Rating: Summary: Soldier's been done before and better Review: Soldier has many things going for it which mainly include great special effects, set designs, and talented actors like Kurt Russell, Jason Scott Lee, and Sean Pertwee. What it doesn't have is a good plot, script, execution, or even action for that matter. The fact is I could have taken the unoriginal plot if only the film maintained some form of excitement or tension. The film does start out promisingly enough with am montage of Sergeant Todd's (Kurt Russell) life which involves grueling training and numerous wars (The batte scenes in the montage are fairly unintentionally humorous since when do soldiers just walk around and fire blindly). Then comes the introduction of a new batch of supersoldiers that have come to replace Todd and his men. The action sequence that has Russell and two others fighting Jason Scott Lee on chains high above the ground is an good one. It's too bad none of the other ones could measure up to that one. It's just that I never have found Rambo-type action to be generally good. It's never suspenseful to watch the hero take down all the badguys with a lot of ease. Soldier might actually have been better if it didn't take itself that seriously. As a matter of fact, if it had also tried to be humorous it would have been more enjoyable. In most movies, we tend to root for heroes because they're charismatic and likeable. Russell's Todd is somewhat likeable but there's no charisma. Every single supporting actor that receives billing has more dialogue than he does. The whole supersoldier plot idea has been used to death and it's done again poorly in this weak action film.
Rating: Summary: Well Worth Watching Review: Kurt Russell is a test tube bred soldier, taught from birth the discipline and destruction that a perfect human soldier requires, that is until technology improves and he becomes obsolete. A well-shot film with maybe not the most intricate plot-line but one which definitely entertains. I can't give too much away, it does have large explosions and little speech but nonetheless communicates very well by pictures alone. Not only an action film, it manages to encourage feelings of compassion and sorrow for he who was a killing machine, due to all the things he was robbed of. Definitely more than meets the eye and well worth buying on dvd.
Rating: Summary: could'a been great..... Review: Kurt Russels performance was way more deserving than the B movie budget that backed this film. Same thing with Snake Plissken, a great character stuck in a low budget movie...I loved the concept and again Russell's performance was outstanding, but I have a bit of a problem with generic set pieces and low budget explosions. It kinda picked up for the big finish but still has that 'made for cable' look to it. Darn shame.
Rating: Summary: abysmal Review: If you are going to make a film in someone's back yard, at least there should be some gripping dialog or novel character development. This film was horrendously bad, trotting out all the scifi and action movie clichés, without adding anything to them. Russell's macho posing can't hide the utter lack of thought that goes into his character. This movie was made on a shoestring to take advantage of people (like me) who are stupid enough to see anything that smacks of scifi and action. No more.
Rating: Summary: Excellent sci-fi movie Review: The fact is people don't understad what this movie is about. Arguments that talk about this movie lacking the storyline are ludicrous. It has a very simple straigh forward story wich was never ment to carry the main weight of the film. Nor were the special effects they just add to the environment. Seven Samurai - one of the best old classics had an even simpler story wich can be summed up in 3 words, although to say that that movie is bad would be quite ignorant to the meaning of it. Same with Soldier. Story is not its main point, its the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT - something that 90% of american movies lack. I loved this film, watching a normal boy growing up in an unnatural environment where nothing but fear and discipline is respected becoming a man with those values then having to face his emotional side wich he doesn't even know exists was very interesting. If you can't value those type of movies, than stick to story driven action - Dark City, Fith Element etc wich are also good films. I give this movie a 4 because of somewhat short and cut off begining. But it gets better and better after about 15 minutes into it. If you liked Mad Max, Judge Dredd, Blade, chances are you will like this one as well. Its definetly worth to rent if not to own.
Rating: Summary: Good for its kind Review: I've seen a million straight to video sci fi flicks. The only difference between those and Soldier is bigger explosions and an excellent performance by Kurt Russell. Russell is Sergeant Todd, trained from birth to be the ultimate soldier, who becomes obsolete with the introduction of a new breed of bio-enhanced soldier. In a test of abilities, Russell is defeated by Jason Scott Lee (who's been better) and dumped on a garbage planet where he finds a small community of families fending off intense sudden bursts of winds. Russell is very good as an incredibly disciplined soldier who's understanding of human emotion is non-existant. Throughout the course of the movie, he begins to understand the sensitivities of normal people, but the community leaders decide he poses too much of a threat through his warrior ways to live with them. No sooner does this happen, then the community is raided by the military, bio-enhanced soldiers included. So it's up to Russell to protect the people relying on his tried and true combat savvy. The explosions are bigger than in other sci-fi flicks, and Russell's buff physique certainly fits the role, but overall, just a less bland than most B-movie, with an A performance from Russell. As a matter of fact, he's why I give the movie three stars instead of 2.
Rating: Summary: One better then starship troopers. Review: This is quite a good Science-Fiction warfare story. The only thing that is lacking is the cast. Kurt Russel does a good job as an emotionally retarded professionel soldier who discovers that he can feel something after all and Garey Busey amakes a fine officer with a total lack of perception, but the band of Galactic refugees that becomes the target of a groop experimental, genetically enhanced warriors is pityful at best. In the end I sort of wished that the soldiers had managed to wipe them out. It wouldn't have been a great loss. Still this is a fast-paced, action-packed movie with great special effects. Relatively short by today's standards it prefents the sense of Deja vu, that movies like True Lies and Speed gave me, when the last fifteen minutes where not much more then a repeat performance of the rest of the movie. Soldier has a nicely balanced plot, that ends when there is nothing more to say. What I liked especially is that Russel never makes a moral judgement. In most stories a reformed killer suddenly becomes a moral philosofer condemning everybody who swaps a musquito. Not Russel's Sergeant Todd. Even in the end, when his enemies are busy exterminating a group of civilians Todd defends their actions, saying that they have to obey orders, likes he used to do. This far more realistic, considering his upbringing, then expecting him to suddenly turn pacifist. That he manages, despite this escential coldblooded attitude to convey a sense of emotion for the people he is protecting is a great tribute to Russel's acting ability. On the whole, a great movie to watch and a lot more interesting then Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, which is half again as long, but has a lot less to tell the audience.
Rating: Summary: Strange Review: This movie was okay. It was nothing new or special. The movie starts at 1996 and goes to 2046. This movie is kind of weird. The story revolves around a solider program where humans are selcted and taught to kill over a 17 year program. Kurt Russell plays a 40 year-old solider who has fought inmany of Earth's wars. He is thought to be killed and takin' to a trash disposal planet. There he awakens and meets a group of rebels living on the planet. They take him in where the solider gets in touch with himself and starts becoming human. But a team of better soliders comes to the planet to kill of the peolple on the planet. Russell helps these peolple fight them off and takes them to Earth. The plot may sound cool but this movie isn't at all special. It is alright. Kurt Russell is good but barely ever talks. If you like sci-fi you'll enjoy it. If your picky about certain movies, stay away.
Rating: Summary: average Review: soldier was better than i expected. a story of programed killing machine who finds himself in a normal enviroment and how he copes with it. i am never a fan of russel but i found his proformance different and interesting. the movie is not a head turner but it does have it's moments. if you want some light entertainment then soldier is it.
Rating: Summary: Soldier Review: An inspired and authentic Science Fiction movie. Trust me, if you don't like it, then you haven't managed to grasp even the most basic subtlety of the film - perhaps you should try something a bit less intelligent like Star Wars.
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