Post by Replicant on Aug 23, 2018 19:13:11 GMT
Van Dammage Report: Universal Soldier: Regeneration
by Stewart Smith 08/21/2018
Read full review here: cultspark.com/2018/08/21/van-dammage-report-universal-soldier-regeneration/
[...]
The one true bright spot, however, is the return of Dolph Lundgren as Andrew Scott, Luc’s commanding officer and fellow rogue UniSol from the original film who was last seen being impaled on and fed into a wood chipper. He’s somehow been reassembled and looking none the worse for wear (save for having aged several decades). Lundgren sort of stole the show in the original film though sadly he doesn’t have nearly enough screentime or material to do fully the same in Regeneration. That said, he still provides some fun moments and what material he does have to work with only further emphasizes how much unexplored thematic material was ignored in favor of generic action. Sure, action is what most are here for, but still.
Andrew and Luc do get a rematch, thankfully, and it’s by far the most entertaining action beat in the entire film. It’s a straight up brawl, the likes of which we haven’t really seen in a Van Damme film before. There’s some martial arts moves here and there, but for the most part this is about two nigh unstoppable, unfeeling killing machines doing everything they can to put their opponent down as fast as possible. Emphasis should be put on “fast,” too. Van Damme isn’t really known for his speed in combat, but the way Hyams shoots him in action here makes his work in Ringo Lam’s films feel a little sluggish by comparison. If nothing else, the fight ends with what has to be one of the best kills ever in a JCVD flick. I won’t spoil it, but if creative carnage is your thing you’ll likely cheer.
It’s a shame that Hyams and screenwriter Victor Ostrovsky weren’t more thematically ambitious with Regeneration. There’s more than enough explosions and bullets and blood to go around, but none of it remarkable enough to make you forget about the far more interesting concepts bubbling just below the surface. Still, Regeneration manages to be a sight better than much of Van Damme’s pre-JCVD direct-to-DVD material. It stands solidly in between being not as good as The Order, but is undoubtedly superior to the likes of The Hard Corps and Second in Command. Let’s call it as much of a missed opportunity as Until Death.
by Stewart Smith 08/21/2018
Read full review here: cultspark.com/2018/08/21/van-dammage-report-universal-soldier-regeneration/
[...]
The one true bright spot, however, is the return of Dolph Lundgren as Andrew Scott, Luc’s commanding officer and fellow rogue UniSol from the original film who was last seen being impaled on and fed into a wood chipper. He’s somehow been reassembled and looking none the worse for wear (save for having aged several decades). Lundgren sort of stole the show in the original film though sadly he doesn’t have nearly enough screentime or material to do fully the same in Regeneration. That said, he still provides some fun moments and what material he does have to work with only further emphasizes how much unexplored thematic material was ignored in favor of generic action. Sure, action is what most are here for, but still.
Andrew and Luc do get a rematch, thankfully, and it’s by far the most entertaining action beat in the entire film. It’s a straight up brawl, the likes of which we haven’t really seen in a Van Damme film before. There’s some martial arts moves here and there, but for the most part this is about two nigh unstoppable, unfeeling killing machines doing everything they can to put their opponent down as fast as possible. Emphasis should be put on “fast,” too. Van Damme isn’t really known for his speed in combat, but the way Hyams shoots him in action here makes his work in Ringo Lam’s films feel a little sluggish by comparison. If nothing else, the fight ends with what has to be one of the best kills ever in a JCVD flick. I won’t spoil it, but if creative carnage is your thing you’ll likely cheer.
It’s a shame that Hyams and screenwriter Victor Ostrovsky weren’t more thematically ambitious with Regeneration. There’s more than enough explosions and bullets and blood to go around, but none of it remarkable enough to make you forget about the far more interesting concepts bubbling just below the surface. Still, Regeneration manages to be a sight better than much of Van Damme’s pre-JCVD direct-to-DVD material. It stands solidly in between being not as good as The Order, but is undoubtedly superior to the likes of The Hard Corps and Second in Command. Let’s call it as much of a missed opportunity as Until Death.