Hi all,
I’ve been quiet as I just started college again and the workload is increasing tremendously which means I don’t have much free time. Anyhoo, before the end of Sci-Fi September, I’d like to submit some quick entries.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning
Directed by John Hyams
After the underwhelming TV sequels and the dreadful 1999 theatrical sequel, the
Universal Soldier series remained dormant for about a decade. In this time, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career suffered a nosedive that he never fully recovered from. He began cropping up in DTV fare (like
Derailed and
The Order) that were a far cry from his big budget theatrical outings that dominated multiplexes in the 1990s.
Yet, this turned into something of a renaissance for Van Damme as he started taking some interesting parts. In the rather daft
Replicant, he played both a misogynist serial killer and a clone with the mind of a child. In
Wake of Death, he was a brutal mobster whose only redeeming aspect is that he’s not quite as bad as the people who killed his wife.
Until Death was his
Bad Liutenant, playing a drug-addled cop corrupt cop seeking redemption after a near-death experience.
These films weren’t exactly great but they were elevated by Van Damme’s stunning performances. Perhaps, since there was no a giant budget or studio behind these films, Van Damme was willing to take risks with his performances and not rely on the standard heroic tropes of his earlier films. He put his new-found talents to the test with 2008’s
JCVD, an avant-gardist part-autobiography, part thriller and part satire that saw him play a fictionalised version of himself caught up in a post-office robbery.
The film won rave reviews and Van Damme received unanimous acclaim for his acting. Once again, the world was Van Damme’s oyster. So, imagine everyone’s surprise when it was announced that his next film was another sequel to
Universal Soldier.
But, fools were we, as not only was
Universal Soldier: Regeneration better than expected, but it was easily the best of the series. John Hyams (son of Peter) delivered something really special here. The first half is pretty much what you expect of the DTV action sub-genre (Russian / Eastern European terrorist cell kidnap the Russian President’s children with the help of a super-soldier), only that the quality of the acting and the cinematography were much higher than is regular. The music has a very creepy John Carpenter aesthetic to it and the action scenes are extraordinary too, with the opening sequence rivalling anything Michael Mann has ever shot
But, it’s the second half that truly transcends. When the military raid against the terrorists fails, the authorities are forced to turn to the only other known UniSol in existence, Luc Deveraux. However, this is not the same happy-go-lucky Deveraux we saw previously. Deveraux is a broken man, and Van Damme nails it. There is a heart-breaking moment in which Deveraux is informed of the mission. He doesn’t answer but a tear emerges.
It’s this moment that establishes the conscience of the film. While Deveraux has tried to leave his old life behind him, he has struggled and failed to find a new one. He was a man bred for violence. Now, he has been given a purpose but it means returning to that old, violent life, which he does with aplomb when he makes his one-man assault on the terrorist camp. Compare that to Dolph Lundgren’s Andrew Scott. Like Deveraux, Scott was created to be the ultimate soldier but he is one given no purpose. Eventually, he goes mad again in a desperate attempt to find a rationale for the brutal acts he meant to commit. Soon, everyone is the enemy.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration is a magnificent achievement. It shouldn’t be this good but thanks to some hard work by the filmmakers, we got a film that stood alongside
13 Assassins and
Ip Man 2 as the finest action film of 2010.
As good as
Regeneration was,
Day of Reckoning was even better. No longer restricted by a generic script (the main flaw of
Regeneration), John Hyams was given free rein to do what he wanted. What he wanted to do was create a masterpiece.
John (Scott Adkins) wakes up from a coma after a brutal attack on his home that left his wife and daughter dead. He is informed that he was the latest victim of a militia group that is led by Luc Deveraux, who has turned against the government. After recovering his strength, John sets out to find Deveraux. However, his search will send down a pathway that his worst nightmares could not have prepared him for.
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is not a film – it is an intense experience. Imagine if Gaspar Noe did a modern remake of Apocalypse Now and Takashi Miike did a low-budget modernist take on Blade Runner. Now, imagine if David Lynch edited the two together to an Aphex Twin sounding soundtrack and you may be close to what
Day of Reckoning has to offer.
While Day of Reckoning is loaded with well-choreographed action, it is more true to sci-fi horror than any other genre. The theme here is identity, and what influences it. But, the film is not just intent on making the characters question who they are, but it wants us to question ourselves too. The repeated flashing images (warning: if you suffer from epilepsy, be very careful), the pounding score that comes and disappears without much reason, the relentless bone-crushing violence and scenes that contradict what we have previously witnessed, puts the audience in a state of turmoil and forces us to think about what we remember. Even when you think you have figured out John by the end, it throws a major curveball that throws everything out the window and haunts you as the credits roll up.
I love
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. The acting, writing, direction, and production values put it leagues ahead of many bigger budget action films. I understand that it’s not for everyone as it is designed to be a challenging experience. But, I hope you are able to persevere as it sits alongside
Only God Forgives as my favourite film of 2013 (speaking of Nicolas Winding Refn, he has hired John Hyams to do the remake of
Maniac Cop). It is a ballsy, visceral adventure and shows the true power of cinema. Whatever your feelings are by the end, it is one you will never forget.