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Universal Soldier - The Return (1999)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 2.8/10
Reviews Counted: 52
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 49

This movie fails on almost every level from second rate action to bad acting and a formulaic story.

Average Rating: 3.6/10
Critic Reviews: 18
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 15

This movie fails on almost every level from second rate action to bad acting and a formulaic story.

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Average Rating: 2.4/5
User Ratings: 42,388

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Movie Info

Jean-Claude Van Damme returns as cybernetic warrior Luc Deveraux in this sequel to the 1992 action hit. After barely surviving his experiences as a part-human/part-robot Universal Soldier, Luc has opted to stay out of the front lines and work with a military project to refine and perfect the system. However, something goes wrong (as they so often do in films like this), and S.E.T.H. (Michael Jai White), the android supercomputer leading the new breed of soldiers, suddenly develops a murderous

Unrated, 1 hr. 23 min.

Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Mic Rodgers

Written By: Richard Rothstein, Dean Devlin

In Theaters: Dec 1, 1999 Wide

On DVD: Aug 28, 2001

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Universal Soldier - The Return Trailer & Photos

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Luc Deveraux
Michael Jai White
S.E.T.H.
Heidi Schanz
Erin
Xander Berkeley
Dylan Cotner
Justin Lazard
Capt. Blackburn
Kiana Tom
Maggie
Daniel von Bargen
General Radford
James Black
Sergeant Morrow
Karis Paige Bryant
Hilary
Bill Goldberg
Romeo
Kianna Tom

Critic Reviews for Universal Soldier - The Return

All Critics (52) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (52) | DVD (12)

An underwhelming follow-up to one of the career-stalled action star's better efforts.

June 17, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Joe Leydon

Variety

Top Critic

This SF action sequel must have been slapped together fast: live-action stunts created by uninspired editing lead up to computer-generated imagery that's just as lame.

March 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Van Damme's acting skills remains undetectable.

April 25, 2003 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail

| Comment

Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

A screenwriter's desperate imagination!

January 1, 2000 Comment

Tom Keogh

Film.com

Top Critic

Universal Soldier: The Return is a letdown!

January 1, 2000 Comment

Sean Means

Film.com

Top Critic

Despite all the pyrotechnics, I almost dozed off twice!

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews

| Comment

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

There are better action movies out there. Period.

June 7, 2009 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

| Comment

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Extras on the disc are in the form of three featurettes.

March 26, 2009 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Dave Robinson

Apollo Guide

Please, even if it means offsetting a planned schedule, do not see this movie. It could be the biggest mistake of your life. I should know: I made it.

March 10, 2007 Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org

| Comment

David Keyes

Cinemaphile.org

Filling out and greying at the temples, Van Damme is far from convincing, even in the tedious fight sequences.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Close your eyes and repeat after me: pro wrestlers must never ever EVER try to act.

January 9, 2003 Comment (1)

Rob Vaux

Flipside Movie Emporium

Hopefully this is the last we have seen of the Unisol series, but unfortunately the dearth of creativity in Hollywood, will allow it to live for another abysmal dumbing.

December 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Threat

| Comment

Tom Meek

Film Threat

The kindest thing I can say about the plot is that it's brief, lasting a little over eighty minutes.

April 16, 2002 Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

A disappointing entry to the sci-fi / action-movie canon.

March 5, 2002 Full Review Source: Sight and Sound

| Comment

Jamie Graham

Sight and Sound

I would suggest that you use this film solely as a form of torture.

February 14, 2001 Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review

| Comment

Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel

3BlackChicks Review

In addition to watching a thoroughly lousy movie, you'll lose an hour and a half of your life you might otherwise spend on considerably more pleasant endeavors, such as having your feet scraped by a podiatrist's scapel...

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

| Comment

James Sanford

Kalamazoo Gazette

Pow! Bam! Jab! Zap!

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews

| Comment

Susan Granger

rec.arts.movies.reviews

One generic set piece comes after another, ultimately blurring into one unmemorable whole by the end of the film.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com

| Comment

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Universal Soldier - The Return

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"Universal Soldier: The Return" isn't what you think it might be if you saw the original Universal Soldier movie that starred Van Damme. Jean-Claude Van Damme is not one of the universal soldiers in this movie, he's a human going up against many evil universal soldiers including wrestling star, Goldberg, and Seth

August 15, 2009