Let’s start this off by saying that we should not pretend that this movie is something other than what it is: a hardcore, balls the walls action film with some light science fiction elements thrown in. That’s what the Universal Soldier films have always been. And this latest film in the series knows perfectly well what it is and brings exactly what you expect… and it brings it hard.
With Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning and the previous installment, Universal Soldier: Regeneration, director John Hyams brings new life to a franchise that many would have considered to be long dead. And he brings it back to the top of the action genre. With a few exceptions here and there, franchises aren’t often known for increasing in quality as they continue but the Universal Soldier series is among the minority that does.
With Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Hyams delivers a satisfying hybrid of action and thriller that is constantly pushing forward at a breakneck pace. It’s also hands down one of this year’s best action movies, making some of the competition seem laughable. The original stars of the series, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, return but are kept to mostly supporting roles this time around to allow Scott Adkins to truly shine and take center stage. It’s no secret that I am a longtime Adkins fanboy, and his work this year (including The Expendables 2) has helped him to really stand out. But don’t fret! There is enough Van Damme and Lundgren to keep longtime fans happy.
Pushing past the original concept of the series, rejuvenated dead soldiers enlisted by a covert military organization, this film finds the original “Soldiers” putting together an army of the UniSols outside of the government jurisdiction… and the government’s not liking this one bit. The film mostly follows John (Adkins) as he initially witnesses, during the opening of the movie, the murder of his wife and child at the hands of Luc Deveraux (VanDamme’s long term Universal Soldier character). And this sequence is definitely not for the faint of heart. John is put into a coma and awakens nine months later with memory lapses. He begins to follow Luc’s trail, intent on finding out the truth about who he really is and what actually happened that night. And even though everything seems set up for a simple revenge plot, John’s journey will take him on a pretty twisted and violent path.
Unlike some of the previous installments that relied heavily on big action sequences, this time around we get more of a well plotted thriller interspersed with action scenes. This is far from the mind-numbing “explosion fest” that Universal Soldier 2 (the low point in the series) ever was. And when the action does finally arrive, it’s well worth the wait. Everything builds up towards the final act and once the pieces start falling into place and the punches start being delivered you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat resisting the urge to yell “Fuck yeah!” throughout the finale. Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning is a fresh, intense and brutal chapter in the series and if you’re a fan of action flicks, this shouldn’t be overlooked.
Grade: 4/5
Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning is available now On Demand and will hit theaters on November 30th.