Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

OK this is a very odd film. It does not feel right, its hard to explain but on this film Hyams has nailed it (with help) the direction/editing/cinematography/music....its all too good for this type of film. Not long in to the film I was shocked at how good it all looked from a film structure point, its not a Alien or Godfarther standard but its far above straight to DVD movies, its far better than most big screen films. The only thing that reminds you that this is a small screen film is the cast and their acting ability's (Scott does a good job where he can), but then again if you rented this film you would not be expecting any Oscars, but when it comes to the action side they do a very good job, its very upfront and bloody. The film sits around the 7/10 area, most of these films would normally hit a 5/10 but this one picks up points for the effort that has gone in to making something more than a cheap straight to DVD film. I hope that the same guys who put this together get a bigger film with a upgrade in actors, if they can make a film that looks this good with a low budget I would like to see what happens with a few more million thrown in.

The Universal Soldier franchise as terrible as they've been must have been profitable otherwise they wouldn't have lasted. So with that in mind it begs the question, why would they overhaul the entire formula?

The Universal Soldier films have been brainless action flicks about the genetically modified undead soldiers but here it goes in a totally different direction and is no better for it.

It tells the story of a man who witnesses his wife and daughter murdered by home invaders. He wakes up from a coma and begins to investigate what happened to him, why he was targetted and the man who was responsible Luc Deveraux!

Yes thats right, Van Dammes character and the main protagonist throughout the franchise. So with Van Damme reprising and Lungren along for the ride yet again we see a brand new type of Universal Soldier movie.

Sadly it just doesn't work, though it starts strong it quickly becomes apparent that the writers had no idea where they were going with this new approach and it all falls apart. The plot is a jumbled mess and the only redeeming factor is the action which is more on point than usual.

Sadly its impossible to get past just how much of a baffling mess Day of Reckonings story is, what they've done to the two recurring characters and makes me very much hope this is the last addition to the franchise.

The Good:

Interesting opening scene

SFX are actually on point

The Bad:

Makes absolutely no sense

Major shift will not have please fans of the franchise

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Upon seeing a gun mens penis's shrivel up

This movie is NOT for epileptics

Losing half of your foot won't affect your ability to walk

I'm just going to say that this movie seriously should come with a seizure warning because I almost passed out from the flashing at certain scenes.

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOU ARE PRONE TO EPILEPTIC SEIZURES!!!!!! No joke.

Otherwise it's good to see these guys on the same screen again. The movie is a little slow in parts but picks up quickly. Story develops quickly then plateaus a bit then picks up again.

Nothing that's going to curl your toes.. but a good flick.

Cheers!

Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren used to be kings of the Martial Arts franchise in direct to video action, People were lining up to rent their movies, when they both starred in the first universal soldier. movie (in which they were great) They made a dynamic duo which I haven't seen repeated since double impact. But a long time has passed since than,and the world has changed.The direct to video marked has changed along with the rest of the world. Sadly Dolph Lundgren and Van Damme has not. Not unless you wanna count aging. Look at them now, they have either wasted all their money on coke, or they just simply don't understand how over the hill they are. They are like a couple of worn out prostitutes they'll do anything for money now matter how degrading or stupid it is. This movie is complete sh*t. Where shall I start? Sense. This movie makes none. Storyline it none existent. I can't find it at anyway. Directing and line delivering is so bad it make you cringe . The pace of the movie is slow. I've seen turtles age faster than the pace of this movie. The main plot about Scott Andrew,(Dolph Lundgren 's character) having gone rouge. Makes even less sense cause he got shredded in the first Universal soldiers movie, which was great by the way,really good and entertaining.

The end battle is just laughable. I don't think I've seen anything that bad since the first American ninja movie,that I used to love back when I was kid, but just make me cringe now. Which to me is a perfect example of and era that is over.Much like Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren s glory days

Well Universal Soldier Day of Reckoning was brutal to say the least. Dark from start to end. Fight scenes were played out well, it didn't feel rushed to get the fight over like a lot of movies seem to do, it took its time and gave you the feeling like you were just standing there watching the thing happen, thanks to a wide pulled back viewing angle and steady cam. Even tho they were super human this made the combat feel realistic and solid in a visceral and disturbing way, As someone who hasn't seen a Universal Soldier movie since i was a kid i found the plot a little slow yet slightly confusing like i was missing some important information which actually kept me interested enough to care about what was going on even tho it ended up the only way it could have. No one goes into a movie like this expecting to have there mind blown away by the story anyway so it cant be faulted here. I believe this movie is a success because it does what it was trying to do so well.

Acting - 7 Story - 5 Pacing - 7 Action - 9 Overall Feel - 7