Soldier (Retro Movie Review)

Review by Ken From Honolulu


Made in 1998
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Starring:
Kurt Russell as Sgt. Todd
Jason Scott Lee as Cain

Synopsis:
After being defeated and left for dead by his genetically engineered replacement, Sgt. for life Todd must save a peaceful community from destruction by the same soldiers.

Review:

This movie is an extremely violent film. There is no sex and no real cussing, but it is very bloody and very violent. So if that bothers you don’t bother.

This movie takes place in the distant future. Where the soldiers are soldiers for life. Where the children are raised to be soldiers. The children are taught not to have any emotion. The soldiers are shown in certain situations where they attack towns and villages. It shows them growing older as they go along.

This is great because it shows just because you are older doesn’t mean you are stupid. Because you are older and have more experience you are able to think things out in a more rational way.

Later Sgt. Todd is pitted against Cain in a contest of strength and fighting abilities because Cain is genetically engineered. Jason Scott Lee, who plays the role of Cain, is a very muscular man.

If you don’t like a lot of dialog in your films then this is the movie for you. I don’t think Kurt Russell has more than 10 lines in the whole film. His facial expressions are supposed to do most of the acting for him, and they do to a point. Mostly he just has this blank scowl on his face.

There are several parts in the movie you really have to suspend disbelief. Of course this is a sci-fi movie taking place in outer space. After he is defeated by Cain, Todd is left for dead and dumped into an interplanetary garbage truck. Why would they pressurize the garbage area?

There are a couple of screw ups in the film also. At one point he is fighting the bad soldiers and he comes up out of the water shooting. If you watch the flames behind him you will see they are going down, not up. (The sequence was filmed in reverse.)

All in all it is a good film. It is well filmed and well acted. This is when Kurt Russell was doing his "older tough guy" stuff.

Quality: 8.1/10

Relevance: 8.3/10