Universal Soldier: Regeneration Blu-ray offers solid video and superb audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
When a Chechen Islamic extremist threatens the world with another nuclear disaster centered in Chernobyl, Ukraine, futuristic supersoldier Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) leads a team to recapture the power plant and disarm the madman. But when the terrorist turns a clone of Deveraux's old sergeant (Dolph Lundgren) against him, the hero must first take out his old pal. John Hyams directs this installment in the Universal Soldier saga.
Dolph Lundgren's character Andrew Scott might be experiencing déjà vu, but viewers
familiar with the Universal Soldierfranchise will find something
remarkably different in Director John Hyams' (son of Director Peter Hyams)
Universal Soldier: Regeneration, a film that
takes the tired series in a new direction, injects some new life into it, and delivers a slick,
well-made,
fast-paced, and exciting film, and all in a direct-to-video package. Though the film offers a fairly
standard and transparent superficial plot and structure, Universal Soldier: Regeneration
keeps a few secrets and surprises tucked neatly away for the film's second half and relentless
final act, and while the run-and-gun action and cold, Eastern European/Russian setting aren't
new,
the film nevertheless works thanks to a no-nonsense approach that trims all the fat off of what
makes typically mediocre or subpar DTV Action pictures so terrible and focuses on creating a ballet
of action that's supported by a solid and reserved score that both work in harmony to bring to the
picture a novel and engaging feel that makes it easily one of the best direct-to-video Action
movies in years, if not in the entire history of that medium.
Don't bring a knife to a gunfight...unless you're Jean-Claude Van Damme.
The son and daughter of the Russian Prime Minister have been taken hostage by a group of
determined and heavily-armed goons. Led by the son of a prominent General, the kidnappers'
demands are
simple: the release of 227 political prisoners and freedom for Pasalan, all in 72 hours. Should
their demands not be met, they promise to destroy the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power
plant and spread radioactive waste across the region. On their side is a lone and highly advanced
Universal Soldier, code-named NGU (Andrei Arlovski), who makes quick work of a U.S.-led military
operation -- including the elimination of four first-generation Universal Soldiers -- sent in with
orders to deal
with the rogue
UniSol, free the hostages, and end the standoff. As a desperate final measure, Universal Soldier
Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme, Maximum Risk), who
has been trying to piece together whatever semblance of a life remains with the help of Doctor
Sandra Flemming (Emily Joyce), is reactivated and quickly retrained in hopes of taking down the
NGU, but he must first face off against an old foe that's been secretly waiting in the wings to be
activated and confront his archenemy one more time.
For a series that seemed primed to continue on with wholly unremarkable and cinematically
trivial pictures, Universal Soldier: Regeneration is one of the surprise films of the year,
the movie breathing new life into and sparking a renewed interest in a series that wasn't exactly
setting the world on fire in the first place but has been, at least for one picture, given a reprieve
before being sent on its way to the nether regions of cinematic irrelevance. That's not to say
that
Universal Soldier: Regeneration is some groundbreaking, must-see, genre-defining
picture. It's not. What it is a surprisingly exceptional direct-to-video outing that's far better than
either the Universal Soldier series or the DTV market deserves. Director John Hyams
has done the remarkable, delivering a film that could have been just another blank face in the
crowd and instead fashioning a solid, fun, and exceptionally-crafted ballet of an Action movie
that's
never pretentious, excessive in over-the-top stunts, or even all that far removed from the realms
of probability, at least beyond the overreaching "Universal Soldier" concept. It's the director's
ability to frame the picture in a context that removes from the equation any sort of cartoonish or
gimmicky feel that plays a major role in the success of the picture. The action is well-done and
raw, and the picture is a lean, no-nonsense sort that's certainly something of a novel and
refreshing approach to Action, and direct-to-video Action at that.
The return of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren isn't the only key to the film's
success. They play rather low-key parts all things considered, but their as-scripted roles in the
story add a touch of familiarity to the picture without overwhelming it. This isn't their movie,
and it isn't co-star Andrei Arlovski's either; this is John Hyams' movie, for it's his craftsmanship
and vision that keep it together, fluid, and highly watchable and entertaining. In addition to
Hyams' work, Composers Kris Hill's and Michael Krassner's score isn't of the typical Action movie
variety.
It's slightly reserved even during more aggressive, almost tribal beats, but it's the quieter, almost
surreal
and steady haunting tone that falls underneath the action and the sometimes
industrial-sounding rhythms that prove strong compliments to the action while adding something
of a unique flavor
to this sort of picture. Universal Soldier: Regeneration feels much larger than it is, even
considering the action is more grounded in reality than in previous entries. The film's most
exceptional sequence sees Luc Deveraux dispatching a series of armed enemies with but a knife;
the camera follows along as he kills, resets, and springs from nowhere time and again and truly
shows the efficiency and lethality of the Universal Soldiers. It's an operatic sequence, a work of
art in execution, the direction, choreography, acting, and the unsettling low-key accompanying
music
making it a standout scene in recent Action movie history. Indeed, the entire picture enjoys
similarly smooth and highly effective action pieces, and even though the base elements are fairly
generic, the execution makes this picture not only a worthy entry into the Universal
Soldier mythos but in the realm of Action movies-at-large.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer
that's not all that pretty but seems fairly accurate to the source. The film features a
predominantly
cold, sterile, lifeless appearance, and as such, takes on a rather flat look throughout. Shot
digitally
with the RedOne camera, the image is smooth and free of heavy noise. Colors other than the
abundant shades of gray, blue, and black are hard to come by, but the transfer handles its limited
palette professionally and presents each hue accurately. Fine detail is often acceptable but the
flat
and lifeless image and limited color range makes finding deep, handsome, and textured details a
bit
hard to come by. Still, the worn-down shooting location standing in for Chernobyl and the
industrial
landscape does offer some eye candy in terms of chipped paint, broken walls, cracks, rust, dust,
random debris, and other maladies associated with abandoned and unkempt locales that do look
rather
convincing and occasionally even intricately detailed, but otherwise, there's little that's of more
than a
passing interest to be found. On the down side, there are some shaky, jittery, blurry pans when
the
camera swoops around; blacks often appear flat and artificially bright; and there's plenty of
troublesome banding throughout. Still, Universal Soldier: Regeneration offers a decent
all-around transfer considering its dreary and lifeless natural state.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration features a wake-the-neighbors DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. The film's trademark sonic signature comes from the heavy doses of automatic
weapons fire; strings of shots rattle and pop with an aggressive, steady, rumbling tone that
shakes the soundstage and reverberates through the chest, effectively placing the listener in
close
proximity to the weapons. Other action-oriented sound effects -- squealing tires and revving
engines as heard during the kidnapping scene at the beginning of the film -- offer a crisp and
distinct jumble of sonic goodness that's incredibly loud but also nicely precise and wholly
engulfing, and like the gunfire, doing well to place the listener in the environment. Other
ambient sound effects, such as military radio chatter, are nicely realized and add some dramatic
flair and further the sense of realism that the track engenders. Additionally, the low end rumbles
with regularity, whether under heavy vehicles or explosions, each and all packing a nice wallop
that's a fine
compliment to the steady stream of gunfire heard throughout. Speaking of, bullets often zip
around the back channels, and while the surround speakers don't offer an excess of head-turning
activity, what there is is naturally and precisely implemented. Also featuring clear dialogue
reproduction, Universal Soldier: Regeneration makes for another exceptional lossless
soundtrack from Sony.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration arrives on Blu-ray with but a pair of extras of note. First
up is an audio commentary track with Director John Hyams and Actor Dolph Lundgren. This is an
excellent track; both participants acquit themselves wonderfully, speaking with an engaging tone
and delivering plenty of interesting and informative stories, speaking on the film's visual style,
stunt work, the difficulties of shooting action scenes, their previous work and the benefits and
challenges of shooting in
Bulgaria, plenty of technical background, and much more. The participants enjoy a solid
camaraderie, and the track benefits greatly from the relationship they put forward. Viewers
interested in a broad array of behind-the-scenes and personal anecdotes revolving around both
Universal Soldier: Regeneration and cinema-at-large should give this one a listen.
Behind the Lines (1080p, 18:44) is a solid and in-depth piece that features cast and
crew interview clips and behind-the-scenes footage that delve into the progression of the story
and the realization of what the final script should feature, the focus on creating a film that
offers suspense in addition to action, the participation of veteran actors Jean-Claude Van Damme
and Dolph Lundgren and MMA fighters Andrei Arlovski and Mike Pyle, creating the film's various
stunts, the film's themes and approach to the material, its relationship to the previous
Universal Soldiers pictures, the film's look and tone, set design, and Director John Hyams'
vision and style. Like the commentary, this is a solid piece that's well worth the time. Also
included is BD-Live functionality; Sony's MovieIQ connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Black Dynamite, The Boondock Saints II: All
Saint's Day, Armored, The Damned
United, Zombieland, The Stepfather, Universal Soldier: The
Return, "Breaking Bad: The Complete
Second Season," and Snatch.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration won't get much play or respect as a direct-to-video release,
and that's a shame because it's far better than a lot of films that earn a wide theatrical release.
Director John Hyams shows great potential, his sure hand guiding an Action film that's raw,
unforgiving, exceptionally shot, and wonderfully choreographed. Universal Soldier:
Regeneration is bound to surprise audiences that can look past the stigma of being released to
the direct-to-video marketplace; even underneath the onslaught of gunplay and aside from the fact
that the picture offers little of thematic relevance, it excels as a straight Action picture thanks to
Hyams' ability to set a tone that does away with the usual barrage of goofy side stories or baseless
humor in favor of a lean and mean meat-and-potatoes sort of experience that die-hard Action movie
fans should take note of. Sony's Blu-ray release does the film justice, the disc sporting a decent
1080p transfer that's generally reflective of the film's bleak tone, a wonderful lossless soundtrack,
and a small but nevertheless worthwhile supplemental package. This surprisingly solid DTV picture
earns an equally surprising recommendation.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced two new releases scheduled to launch on Blu-ray on February 2, 2010: the blaxpoitation spoof 'Black Dynamite' and the action/sci-fi movie 'Universal Soldier: Regeneration', starring Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van ...
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