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Universal Soldier: The Return

R Released Aug 20, 1999 1h 22m Sci-Fi Action List
5% Tomatometer 58 Reviews 24% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After being brought back from the dead as a genetically enhanced warrior, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is now fully human and working with scientist Dylan Cotner (Xander Berkeley) to create a new, safer breed of fighters. When Cotner's project loses its funding, his supercomputer, the sentient SETH (Michael Jai White), is scheduled to be turned off. Alarmed, SETH takes over a human body to defend itself. To prevent the machine from destroying mankind, Luc must fight back.
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Universal Soldier: The Return

Universal Soldier: The Return

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Critics Consensus

Universal Soldier - The Return fails on almost every level, from its generic story to its second rate action and subpar performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Ron Givens New York Daily News You, dear moviegoer, must not buy a ticket to this badly programed sequel. You must save the world from Universal Soldier III: How Bad Can It Get? Rated: 1/4 Jul 27, 2014 Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Chicago Tribune If Universal Soldier: The Return isn't the dullest, most derivative, unimaginative, noisy, repetitive, mind-numbing and generally imbecilic movie of the year, it's not because director Mic Rodgers wasn't trying hard enough. Rated: 1/4 Jun 7, 2013 Full Review Empire Magazine Whereas Emmerich's original had enough personality and energy to provide solid (if stupid) entertainment, Rodgers seems content to merely cobble together a succession of blatantly lifted-and poorly executed-set-pieces Rated: 1/5 Jun 7, 2013 Full Review Jason Caro Radio Times Watching a bunch of dull characters hurtling through a plate glass window about 50 times is neither inventive nor exhilarating, proving perhaps that ex-stunt co-ordinators shouldn't be allowed a stab at feature film directing. Rated: 1/5 Jul 27, 2014 Full Review Total Film This is cynical, manipulative, idiotic film-making. It's hard to express how bad this film is. Rated: 1/5 Jul 27, 2014 Full Review David Keyes Cinemaphile.org Please, even if it means offsetting a planned schedule, do not see this movie. It could be the biggest mistake of your life. I should know: I made it. Mar 10, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jerod S It's no masterpiece and has an implausible premise - but Van Damme still packs a roundhouse kick in here and there to fight the evil computer man. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/30/24 Full Review Audience Member Dreadful, no-budget sequel that at least had the decency to be so awful you can't help but be entertained. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review jelisije j As someone with no knowledge of the previous films, I would say this was an average action flick. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review kevin c The Universal Soldier project is on the verge of perfection when the government decides to pull the plug on it. The AI that controls the soldiers decides to awaken and unleash the soldiers in a violent rebuttal. Now it's up to Jean Claude Van Damme and a reporter who's in the wrong place at the wrong time to find a way to stop them. Michael Jai White and Bill Goldberg co star. Decent addition to the franchise. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie would be difficult to reccommend to anyone who is not a fan of the previous movie or JCVD movies. The movies does very little to explain how the character got from where the the original movie ended to where this starts, it feels like a forced sequel. Another aspects that let down its the generic plot and cheap direct to TV feel, on a midly positive note, the last 20 mimutes are not that bad with some occasional entertaining action sequences. I hated the use of late 90s rock music, it makes the movie feel so outdated Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member As a JCVD fan I've seen all his movies, I got excited for this one for no reason. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/18/20 Full Review Read all reviews
Universal Soldier: The Return

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis After being brought back from the dead as a genetically enhanced warrior, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is now fully human and working with scientist Dylan Cotner (Xander Berkeley) to create a new, safer breed of fighters. When Cotner's project loses its funding, his supercomputer, the sentient SETH (Michael Jai White), is scheduled to be turned off. Alarmed, SETH takes over a human body to defend itself. To prevent the machine from destroying mankind, Luc must fight back.
Director
Mic Rodgers
Producer
Craig Baumgarten, Allen Shapiro, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Screenwriter
Richard David Rothstein, Christopher Leitch, Dean Devlin, William Malone, John Fasano
Distributor
TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
TriStar Pictures, IndieProd
Rating
R
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 20, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$10.4M
Runtime
1h 22m
Sound Mix
Surround
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