GoldbergBill GoldbergGoldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
as Romeo - Brent AndersonBrent AndersonBrent Anderson is an American comic book artist known for his work on X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills and the comic book series Astro City.- Early life :...
as Technician #2 - Lyle KanouseLyle KanouseLyle Kanouse is a stage, television, and movie actor, born in Fort Worth, Texas. He once taught at Miami University in Ohio.-External links:...
as UniSol 2500 (voice)
Reception
The movie did poorly at the box office debuting at No.4.Universal Soldier: The Return grossed $10 million in the United States. Reviews were mostly negative, with the film earning a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
gave the film a score of one and a half stars out of four
Track listing
- "Crush 'EmCrush 'Em"Crush 'Em" is a song by heavy metal band Megadeth and the lead single from their eighth studio album, Risk. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Universal Soldier: The Return in July 1999 and debuted as the third most added track on alternative rock stations on July 5...
" – MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two... - "Remain Calm" – One Minute SilenceOne Minute SilenceOne Minute Silence is a four-piece band based in London that combined influences from metal, hardcore punk and rap and as of 2010 they have sold over 500,000 albums. The band consisted of vocalist Brian 'Yap' Barry from Templemore, Co. Tipperary, guitarist Massimo Fiocco from Limerick City, drummer...
- "Awake" – Clay People
- "Crazy TrainCrazy Train"Crazy Train" is a song written by Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley. It was released as the first single in 1980 on Osbourne's first solo studio album, Blizzard of Ozz. The song was recorded in 1980, a year after leaving Black Sabbath, and later included on the live album Tribute,...
" – The Flys - "Bled For DaysBled for Days"Bled for Days" is the third single from the industrial metal band Static-X's debut album, Wisconsin Death Trip. It has appeared on several soundtracks, including the Universal Soldier: The Return and Bride of Chucky soundtracks. The music video for "Bled for Days" was recorded at a Static-X live...
" – Static-XStatic-XStatic-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009.... - "Fueled" – AnthraxAnthrax (band)Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
- "Majic, No. 3" – Jact
- "HatredHatredHatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
" – D GenerationD GenerationD Generation are an American glam punk band formed in 1991 in New York City. The band broke up in 1999, but will reunite in 2011 for shows. During its history the band released three albums, to much critical acclaim... - "Securitron (Police State 2000)" – Fear FactoryFear FactoryFear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
- "Eureka Pile" – MinistryMinistry (band)Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
- "Chaos" – Tim SkoldTim SkoldTim Sköld is a multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to producing solo work, has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM and Marilyn Manson.-Early life:...
- "Saddam A-Go-Go" – GwarGwarGwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
- "Target: Devereux" – Don DavisDon Davis (composer)Donald Romain Davis is an American film score composer, conductor, and orchestrator. Best known for his work on The Matrix, he has worked on a variety of films, from horror to comedy.- Early life :...
- "Supernova Goes Pop" – Powerman 5000Powerman 5000Powerman 5000 is an American Metal band formed in 1991. Through the span of over two decades, the group has released several albums and gained their highest commercial success with 1999's science fiction themed Tonight the Stars Revolt!...
DVD release
On July 1, 2002, DVD was released in Columbia TriStar Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. On October 4, 2010, Universal Soldier Trilogy DVD was released.
External links
- Universal Soldier: The Return Official website