Universal Soldier: The Return

Play trailer

Universal Soldier: The Return

R

Released Aug 20, 1999

1h 22m

Sci-Fi

Action

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

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

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

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

steve d

Convoluted follow up that fails to capture anything from original.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Mic Rodgers

Director

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Luc Deveraux

Michael Jai White

S.E.T.H.

Heidi Schanz

Erin Young, KTXD

Xander Berkeley

Dr. Dylan Cotner

Justin Lazard

Captain Blackburn

Starship Troopers

72%

70%

Starship Troopers

Watchlist

Total Recall

82%

79%

Total Recall

Watchlist

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

70%

46%

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

The Matrix Revolutions

33%

60%

The Matrix Revolutions

Watchlist

Natural City

57%

45%

Natural City

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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: IndieProd, TriStar Pictures
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

Most Popular at Home Now