Rank the Universal Soldier movies (1992-2012)

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by UniSol GR77

Too bad John Hyams did not write and direct a third UniSol movie, completing an ideal "trilogy".

Could've been fun.

Hyams: After Day of Reckoning, we talked about another movie, and I came up with a different story, but again, it was looking way further ahead. It wasn’t immediately picked up from where we left off. Each movie set up a scenario where the last moment of that movie tells you where things are going to go. Just as in this movie it tells you where things are going to go, we’re talking about a big global battle that’s going to occur, and not a global battle of infantry men on the front-lines, but more almost Invasion of the Body Snatchers – it almost became a spy movie of assimilation.

CutPrintFilm: To me, it seems that we’ve had a Regeneration and a Reckoning, and now it’s time for a Rebellion. I’d love to see that approach.

Hyams: You know, the next one, without going into too many details – because who knows, maybe one day they’ll want to make it; we were close, and then it didn’t happen, but it still could. And I would do it if we could make this movie: imagining a world where this kind of technology is not just in the hands of the government. This is something that exists on the black market. It looked into a world of evolving genetic engineering and designing humans to perform tasks. But the one similarity it had with Day of Reckoning is that it told the story from the perspective of the monster. In the original script, that character was a completely mute character – he didn’t have one line in the whole movie. Because he wasn’t created that way. He was created for physical things. It was almost like a runaway slave story in a sense, but really more like…if a watchdog lost his master and was now cast out into the world, and you would see the world through the watchdog’s eyes. It’s kind of like the Being There of Universal Soldier movies [laughs].

Link

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by mjvmovieman

[Show spoiler]

Vudu is streaming the direct to video sequels in HDX free with ads. Though they appear to be cropped to widescreen.

Universal Soldier II (Vudu):

[Show spoiler]https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/...dier-2/1579674

Universal Soldier III (Vudu):

[Show spoiler]https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/...dier-3/1579677

______________________________________________

Amazon is selling the sequels in HD for 9.99 each.

Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms

[Show spoiler]https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Soldier-II-Brothers-Arms/dp/B08M9CHVW4/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=universal+soldier&qid =1623249072&s=movies-tv&sr=1-6

Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business

[Show spoiler]https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Soldier-III-Unfinished-Business/dp/B08M95Z5MZ/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=universal+soldier&qi d=1623249187&s=movies-tv&sr=1-11

Does anyone have the Amazon versions?

Burt Reynolds AND Gary Busey in the same movie? And Tony Danza's off brand clone?!?! Whoa there!

[mjvmovieman]

Originally Posted by CreasyBear

Burt Reynolds AND Gary Busey in the same movie? And Tony Danza's off brand clone?!?! Whoa there!

I know! I'm still hoping someone might purchase or rent the Amazon versions of the 1998 sequels and comment on the quality.

[UniSol GR77]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Could've been fun.



Link

Great interview, thank you so much.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Could've been fun.



Link

Love the idea of a mute character. Really hope that this somehow happens or he takes that script and tweaks it into a different original thing.

[beamish13]

I finally caught up with this series. The only one that really left a strong impression was Day of Reckoning, which is absolutely phenomenal. I’ve never seen such a cerebral and well-crafted DTV action film. Hyams really pushed Van Damme and Lundgren to actually ACT as well.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by beamish13

I finally caught up with this series. The only one that really left a strong impression was Day of Reckoning, which is absolutely phenomenal. I’ve never seen such a cerebral and well-crafted DTV action film. Hyams really pushed Van Damme and Lundgren to actually ACT as well.

[Troll2fan]

Just watched Day of Reckoning for the first time, and it was a putrid pile of trash. It was a bear to sit through and I’d rather watch the awful direct to DVD Universal movies than subject myself to Reckoning again. It’s a shame because I love Scott Adkins in most of his flicks.

The first is still the only worthwhile movie out of the rest of the series.

[DR Herbert West]

It's definitely divisive.

[Jay H.]

After watching the original, in 1992, I had no desire to watch any of the follow-ups. I watched the movie again last year and my opinion hasn't changed.

[UniSol GR77]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

After watching the original, in 1992, I had no desire to watch any of the follow-ups. I watched the movie again last year and my opinion hasn't changed.

Very wrong. Regeneration and Day of Reckoning are two acclaimed masterpieces. They push the boundaries of the genre, and they are vastly distant from the typical 90's action fest of the original movie.

Avoid The Return.

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by UniSol GR77

Very wrong. Regeneration and Day of Reckoning are two acclaimed masterpieces. They push the boundaries of the genre, and they are vastly distant from the typical 90's action fest of the original movie.

Avoid The Return.

[UniSol GR77]

CreasyBear, you're overheating. You need ice!

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

After watching the original, in 1992, I had no desire to watch any of the follow-ups. I watched the movie again last year and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's a product of it's time. There's still some great action set pieces and the set up for the world is fun. That ending fight sequence on the farm is tired by this point, but I enjoy the cheesy charm of it. (Nothing beats a heavily accented JCVD hugging Ma n Pa who are like farm grown parents who don't have a accent in relation at all to him). And I'd be lying if I didn't say that the "cooling down" scene wasn't the best scene in the movie.

But the Hyams follow ups are superb. They really capture the world lore of UniSol but expand on it in interesting ways with the budgets that they had. (It's said by Hyams that the budget for Day of Reckoning was $9-10 million but after people being paid the actual production budget was about $3 million - wow).
And he applies a serious tone that that understands the goofiness of it's world and it's actors but the films find a way to elevate pass that despite it's difficulties with the budget they had.
Regeneration was a wonder to me. I loved it's somber look and it's simplicity on plot. It honestly felt like a MGS movie but on a far less budget. Makes me wish for Hyams to get more money to do something bigger.

Originally Posted by UniSol GR77

Very wrong. Regeneration and Day of Reckoning are two acclaimed masterpieces. They push the boundaries of the genre, and they are vastly distant from the typical 90's action fest of the original movie.

Avoid The Return.

Agreed. Completely. I didn't think I'd become such a fan. But damn are they phenomenal action flicks.
(I do have to give Day of Reckoning another go, since I double billed it Regeneration but I watched it last. I was so in for the R, but DoR I was starting to teeter a bit off during it in the late of night. Still enjoyed it though)

[CreasyBear]

Regeneration is a fun little film. The action is extremely well done.

Day of Reckoning is a giant turd of a film.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by CreasyBear

Regeneration is a fun little film. The action is extremely well done.

Day of Reckoning is a giant turd of a film.

Why is it such a bad film for you?

[Steedeel]

Bumped as I have just watched them.

Out of 5

Regeneration⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Day Of Reckoning⭐️⭐️⭐️
The original⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Return⭐️⭐️

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Day of Reckoning is my favorite action film of the last 20 years.

That hasn't changed for me.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

That hasn't changed for me.

Wow. I really gotta give it another rewatch.

That's a big compliment when we have the likes of Mad Max Fury Road, The Raid and it's sequel and Dredd. Also the John Wick franchise.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

Wow. I really gotta give it another rewatch.

That's a big compliment when we have the likes of Mad Max Fury Road, The Raid and it's sequel and Dredd. Also the John Wick franchise.

Well, he said it was his favorite action film. There's nothing wrong w/ that. His enjoyment isn't in question. As to why? Maybe.

=====

I LOVE Regeneration. It was ungodly better than it ever needed to be. Reckoning was fine but it just wasn't visually engaging out of the action. Just the background locations were very dull compared to Regneration.

I have the US BD and the Canadian BD, which is uncut. That uncut one is awesome cuz it works better for the action whereas the US cut is fine but it looses an oomph to the action in it w/o the further intensity of it.