Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012) - Scott Adkins, JCVD, & Dolph Lundgren

[KUNG FU BOB]

The only thing I hated about the movie was those damn strobe effects. I mean I'm not epileptic but even I had to look away

I hear that. Long after I felt like "Uhuh, I got it. Okay... Yeah. Stop it." it was still going on. I had to look away. Then I shut my eyes and you know how you can still see it for a few seconds?

I hate that too... not epileptic either but I can't stand strobes.

And KFB, I did sort of skip through some of the later action scenes but I had just stopped caring.

Aw...

[Lionclaw]

That bothered me too. It when on for why too long and I felt like I might have become epileptic and have a seizure just from watching it. So unnecessary.

[KUNG FU BOB]

That bothered me too. It when on for why too long and I felt like I might have become epileptic and have a seizure just from watching it. So unnecessary.

Well, I get why they did it. A lot of the film really gets shown from Scott Adkins' character's POV, and they wanted you to get that someone was messing with his head. To take you on that freakish journey with the character, and the effect does do that. In fact, that may explain the uncharacteristically violent rampage I recently had in a sporting goods store, where I brutalized an innocent bowling ball ... Anyway, it didn't bother me the second and third time I watched the film. Perhaps the fact that my first viewing was on a huge screen in a theater was what made it so overwhelming?

Moving on... I mentioned in an earlier post that the US Region 1 DVD/BD release is the R-Rated version of the film, but that it's still worth getting for the fantastic hour long "Making of" feature and an audio commentary by Dolph Lundgren and the director.

I've just watched the UK Region 2 Blu-Ray (Thanks to my bro Karlos I got the limited edition Steelbook version which includes two BD's, one standard and the other 3D) and I can confirm that it is the gorier uncut print of the film, and that this disc looks terrific. The special features are slight though, and comprised only of interviews with JCVD, Adkins, and Lundgren that are each 3 minutes or under , and an 11 minute one with director John Hyams. Shame about the lack of features here.

So if you're a big fan of the film, you're going to have to double-dip to get all the goods. Unless there's another edition from a different country that is both uncut and includes the long BTS feature and AC.

[bigrogie]

Am I the only SEASONED one who thought this film really sucked ASS..

No! About 2 weeks ago I watched it. Well, almost did. I was so bored that I fell asleep within the first hour and never bothered to watch the end!

[KUNG FU BOB]

No! About 2 weeks ago I watched it. Well, almost did. I was so bored that I fell asleep within the first hour and never bothered to watch the end!

Bigrogie, you've got to watch the end man! I can understand why you didn't like the beginning. I know you've got a hair-trigger draw on that fast-forward button when the action lapses in a film. But you will definitely enjoy the last third of the film. Trust me!

[One Armed Boxer]

The special features are slight though, and comprised only of interviews with JCVD, Adkins, and Lundgren that are each 3 minutes or under , and an 11 minute one with director Joe Hyams.

Hey Bob, sorry for being a stickler for detail, but the director is John Hyams, not Joe.

I may have to follow your advice though and double dip considering the US version has the commentary and an HOUR long making of! That sounds like a hark back to the DVD days of old, when you'd get a really indepth making of documentary done for the release, as opposed to the 10 or 15 minutes marketing pieces we get passed of as 'Making of' featurettes on most DVDs these days! (which is ironically all the Australian release has which I bought)

[KUNG FU BOB]

Hey Bob, sorry for being a stickler for detail, but the director is John Hyams, not Joe.

I may have to follow your advice though and double dip considering the US version has the commentary and an HOUR long making of! That sounds like a hark back to the DVD days of old, when you'd get a really indepth making of documentary done for the release, as opposed to the 10 or 15 minutes marketing pieces we get passed of as 'Making of' featurettes on most DVDs these days! (which is ironically all the Australian release has which I bought)

Whoops! My bad. Thanks for the correction bro. Credit where credit is due!

This skimpy extras stuff is especially aggravating when I have to sit through all these unskippable commercials for Blu-Ray at the beginning of... yeah... my Blu-Ray disc that I'm watching, telling me that I must get Blu-Ray, and how it has so much room for special features. Then the disc winds up having three two-minute "featurettes".

[AlbertV]

I watched it with my folks last night and we all liked it...even when my mom cringed during the bloody axe fight...the end was quite shocking and I couldn't help but laugh at Dolph Lundgren...he was truly propaganda for the Unisol regime! LOL I reviewed it on the site!

[KUNG FU BOB]

I watched it with my folks last night and we all liked it...even when my mom cringed during the bloody axe fight...the end was quite shocking and I couldn't help but laugh at Dolph Lundgren...he was truly propaganda for the Unisol regime! LOL I reviewed it on the site!

"That's the spirit soldier!"

That end is seriously brutal and bloody isn't it? The part where Scott stops the machete from hitting his face...

[One Armed Boxer]

I watched it with my folks last night and we all liked it...even when my mom cringed during the bloody axe fight...the end was quite shocking and I couldn't help but laugh at Dolph Lundgren...he was truly propaganda for the Unisol regime! LOL I reviewed it on the site!

Hey Albert....great to hear that you enjoyed the movie, interesting to hear everyone's opinions...I don't think I remember a movie splitting people down the middle so much since 'Ninja Assassin'!

One thing though....please go back and proof read your review! As much as I got the feeling behind your thoughts, and I certainly don't mean this in a negative way, but there are a large number of both spelling and grammatical errors in it. I always consider the main page as the 'gate' to the kung-fu movie world for any wandering souls out there who happen to stumble across it, so I think it's important to have content on there be as professional as possible. It would be a shame if someone decided not to watch a movie because the content wasn't ran through spellcheck before it was posted, so wasn't taken seriously.

I often read your reviews so I know this is just a one-off, but if there's any way to improve the site I think it should be every members responsibility to speak up....I'll put it down to the strobe lighting effect must have left you paranoid that Deveraux was coming for you!

[blue_skies]

Hey Albert....great to hear that you enjoyed the movie, interesting to hear everyone's opinions...I don't think I remember a movie splitting people down the middle so much since 'Ninja Assassin'!

One thing though....please go back and proof read your review! As much as I got the feeling behind your thoughts, and I certainly don't mean this in a negative way, but there are a large number of both spelling and grammatical errors in it. I always consider the main page as the 'gate' to the kung-fu movie world for any wandering souls out there who happen to stumble across it, so I think it's important to have content on there be as professional as possible. It would be a shame if someone decided not to watch a movie because the content wasn't ran through spellcheck before it was posted, so wasn't taken seriously.

I often read your reviews so I know this is just a one-off, but if there's any way to improve the site I think it should be every members responsibility to speak up....I'll put it down to the strobe lighting effect must have left you paranoid that Deveraux was coming for you!

From glancing at the first paragraph I'd guess it was voice recognition software errors that albert didn't notice.

[AlbertV]

From glancing at the first paragraph I'd guess it was voice recognition software errors that albert didn't notice.

Yeah I looked the review over and yup, I did make some errors, so I went ahead and fixed them as best I could...I guess the Unisol program was malfunctioning in my brain LOL:P

[MLee]

The movie was pretty dark and heavy on the violence! I couldn't look at the scenes with all the strobe effects. But I did enjoy the action especially the second fight with Adkins vs Arlovski.

[BaronK]

Really like this fight. It's big, heavy, strong. They shot it "big" and not "busy". Thank heavens. The soundfx and voices also carry it strong.

[Guest Markgway]

The UNISOL series typifies the law of diminishing returns in that each sequel is worse than the last.

The original was mediocre, but tolerable.

The second, dumb as a bag of hammers, but not boring.

The third, brainless beefy brawling.

The fourth, a total WTF trash nightmare.

Think of all the cool movies Van Damme has done, and THIS is the series that gets FOUR entries.

Double Team IV - Rodman Strikes Back couldn't have been any worse than this lot.

And please, JCVD, STOP - repeat STOP - working with no talent hack John Hyams.

We know you like his dad, but nepotism is no excuse for shitty movies (yes, Dragon Eyes, that includes you!)

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

The minute I saw that Van D was in the Unisol sequel back in '99 was the minute I knew his career would never recover, and that he was never gonna be an A-list action star again. Sure, his last few movies up to that, hadn't been great, but I was still rooting and hoping. I always thought it showed character that he didn't want to be "sequel man" in the Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Cyborg sequels. And then, out of his entire filmography, he chose to break that conviction with something as crap as Unisol The Return!

Like a dope, I hung in there through Desert Heat, Replicant, The Order, Derailed and hating everyone one of them, but still holding on to a glimmer of hope. But by the time we got to In Hell, I was done. One of my childhood idols had fallen, and he had become a punchline with me and my other ex-Van D loving friends.

In '08 when I reluctantly popped in JCVD and he broke the fourth wall and delivered his now infamous redemption speech, I actually choked up and quietly forgave the Muscles from Brussels for a decade's worth of cinematic vomit.

I haven't bothered much with his post JCVD output. Im at peace with Van Damme now, and I respect what he went through, and wish him good luck with his further endavours. Im not gonna watch, but he's not a joke to me anymore. And that's good enough.

On a sidenote, check out his early carreer interviews on Arsenio (youtube). He's just so excited, enthusiastic and generally happy to be there.... and by there I mean Hollywood... living his dream. A real nostalgia trip.

[Gwai LO]

Watched the movie on netflix about a year ago and LOVED it.. Purchased the blu ray and let it on the shelf a year and just watched It last night and realized it's the edited version:( does anyone know where I can get a blu ray copy of the Nc-17 Version. I did some research and some said Canada and Germany have the nc-17 but can anyone confirm this for sure. Or send me a link I would love to see the movie how the director intended

[gwailosforever]

UK Blu-Ray and DVD is uncut

[yojimbo]

There is a video of Van Damme talking to the press about his Universal Soldier 3 movie and how he was too busy with that to film Expendables 1. He does a dead on impression of how the talk went between him and Stallone.

[Jox]

The director's cut NC17 version was released pretty much everywhere except the U.S. There's probably a 30 seconds difference but the shots sure have an effect. On the other hand you have the best (and exclusive) extras on the U.S. edition: great commentary by John Hyams and Dolph Lundgren, and feature length making of documentary on the production.

Making of trailer:

[mpm74]

New COF feature for all you Unisol fanatics!

 

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by mpm74

[DragonClaws]

13 hours ago, mpm74 said:

New COF feature for all you Unisol fanatics!

 

 

 

That's a good article, recently had the pleasure of sitting through one of the made for T.V sequels. What was Burt Reynolds thinking when he decided to make this one?.

[mpm74]

4 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

 

That's a good article, recently had the pleasure of sitting through one of the made for T.V sequels. What was Burt Reynolds thinking when he decided to make this one?.

 

Especially considering his "comeback" role with 1997's Boogie Nights. (Universal Soldier II and III followed a year or two later)... who knows? Maybe he was a fan of Van Damme's original??

[DragonClaws]

8 hours ago, mpm74 said:

 

Especially considering his "comeback" role with 1997's Boogie Nights. (Universal Soldier II and III followed a year or two later)... who knows? Maybe he was a fan of Van Damme's original??

 

I bet he had more fun making Striptease than he did doing those awful Universal Soldier films. He must have had some debts that needed paying off fast.

[DrNgor]

On 2/26/2014 at 6:30 AM, Jox said:

The director's cut NC17 version was released pretty much everywhere except the U.S.

Ah, that may explain why the one that came on cable TV here in Brazil had a random penis in it.