Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)

stormystag43 said:Is this new one even worth watching? The first part was an absolute masterpiece.

Look... it’s not quite hitting the heights of the first one, but it’s miles better than the sequel, or anything Steven Seagal has filmed backwards in the last ten years.👍 Honestly, this one caught me off guard... especially for a B-movie. The cinematography is top-tier and the directing holds up too. It’s shot beautifully, and the action scenes are just raw and brutal—plus, there are plenty of them. Especially toward the end; those last 30 minutes are non-stop carnage. Jean-Claude Van Damme basically does whatever he wants here LOL. The plot isn't exactly groundbreaking—it's a standard search-and-destroy setup—but that matters less than the action anyway. Dolph Lundgren has a pretty small role (he doesn't show up until about the 50-minute mark), and he almost feels unnecessary, but man, he gets absolutely wrecked, just like in the first movie. He managed to outshine Van Damme even with that limited screen time. The locations feel a bit cheap since everything happens in abandoned, crumbling buildings, but since the story takes place in a wasteland like Chernobyl, it actually fits the vibe perfectly. Plus, like I said, the solid photography really pulls the whole thing together.
So far, I've seen a bunch of positive reviews online calling this movie a fun B-movie... here's one of them (full review is at the link), so take a look if you're interested.😉👍

Universal Soldier: Regeneration Review

Lundgren's character Andrew Scott might be experiencing déjà vu, but viewers familiar with the Universal Soldier franchise will find something remarkably different in Director John Hyams Universal Soldier : Regeneration takes this exhausted franchise in a totally fresh direction, breathing new life into the whole thing. It’s a slick, tight, and high-octane ride that actually delivers.It’s all wrapped up in a direct-to-video package. Even though the plot is pretty straightforward and predictable on the surface, 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 sol 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. Honestly, this is easily one of the best direct-to-video action movies in years—maybe even in the entire history of the genre..

Universal Soldier : Regeneration really doesn’t Care What ’ people think about its direct-to-video status, which is a damn shame because it deserves way more credit than it gets. Honestly, this beats most big-budget movies hitting theaters right now. Director John Hyams shows Great potential , his sur hand guiding an Action film that's raw. 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 sol 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. Sony's Blu-ray release does the film justice, with a sharp 1080p transfer that nails the gritty vibe, a killer lossless soundtrack, and some extra features that are actually worth your time. This surprisingly solid DTV picture earns an equally surprising recommendation.

3.5 out of 5

Just finished watching this—it’s actually a pretty interestingly decent little flick. Sure, the plot could've been tighter, but it fits well enough within that "Chernobyl" style wasteland vibe... the action sequences are more than good, though you can definitely tell where they skimped on the budget in certain spots (the whole soldier program feels like it's stuck a few decades behind what we saw in the first movie), but the locations are cool enough. You can really feel Peter Hyams' touch in the framing, and it's a huge plus that Van Damme isn't the lead here, just popping in for a supporting role. The only real downside is how they just ignore certain things from the original film, but hey, let's not split hairs now...😁I don't quite get why Van Damme distanced himself from this one, because his performance is actually quite solid—maybe even surprisingly so. I mean, if he was forced into taking the gig, at least he worked with people who clearly put in a massive effort to make it look somewhat professional. Honestly, one of the better B-movies I've seen in the last few years.

Anthony Smith3 said:Look... it’s definitely not quite on the same level as the first one, but it’s miles better than the sequel—or honestly, anything Steven Seagal has filmed backwards in the last ten years.👍 Man, this one actually caught me off guard... for a B-action flick, anyway. The cinematography is top-tier, and the directing? Honestly, pretty impressive too. It’s shot beautifully, and the action scenes have this raw, brutal edge to them—and man, there are a LOT of them. Especially toward the end... those last 30 minutes are just pure, unadulterated chaos. Jean-Claude Van Damme basically just does whatever he wants at this point, LOL. Now, the plot isn't exactly the strongest selling point—it's your standard search-and-destroy setup—but honestly, that matters way less here than you'd think. Dolph Lundgren’s role is super small (he doesn't even show up until about the 50-minute mark), and you could argue he's almost unnecessary, but when he does show up, he gets absolutely pummeled—just like in the first movie. He manages to outshine Van Damme effortlessly. The locations feel a bit budget because everything takes place in these abandoned, crumbling buildings, but since the story is set in Chernobyl, and let's face it, Chernobyl looks exactly like that today—run-down and deserted—it actually fits the vibe perfectly. Plus, like I said, that great camerawork really helps pull the whole thing together.
So, basically, I’ve been seeing a ton of positive buzz online lately describing this movie as a total blast of a B-movie... here’s one of those takes (you can find the full review at the link), so check it out and see if it actually catches your eye!😉👍

Universal Soldier: Regeneration Review Alright, let’s get into it. I’ve been sitting on this one for a bit, but I finally sat down to watch Universal Soldier: Regeneration, and man, where do I even start? It’s one of those movies that catches you off guard because you expect the usual direct-to-video garbage, but it actually manages to pull something interesting out of the hat. 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 sol 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. Seriously, if you’re a fan of the genre, don't sleep on this. Lundgren's character Andrew Scott might be experiencing déjà vu , but viewers familiar with The Universal Soldier franchise will find something remarkably different in Director John Hyams. And honestly? Director John Hyams shows Great potential , his sur hand guiding an Action film that's raw. He isn't just throwing bodies at the screen for the sake of it—there's a rhythm here. It feels intentional. The whole thing revolves around this gritty soldier program, and while the plot isn't exactly breaking any ground in terms of complexity, it serves the action perfectly. It doesn't get bogged down in unnecessary subplots or cheesy dialogue that usually kills these kinds of flicks. It stays focused. It stays mean. Is it perfect? No. But in a sea of cheap, low-budget action movies that feel like they were filmed in a basement on a shoestring budget, this stands out. It’s got grit, it’s got momentum, and it actually respects the audience enough to deliver a cohesive experience. If you want some high-octane, no-frills adrenaline, this is your movie.

Man, thanks for the deep dive on this movie. I actually just sat down and watched it myself. Honestly? It's a blast—a total blast of a B-movie. I'm right there with you regarding the cinematography and the direction; they really nailed the look. And man, seeing Jean-Claude Van Damme looking all gritty and unhinged like that... he looks genuinely dangerous.😁 Arlovski acting reminds me of that equally disastrous dive into the acting world by Mirko Filipović. The guy just spends the entire movie wandering around a nuclear power plant looking for intruders.😁🤣
The absolute best part of this movie? It’s gotta be when Van Damme finally breaks into that building after all that non-stop running and gunning. He just tears through four or five soldiers with a knife—total carnage—and then he catches one guy waiting on the stairs by the window. He just gives him this dark, intense look, basically telling him, "Look, do yourself a favor and just jump out the window right now, because what I'm about to do to you is way worse." Legendary. Seriously, legendary!😂😁 All in all, I'd give it a 5/10.

I honestly don't even know what to say about this movie..🤷

The first one was way, way better; this sequel is just pointless.👎

The film is quite a respectable B-movie, I suppose.
I happened to stumble upon a brilliant review of the motion picture over at Cracked.com

http://www.cracked.com/blog/return-of-the-jcvd

And this particular sentiment feels especially accurate:
"It’s so violent and meaningless that it’s like the movie is committing a hate crime on the gay part of your brain that wanted that introspection bullshit to go somewhere. Universal Soldier: Regeneration really doesn’t care what’s happening in the scene you’re watching– someone is going to die every 20 seconds even if it makes no sense." 😁

I'm really looking forward to catching the third installment.
Personally, I've always been drawn to Jean-Claude Van Damme movies where there’s a massive Final Fight—ideally with rain and fire everywhere in the background... along with plenty of solid plot twists...😉

But Jean-Claude Van Damme's "Hard Target" is definitely a classic—a real standout film.
And I have to say, Claude looks incredibly sharp in this one.
I've got the original DVD at home (picked it up ages ago $67🤣) so I'll blast it on the home theater... the sound of gunfire hits like a beautiful melody...🙄
The most intense scene has to be when Arnold Voslo guns down the character in the car—that shot where hundreds of tiny glass shards burst through the window in slow motion...🙏

Cheap. The biggest letdown is that Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren don't even show up until about twenty minutes before the end.

Andrew Hill28 said:It’s cheap, and honestly a massive letdown that Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren only show up about twenty minutes before the end...

Exactly. This movie isn't even in the same league as those legendary Van Damme classics.

Honestly... when it comes to the quality of the action... this is easily the best thing Van Damme has filmed in the last 5 or 6 years—bloody, brutal, and intense. True... the movie looks cheap, purely because of the locations that feel abandoned and decaying... but like I said... since the plot takes place in Chernobyl, and Chernobyl looks exactly like that today—abandoned and crumbling...



Then everything fits perfectly with the plot. As for the rest—directing, camera work, cinematography... it's actually above the usual B-movie standard...
Dolph Lundgren's role might be unnecessary, but hey, it's a nice homage to the original and a few other classics (like Blade Runner and Frankenstein), but regarding Van Damme's screen time... personally, I prefer this concept. We see him here and there at first, the guy is being rehabilitated, but after all those attempts fail, they activate the last and best of the best to fix everything... and then it's just 30 minutes of pure hell.👍😁

Hmm, sounds interesting based on your description. Is there a version available somewhere in decent quality yet?
I really hope there's at least one solid Final Fight...
In the duo scene, the fight with Seth is actually great—the only stupid part was when they're scrapping and Jean-Claude Van Damme gets tossed against the wall, then Seth pushes a chair toward Claude (who just watches in disbelief as the chair slides weakly toward him) before quickly stepping aside so it hits the wall instead... haha, honestly, pretty dumb. If that chair had actually hit him, he probably wouldn't have even felt it after everything else that happened. Just a pointless moment that kills the tension...

The Final Fight Emmerich put together in the unit is top-tier. That atmosphere—mud, rain, a few flashes of lightning—it's exactly how a fight should feel.
And the best part is when Dolph Lundgren tosses a grenade at the woman and Claude rises up all bloody (weaker without the injection, but fueled by pure rage) to deliver two or three masterful strikes...🙏
When a scene is executed like that, it's worth a thousand times more than those mindless, low-budget trash movies.
I can see myself blasting that scene on my home theater setup right after the neighbor starts pounding on my door...🤣

Larry Harris8 said:Hmm, sounds pretty interesting based on your take. Is there a decent quality version out yet?
I just hope there's at least one good Final Fight!
In the sequel, the fight with Seth was great, but that one scene where they're scrapping and this Van Damme guy gets tossed against a wall, then Seth pushes a chair toward Claude (who just watches it slide toward him like it weighs nothing) and he has to jump back so it hits the wall instead... haha, felt stupid. Honestly, if that chair actually hit him, he probably wouldn't have even felt it after everything else. Just a pointless moment that kills the tension.

That Final Fight Emmerich did in the first one was top-tier. Mud, rain, a little lightning—just a proper fight.
And the best part is when Lundgren tosses a grenade at the woman and Claude stands up all bloody (weaker without the injection, but fueled by pure rage) and lands 2 or 3 absolute master strikes on him.🙏
When you nail a scene like that, it's worth a thousand times more than some mindless trash movie.
Can't wait to blast that scene on my home theater right after the neighbors start banging on my door.🤣

There are actually two Final Fights... one with Dolph and one with this other guy. The movie isn't quite on the level of the original, but it's miles better than the sequel... though the fight with Dolph wasn't quite as iconic as the first one. It’s mostly just a difference in style. The first film had more flair, fancy shots, and stylized moves... here, none of that. Everything is just more brutal, bloodier, and faster. I won't say it's more realistic, but the style feels more documentary-like... no flashy moves or high kicks, just people hitting each other as hard as they can without mercy.
As for quality... shouldn't be an issue since the Blu-ray Rip is already out.👍

Nice... sounds like I just need to grab the Blu-ray Rip, some popcorn, and a cold beer to settle into the recliner.👍

I’m not expecting anything higher than a mediocre score since there's really no way it could go up—but hey, maybe a sequel can actually pull it together!
Claude's recent stuff like "In Hell" and "JCVD" were actually pretty decent...🙏

Has anyone seen "The Eagle Path"? I'm not sure if it's even finished being made yet... feels a bit incomplete.

Larry Harris8 said:Nice... basically grab a rip, some popcorn, a beer, and kick back in my recliner.👍

I’m not expecting much more than a decent first installment because there's zero chance of anything better, but I've got my hopes up for the sequel!
Looking back at Claude's recent stuff, "in Hell" and "JCVD" were actually pretty solid."In Hell" and "JCVD" 🙏

Not sure if anyone's seen "The Eagle Path"—feels like they might still be finishing it up?

I'd also throw "Wake of Death" into the mix... it's a great action flick that reminds me of his older stuff like "Hard Target" or "Double Impact." The plot isn't groundbreaking, but the directing is tight, and it features some brutal scenes that even Quentin Tarantino would respect—like that scene where a guy gets tortured with a drill.
Check that one out if you haven't yet.👍

"The Eagle Path" should be hitting Cannes this year... we'll see though.

I watched Wake of Death a while back... it was a decent little flick.

Watched the third Universal Soldier today. It’s better—feels more grounded. I got the biggest laugh out of Dolph Lundgren's performance... poor guy gets woken up and he's just stuck there in this internal dilemma, trying to remember what he was supposed to ask Jean-Claude Van Damme, and just when he finally remembers, he gets shot.🤣

I wonder if this is actually happening!!? If it is... they're gonna kill off Dolph for the third time lol😁🤣

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/12/...undgren-in-3d/
http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/cann...n-damme-in-3d/

All they're missing now is Michael Dudikoff.☕

Anthony Smith3 said:I wonder if this is actually true!!? If it is... they'll probably have Dolph killed off for a third time hahaha😁 🤣

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/12/...undgren-in-3d/
http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/cann...n-damme-in-3d/

WTF? Is this some kind of joke, or is someone actually negotiating this over there?☕

Actually, nobody has released a real 3D D Fight yet—it would be great to see that quartet unleash some serious mayhem while JC is still in fighting shape following "The Tower"...🙏

Dolph just seems to love being part of these lethal beatdowns...🤣

Anthony Smith3 said:I wonder if this is actually true!!? If it is... they're gonna kill Dolph for the third time hahaha😁 🤣

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/12/...undgren-in-3d/
http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/cann...n-damme-in-3d/

You mean the fourth time 🤣

Poor Dolph.. he just takes beatings after beatings 😁

Has Dolph been doing much acting lately?...

Larry Harris8 said:wtf? Is this a joke or is someone actually negotiating this over there?☕

Honestly, nobody’s dropped a real 3D Fight Club yet, so it’d be cool to pack that fourth one with action while JC Penney is still cooling off after "The Towering Inferno"🙏

poor Dolph probably just lives for getting beat up🤣

Assume it's just pre-selling... basically, the producer will try to hawk the concept at this year's Cannes... if the numbers look good, they'll likely hit up JC Penney and Dolph with an offer to jump back in for another one...
Vidit ćemo kaj će biti nakon Cannesa...

briskbison41 said:You mean for the fourth time?🤣

poor Dolph.. he just takes beatings all day😁

Nope... third time. He was in the first one... then the third... and now maybe the third time in the fourth film☕ 😁 😁

Andrew Sanchez3 said:Is Dolph even acting much lately?

Yup... everything is in 16! And he isn't just acting... he's directing too. His recent director/actor project was "Icarus"... and he'll be in "The Expendables" soon...