Forget Redford and Newman or Gibson and Glover. Universal Soldier is THE titanic double billing of all time. Yeah, man. Van Damme and Lundgren. Both physically outstanding in stature and athletic ability...yet both equipped with the acting ability of a Giant Redwood that's been petrified for 500,000 years.
Van Damme comes off the best, showing off his charisma and screen presence in a (thankfully) low word count role. He's also demonstrates the ability to take the mick out of himself, as well as a strong understanding of comic timing, that has allowed him to succeed as a movie star all these years. It worked for Arnie and it does too for JCVD.
Then there's Dolph. Ah, Dolph. Screen presence he has but not much else. I like him in Masters of the Universe, Rocky 4 and this too, but the entertainment comes from his botched, over-confidant-yet-wooden delivery. The man's always been an acting disaster...but give him credit, it's always been fun watching him try.
As for the movie, it's cheesy, medium budgeted bullshit. Tons of action (the Hoover Dam sequence, the Service Station encounter and the big truck chase are fantastic), lots of gags, Ally Walkers long legs and husky voice...all sewn together by Roland Emmerich's capable direction. It's a really cool concept that still plays really well some 18 years later. Just remember to remove your brain upon pressing your DVD play button.
1 comment:
I haven't watched this for years. Yeah, Ally Walker. THAT was the name I was trying to remember. What happened to her?
Emmerich has a great eye and ear and nose for bullshit - he's made a hugely successful career out of it. He has that knack for taking a great concept and turning it in to extreme (yet usually enjoyable) bollocks. I say that he's never surpassed the great one-two of Stargate and ID4. The budgets may have gotten bigger along with the destruction but those two uber-cool and fun pulp sci fi tales remain his most creative and purely enjoyable efforts. And probably always will.
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