The film opens with a lengthy point-of-view shot, as a man named John (Scott Adkins) tries to reassure his young daughter one night that there aren't monsters in their house. As the deadline nears its expiration, the prime minister announces the release of the prisoners. *The Government starts to fight back by creating Unisols specifically to hunt Luc Deveraux and his crew. All rights reserved. I shudder to write that because its both condescending and indicates that I just cant handle people not liking my pet movie, as though something must be wrong with them. Dismiss it if you want, but there are a lot more interesting things going on here than I, at least, assumed. The official sequel, The Return is pretty decent and holds up still. Greg 51, Us 8, Cnn 6, Pete 4, Biden 3, Kat 3, America 2, U.s. 2, Golo 2, Oj 2, United States Postal Service 2, Canada 2, Toronto 2, Gallagher 2, Toobin 2, Marjorie . They can pull this off because they have help from a Next-Generation Universal Soldier played by Andrei The Pit Bull Arlovski. Its almost humorous. Greg Gutfeld examines the news of the day through a satiric lens fused with pop culture. His passions include dumb action movies, not-dumb action movies, Shakespeare, and Tyler Perry. Scott then reactivates the bomb before heading out to hunt the children. No matter how many times I watch it, Scott Adkins mission to learn who he is continues to strain my patience. Free delivery for many products! John goes on a personal vendetta against the man behind the killings, revealed to be Luc Deveraux, the eponymous Universal Soldier from the previous films who has now become a powerful terrorist military leader. [7], Negative reviews tended to focus on the film's violence, which was considered excessive. All this is explained in "When the Towers Fall: A Prophecy of What Must Happen Soon". Learn more about DVD region specifications here Frequently bought together + + Total price: $28.88 Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. This guy is fucking terrifying. After a hostage situation mistakenly leaves Veronica a fugitive, the two escape the city and go into hiding. I hope that we have breathed some life into the franchise. The director and writers must have been intoxicated! They fight. The best musical instrument is a love triangle. You have a zombie army, clones, regenerating body parts, bad guys who arent bad guys, good guys who arent good guys, and probably the end of the world - all delivered in a way that flies in the face of many of our movie axioms. The fight pits John against Andrew Scott and an army of genetically enhanced warriors; meanwhile, he must contend with a UniSol in relentless pursuit. Magnus is introduced to a separatist group led by Deveraux and Scott, who are taking in wayward UniSols to turn them against the U.S. government, with the ultimate goal of establishing a UniSol-led new order. Its a relatively run-of-the-mill sci-fi action film about deceased Vietnam vets brought back to life as super soldiers. Directed by Jeff Woolnough and written by Peter M. Lenkov, the film stars Matt Battaglia, Chandra West, and Gary Busey. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Universal Soldier: A New Dimension (as it was initially titled) was to be the first in the series filmed in 3-D. John Hyams, who had directed Universal Soldier: Regeneration, returned as director along with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. But when youre a smart-ass like me, its hard to remember that each joke has a target. [9] Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News wrote that unprepared viewers are "bound to leave shellshocked. The film was theatrically released in Israel on January 7, 2010, followed by the Philippines on January 8, followed by both Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on January 27, both Malaysia and Singapore on January 28. But Day of Reckoning is so controlled that it all feels of a piece. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is out on Blu-ray and DVD, NOW!. As John and Sarah drive towards the cabin, they are once more intercepted by Magnus. Mae'n ffilm a ddosbarthwyd drwy fideo ar alw.. Y prif actorion yn y ffilm hon yw Scott Adkins, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Roy Jones Jr., Mariah . If these guys looked intimidating in Regeneration, they are ten times that here. If you squint, I get paid to be funny. He tries to kill Sarah but is shot dead by the other John, now suspecting himself to be another UniSol sleeper agent. Directed by John Hyams, written by John Hyams, Doug Magnuson, and Jon Greenlagh, it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski, and Scott Adkins. Its extremely well-executed and almost frighteningly hardcore, but its still pretty much just an action film. This direct-to-video sequel takes place exactly after the events of the original Universal Soldier. [11] Eric Kohn of IndieWire shared this sentiment, declaring it one of 2012's best action films: "Hyams delivers a remarkably satisfying action-thriller hybrid that constantly pushes ahead". In 1992, a short-lived comic book tie-in was released by Now Comics. The Universal Soldier franchise began in 1992 with Universal Soldier, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Meanwhile, John (Adkins) awakens from a coma to discover that his wife and daughter have been brutally murdered. As the NGU is programmed not to harm the terrorists, Dr. Colin unleashes his second UniSol: a cloned and upgraded version of Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) Deveraux's nemesis who quickly kills Commander Topov. Unfortunately, his opponents share the same skill set. But some of them look like Andrei Arlovski. After the original film was released, Carolco, the production company that backed the film, went bankrupt and sold the rights of the series to Skyvision Entertainment, located in Toronto, in 1995. Anyone that goes into Universal Soldier: Day of. The push for deeper meaning, while admirable . So what Id like to do is tell you exactly why this movie blows me away. The real Luc Deveraux is holed up in a bunker, bald and scarreda paranoid, apparently psychotic riff on Colonel Kurtz. He has even teamed up with Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren), the villain of the original Universal Soldier. After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. When we pick up with Day of Reckoning, were witnessing the journey of the Scott Adkins Unisol who actually succeeds at killing Luc Deveraux. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release John awakens from a coma to discover his wife and daughter were. Dr. Su also says the missing shipment contains hardware that will enable Deveraux to create clones. Action Horror Mystery John looks to take down Luc Deveraux after a home invasion claims his wife and daughter. Here's why: Deveraux has gone mad and is now an evil son-of-a-bitch hell bent on taking over the government, one soldier at a time, dead or alive. Buy Universal Soldier - Day of Reckoning (uncut) from Amazon's Movies Store. But if Day of Reckoning was doomed to horrify anyone who was looking for a goofy B-action flick, its ripe for rediscovery for anyone who wants to see what happens when a chronically underperforming action franchise suddenly pushed to its absolute limit. Part of me wants this director to graduate to bigger budgets and more consequential fare, but another part of me just wants him to make these awesome Universal Soldier flicks till the end of time. As Luc escorts the children to safety, they are attacked by the NGU. "Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (end soundtrack) 13,723 views Jan 8, 2014 116 Dislike Share Save Don Giovanni 413 subscribers soundtrack from the end of the movie, universal soldier day. Thats not even a dream come true because I was never that optimistic. [9], "Director John Hyams Talks UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING, Plus the Top 11 Things to Know About Hyams and His Film", "Phone interview with John Hyams, director of 'Universal Soldier: Regeneration', "Fantastic Fest Day Eight: Silat, Brains, and Dolph Lundgren", "Universal Soldier: Regeneration - Foreign Box Office Breakdown", Dread Central - Universal Soldier: Regeneration Review, "Universal Soldier: Regeneration revived Jean-Claude Van Damme", "Universal Soldier IV Announced: Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in 3D", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Universal_Soldier:_Regeneration&oldid=1133180086, Stanislav Pishtalov as Prime Minister Musayev, This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 15:49. AckuFerrer4913. [16], A reboot was in development and Richard Wenk was set to write the film as of October 2018, which will focus on one resurrected soldier.[17][18]. Mixed martial artist Andrei Arlovski stars as NGU (Next Generation UniSol), a Universal Soldier of the latest type, along with fellow fighter Mike Pyle as Capt. Kevin Burke. More about DVD formats ) In this theatrical sequel to the original film (while ignoring the previous two television films), Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) had been reverted to human state and has a 13-year-old daughter called Hillary. After their bodies are retrieved, they are placed into a secret program in which they are reanimated as superhuman agents and trained to become unquestioning killing machines. Ad Choices, You Almost Definitely Haven't Seen One of the Best Action Movies of the Decade, The 17 Best New Menswear Items to Buy This Week, 57 Excellent Gift Ideas to Spoil All the Deserving Guys Out There, The Best White T-Shirts, According to GQ Editors, Rihannas Super Bowl Watch Was the Real MVP, The Best, Worst and Weirdest Super Bowl 2023 Commercials, John Mayers New Watch Is Already the Subject of Good Gossip, Patrick Mahomes Wore an Instant-Classic Rolex to the Super Bowl. And that turns out to be exactly the right frame of mind in which to watch Day of Reckoning. After Universal Soldier was released, Carolco, the production company that backed the film, went bankrupt and sold the rights of the series to Skyvision Entertainment, located in Toronto, in 1995. This is an ongoing, illustrated countdown of my 49 1/2 most essential action movies, which doesn't mean they are the best (but in most cases, yes), but a selection of some that I think you must see. That strikes me as seriously bold, and I can understand why it turns people away from the film. In this revival of the franchise, Regeneration disregards the events of The Return as well as its made-for-cable predecessors[1][2] by beginning the film with Former UniSol Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) undergoing rehabilitation therapy in Switzerland under Dr. Sandra Fleming with the goal of rejoining society. Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly stated that the film "is so gruelingly violent you half wonder if director John Hyams goal is to make the audience get up and leave the theater rather than be party to the brutality". Theatrical posters of the Universal Soldier films starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Once again, directed by Jeff Woolnough and written by Peter M. Lenkov, the film stars Matt Battaglia, Chandra West, Jeff Wincott, and Burt Reynolds. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. In fact, much of what I love about it exists almost peripherally to the film itself. Rather than look cheap or silly, it invokes a feeling of abject numbness thats hard to shake. NGU pulls the detonator off his back as it explodes, taking him with it. You can actually read a transcript of that here. To preserve itself S.E.T.H. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is a 2012 American science fiction action film [3] [4] directed by John Hyams, who co-edited with Andrew Drazek, and wrote the screenplay with Doug Magnuson and Jon Greenlagh. He is successful in locating them and leads them toward safety. Not only are they zombies, but. Questioned by FBI Agent Gorman, the still amnesiac John identifies the perpetrator as former Universal Soldier (UniSol) Luc Deveraux, now a wanted man. Instead of just making him super strong or whatever, they give this one the false memory of having a cherished wife and kid, both of whom are fictitiously murdered in cold blood by Luc Deveraux. And imagine that the whole thing is intercut with long, baffling, strobe-lit sequences set to an experimental score of ear-splitting drones. Guest Post by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. Stream Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning Movie Download Nov 30, 2012 by Ali Akbar2 on desktop and mobile. The films were produced for Showtime / The Movie Channel as a miniseries meant as a backdoor pilot for a series. The film premiered on HDNet Movies on November 28 the same year. The US Army send in troops to kill him but he wipes them out. this never-ending story of dead Vietnam war soldiers reincarnated to become turbo-killers has expelled mindless installments to theaters and video . I dont really care much for horror films, but when the violence displayed in an action movie crosses into horror territory, I tend to fall totally in love for some reason. Another piece we used was the group Tangerine Dream did a great score for the movie Sorcerer and taking a note from films like Blade Runner, movies influenced me and my idea of science fiction and action film making and take all the work I did in documentaries and the work I did within MMA and taking all those elements and putting them together to create a style of the film that I think is very different to the first two films, but I think fans of the first two will appreciate and maybe people who haven't seen them will appreciate it. Realizing the government will not stop sending John clones until he is dead, and seeing this John as a worthy successor, Deveraux allows John to kill him. Its biggest is choosing to forgo the continued narrative we actually want to see and instead reveal its story as a series of discoveries made by a totally new character (Scott Adkins). Scott Adkins gets the occasional thankless role in a Hollywood movie like Doctor Strange or American Assassinand reportedly auditioned to play Batman, in the role that eventually went to Ben Affleckbut mainly stars in the types of cheesy B-movies that Day of Reckoning ended up defying. Set in a sparsely populated world, the entire thing has a mesmeric, unreal quality, where things can turn on a dime, and often do. You probably didnt see it. During his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. Universal Soldier Day Of Reckoning [DVD] Scott Adkins (Actor), Jean-Claude Van Damme (Actor), John Hyams (Director) Rated: Suitable for 18 years and over Format: DVD 550 ratings IMDb 5.0/10.0 445 & FREE Returns Prime Video 3.49 5.99 Blu-ray 8.26 DVD 4.45 3D from 16.00 Additional DVD options Edition Discs Amazon Price New from Used from DVD The optimal time for an admission like this has long passed, but I want to make it anyway. But it does get better. A matchbox leads John to a strip club, where he is recognized by a stripper named Sarah, whom he cannot remember. In the film, former military man John awakens from a coma and finds out his wife and daughter have been murdered in a home invasion. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. It's So Not", "A Re-Imagining of 'Universal Solider' Is In The Works With Richard Wenk Set To Write The Script (EXCLUSIVE)", "The Equalizer Writer Is Rebooting Universal Soldier", Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business, The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Universal_Soldier:_Day_of_Reckoning&oldid=1140454100, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 03:54. The fact that I get paid money to write about movies kind of blows my mind. John receives a call from someone claiming to be his friend Isaac, asking to meet. Later, John meets with Agent Gorman again. The films were produced for Showtime / The Movie Channel as a miniseries meant as a backdoor pilot for a series. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren return as our favorite Universal Soldiers: Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott, and they have since formed the Unisol Church of Eventualism, which has them. John kills Gorman, before a clone of Gorman and three UniSols emerge from John's van. Its just that I know so many people who dislike the movie, and I have this very hard to ignore notion that maybe they didnt get it. He is an actor, known for Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009), Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012) and The Equalizer 2 (2018). Magnus injects John with Scott's serum, whereupon John hallucinates about Deveraux but retains his will. Evan has been smartassing-up the Internet since 2008. FOX News March 3, 2023 8:00pm-9:00pm PST. Universal Soldier: Regeneration is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed and co-edited by John Hyams, written by Victor Ostrovsky, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. While this character and his mystery dont really compel us as much as it should, it also acts as a weird diversion from the films real story which revolves around the mostly unseen Luc Deveraux and arrives almost totally through implication. Part of this will require a rundown of exactly what its up to plot-wise. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Part Three: Whats the Big Deal About Day of Reckoning? Its an early warning that nothing in Day of Reckoning should be taken at face value. [1][2] Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning featured Van Damme and Lundgren in much smaller roles, and introduced a new protagonist named John (Scott Adkins) fighting against both Deveraux and Scott. Though criticized for its "brutal" violence, others gave high praise for its direction, action, and "haunting" atmosphere, with some comparisons made to the works of Michael Haneke and David Lynch. FILMSTARTS. Meanwhile, another guy called the Plumber, or Magnus (Andrei Arlovski, the bad guy from the last Universal Soldier film and looking this time around like Jack OHallorans Non from Superman II) goes around beating and killing people left and right. My favourite JCVD film. But now that we know where all this is going (or going so far, anyway), we can start to see Hyams assert his view of Unisols as cold, emotionless, almost dead monsters, a view that will run rampant in Day of Reckoning.