Universal Soldier: The Return

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Universal Soldier: The Return

R

1999

1h 22m

Sci-Fi

Action

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Popcornmeter

5%

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59 Reviews

24%

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25,000+ Ratings

After being brought back from the dead as a genetically enhanced warrior, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is now fully human and working with scientist Dylan Cotner (Xander Berkeley) to create a new, safer breed of fighters. When Cotner's project loses its funding, his supercomputer, the sentient SETH (Michael Jai White), is scheduled to be turned off. Alarmed, SETH takes over a human body to defend itself. To prevent the machine from destroying mankind, Luc must fight back.

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Critics Consensus

Universal Soldier - The Return fails on almost every level, from its generic story to its second rate action and subpar performances.

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Ron Givens

New York Daily News

Jul 27, 2014

1/4

You, dear moviegoer, must not buy a ticket to this badly programed sequel. You must save the world from Universal Soldier III: How Bad Can It Get?

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Barbara Shulgasser

Chicago Tribune

Jun 7, 2013

1/4

If Universal Soldier: The Return isn't the dullest, most derivative, unimaginative, noisy, repetitive, mind-numbing and generally imbecilic movie of the year, it's not because director Mic Rodgers wasn't trying hard enough.

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Empire Magazine

Jun 7, 2013

1/5

Whereas Emmerich's original had enough personality and energy to provide solid (if stupid) entertainment, Rodgers seems content to merely cobble together a succession of blatantly lifted-and poorly executed-set-pieces

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Apr 28, 2026

2/10

At least there are a handful of impressive fire-based stunts and glass-breaking collisions.

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Jason Caro

Radio Times

Jul 27, 2014

1/5

Watching a bunch of dull characters hurtling through a plate glass window about 50 times is neither inventive nor exhilarating, proving perhaps that ex-stunt co-ordinators shouldn't be allowed a stab at feature film directing.

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Total Film

Jul 27, 2014

1/5

This is cynical, manipulative, idiotic film-making. It's hard to express how bad this film is.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 12, 2026

This is a terrible movie!

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Carlos T

@RT67858720 Jul 27, 2026

**⭐ NOTA: 6,5/10**

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 9, 2025

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom e as cenas de ação salvaram o filme.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Jun 30, 2024

It's no masterpiece and has an implausible premise - but Van Damme still packs a roundhouse kick in here and there to fight the evil computer man.

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Jun 13, 2022

Dreadful, no-budget sequel that at least had the decency to be so awful you can't help but be entertained.

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jelisije j

@jjosifovic Jan 30, 2022

As someone with no knowledge of the previous films, I would say this was an average action flick.

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Mic Rodgers

Director

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Luc Deveraux

Michael Jai White

S.E.T.H.

Heidi Schanz

Erin Young, KTXD

Xander Berkeley

Dr. Dylan Cotner

Justin Lazard

Captain Blackburn

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Synopsis

After being brought back from the dead as a genetically enhanced warrior, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is now fully human and working with scientist Dylan Cotner (Xander Berkeley) to create a new, safer breed of fighters. When Cotner's project loses its funding, his supercomputer, the sentient SETH (Michael Jai White), is scheduled to be turned off. Alarmed, SETH takes over a human body to defend itself. To prevent the machine from destroying mankind, Luc must fight back.

Director: Mic Rodgers
Producer: Craig Baumgarten, Allen Shapiro, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Screenwriter: Richard David Rothstein, Christopher Leitch, Dean Devlin, William Malone, John Fasano
Distributor: TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: IndieProd, TriStar Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 20, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.4M
Runtime: 1h 22m
Sound Mix: Surround

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