Universal Soldier (1992)

Director:

Roland Emmerich

Writers (WGA):

Richard Rothstein (written by) &
Christopher Leitch (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 July 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The ultimate weapons of the future have just declared war... on each other.

Plot:

Luc and Scott were killed in Vietnam, but the army has a secret project for reanimating dead people as near-perfect soldiers.

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Flashback | Chase | Top Secret | Army

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Luc Deveraux / GR44
Dolph Lundgren	...	Andrew Scott / GR13
Ally Walker	...	Veronica Roberts
Ed O'Ross	...	Colonel Perry
Jerry Orbach	...	Dr. Christopher Gregor
Leon Rippy	...	Woodward
Tico Wells	...	Garth
Ralf Moeller	...	GR76 (as Ralph Moeller)
Robert Trebor	...	Motel Owner
Gene Davis	...	Lieutenant
Drew Snyder	...	Charles
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	GR55
Simon Rhee	...	GR61
Eric Norris	...	GR86
Michael Winther	...	Technician
Joseph Malone	...	Huey Taylor
Rance Howard	...	John Devreux
Lilyan Chauvin	...	Mrs. John Devreux
Monty Laird	...	Attendant
Joanne Baron	...	Brenda the Waitress
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Gregor's Maid
Jack Moore	...	Witzy
John Storey	...	Clark
Bradford Bancroft	...	Powell
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	Wagner
Trini Tran	...	Vietnamese Girl
Tai Thai	...	Vietnamese Boy
Rachel Wagner	...	Girl in Motel
Brandon Lambdin	...	Boy in Motel
Ned Bellamy	...	FBI Agent
Paul Raczkowski	...	Briefing Officer
Daniel Demorest	...	Radio Operator
Tanner Gill	...	Masked Gunman
Eddie Braun	...	Sniper
Walter Robles	...	Sniper
Jophery C. Brown	...	Thug
Donna Hardy	...	Old Woman
Leon Delaney	...	Patrolman
George Fisher	...	Patrolman
David Efron	...	Trucker
Myron L. Lapka	...	Trucker
David DiGregorio	...	Trucker
Rhino Michaels	...	Trucker
R.D. Carpenter	...	Policeman
Duane Davis	...	Vietnam Army Officer
Shane Dixon	...	Policeman
Joel Kramer	...	Policeman
Rodd Wolff	...	Policeman
Leilani Jones	...	Reporter at Hoover Dam
Mike Rauseo	...	Reporter at Hoover Dam
Stephen Wolfe Smith	...	Reporter at Hoover Dam
Tom Taglang	...	Soldier
Michael Jai White	...	Soldier
John Anthony D'Angelo	...	Sharpshooter
Roger B. Ellsworth	...	Sharpshooter
Matt Thomas	...	Sharpshooter
Mirron E. Willis	...	Sharpshooter
Al Wyatt Jr.	...	Local (as Alan Wyatt Jr.)
Allan Graf	...	Hank the Cook
Kamel Krifa	...	H.T.
John DeMita	...	TV News Crew
Jill Jaress	...	TV News Crew
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Burnett	...	Dead Soldier #1 (uncredited)
Floyd Goodat	...	Guppy Commander (uncredited)
Mark Hanson	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Kristopher Van Varenberg	...	Young Luc Deveraux (uncredited)

Directed by
Roland Emmerich

Writing credits (WGA)
Richard Rothstein		(written by) &
Christopher Leitch		(written by) and
Dean Devlin		(written by)

Produced by
Craig Baumgarten	....	producer
Oliver Eberle	....	co-producer
Donald Heitzer	....	associate producer
Mario Kassar	....	executive producer
Joel B. Michaels	....	producer
Allen Shapiro	....	producer

Original Music by
Christopher Franke

Cinematography by
Karl Walter Lindenlaub		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael J. Duthie

Casting by
Annette Benson
Penny Perry

Production Design by
Holger Gross

Art Direction by
Nelson Coates

Set Decoration by
Alexander Carle		(as Alexander L. Carle)

Costume Design by
Joseph A. Porro		(as Joseph Porro)

Makeup Department
Janice Alexander	....	key hair stylist
Jack Bricker	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Michael Burnett	....	special makeup effects artist
Diana Carbajal	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
N. Kristine Chadwick	....	makeup artist
Jackie Dobbie	....	hair stylist: second unit (as Jacqueline Nealy)
Jackie Dobbie	....	makeup artist: second unit (as Jacqueline Nealy)
Zoltan Elek	....	key makeup artist
Jake Garber	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Larry Hamlin	....	special makeup effects artist (as Larry R. Hamlin)
Grady Holder	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Carol Jones	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Andrew Kenworthy	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Sharon McCollister	....	assistant makeup artist
Shari Perry	....	hair stylist (as Sharon Tully)
Greg Polutanovich	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Wendy Polutanovich	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett
Timothy Ralston	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett (as Tim Ralston)
Donna Richards	....	hair stylist
Greg Smith	....	makeup effects crew: Larry R. Hamlin and Michael Burnett

Production Management
Donald Heitzer	....	unit production manager
Michael R. Sloan	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vic Armstrong	....	second unit director
Robert Leveen	....	second assistant director
Steve Love	....	first assistant director
Thomas Schellenberg	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Thomas K. Schellenberg)
Michael Viglietta	....	second second assistant director
John R. Woodward	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Steven Atwood	....	carpenter
Honny Azoulay	....	construction support staff
Michael Barry	....	assistant property master
Tighe Barry	....	property master (as Tiger Barry)
Victor Bazaz	....	set dresser
Martin Bernloehr	....	construction support staff
Frank Bollinger	....	construction coordinator
Scott Booth	....	key dresser (as Scott Douglas Booth)
Rich Brose	....	stand-by carpenter (as Richard Brose)
Lloyd Brown	....	property (as Loyd Brown)
George Clark	....	property (as George D. Clark III)
Wayne Daddio	....	scenic artist
Michael Eschger	....	construction coordinator
Robert Ferrelli	....	set dresser (as Robert J. Ferrelli)
Elizabeth Frank	....	set dresser
Robert 'Rock' Galotti	....	property
Andreas Giannopoulos	....	construction support staff
Sam Huston	....	set dresser (as Sam F. Huston Jr.)
Lance Johnson	....	on-set dresser
Stella Juzefczyk Kornbacher	....	lead scenic artist (as Stella R. Kornbacher)
Heinz Legler	....	construction supervisor
Bill Luckey	....	construction coordinator (as William R. Luckey)
John Marsella	....	carpenter (as John Marsalla)
John T. Melick	....	set dresser
Michael Messina	....	carpenter (as Mike Messina)
Jon P. Mooers	....	stand-by scenic artist
Katie O'Brien	....	construction support staff
Susan F. O'Conor	....	scenic artist (as Sue O'Conor)
Aaron Osborne	....	leadman
Stephen Reece	....	carpenter
Peter Mitchell Rubin	....	storyboard artist (as Peter Mitchel)
Oliver Scholl	....	conceptual artist
Wayne Stone	....	scenic artist
Craig W. Stout	....	stand-by carpenter
Missy Vivenzio	....	scenic artist
Brett Wert	....	scenic artist
Dan Whifler	....	carpenter (as Dan Wifler)
Doug Wright	....	farmhouse construction coordinator
Sylvain Despretz	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
John Eaves	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Brian Hanish	....	set electronics (uncredited)
Curt La Furney	....	set electronics (uncredited)
Brannon Wright	....	specialty props (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Appleby	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Brandau	....	sound mixer: second unit
Tom Caton	....	boom operator (as Thomas P. Caton)
David Chornow	....	sound mixer
Clayton Collins	....	sound editor
Jeff Courtie	....	adr mixer
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
John P. Fasal	....	sound effects designer (as John Paul Fasal)
Sandy Gendler	....	supervising sound editor
Joe Gillis	....	sound editor
Elma Glutz	....	adr editor
James A. Gore	....	foley assistant
Jack Heeren	....	foley recordist
Bradford L. Hohle	....	stereo consultant: Dolby
Ken J. Johnson	....	sound effects recordist
Kris Kristensen	....	assistant sound editor
Val Kuklowsky	....	supervising sound editor
Tony Llama	....	assistant sound editor
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Start Mark	....	assistant sound editor
Rudi Panke	....	assistant sound engineer
Sue Robertson	....	foley editor
Richard E. Roth	....	sound engineer
Bill Van Daalen	....	sound editor
Toots Van Garfield	....	assistant sound editor
Robert S. Warren	....	stereo consultant: Dolby
Don White	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lisa Varetakis	....	sound editor (TV version) (uncredited)

Special Effects by
David Amborn	....	special effects: second unit
Vincent Creighton	....	special effects crew (as Vince Creighton)
Yves De Bono	....	special effects foreman (as Yves DeBono)
Chuck Hessey	....	special effects: second unit (as Charles W. Hessey)
Albert C. Jackson	....	special effects crew
Alan M. Lessing	....	special effects crew
John Marshall	....	special effects crew
Alex Perkins	....	special effects crew
Mike Riedel	....	special effects crew
Larry Roberts	....	special effects foreman
Kit West	....	special effects designer
Kit West	....	special effects supervisor
Trevor Wood	....	special effects foreman (as Trevor John Wood)

Visual Effects by
Steve Bress	....	technical effects
Volker Engel	....	model unit
Will Fowler	....	technical effects
Wolfgang Hart	....	model unit
Torsten Kuhn	....	model unit
James G. Anka	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Andy Armstrong	....	stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt coordinator
Gary Baxley	....	stunts
Richard E. Butler	....	stunts (as Richard Butler)
Jack Carpenter	....	stunts
Clarke Coleman	....	stunts
BJ Davis	....	stunts (as B.J. Davis)
Vince Deadrick Jr.	....	stunts (as Vincent P. Deadrick)
Rick Deming	....	stunts
Donna Evans	....	stunt double: Ms. Walker
Dana Dru Evenson	....	stunts
Steve Geray	....	stunts
Voyo Goric	....	stunts
Jeff Jensen	....	stunt double: Mr. Lundgren
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts
Kevin LaRosa	....	stunts
Stuart Liebeskind	....	stunts
Billy D. Lucas	....	stunts
Peter Malota	....	stunts
Denver Mattson	....	stunts
'Wild' Bill Mock	....	stunt sound effects driver
Bob Orrison	....	stunts (as Robert Orrison)
Diane Peterson	....	stunts
Pee Wee Piemonte	....	stunts (as Richard Piemonte)
Jon Conrad Pochron	....	stunts
Bill M. Ryusaki	....	stunts
Mark Stefanich	....	stunt double: Mr. Van Damme
Steve Vandeman	....	stunts
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts (as Michael Vendrell)
Ric Roman Waugh	....	stunts
Gerard G. Williams	....	stunts (as Gerard Williams)
Raliegh Wilson	....	stunts
Bob Orrison	....	stunt driving double: Dolph Lundgren (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Aron Auspitz	....	video playback: second unit
Ric Banville	....	grip
Danny Brazen	....	grip (as Dan Brazen)
Michael Brown	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bill L. Burwell	....	electrician (as Bill Burwell)
Richard M. Butkus Jr.	....	electrician
Gary L. Camp	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Dennis Carstens	....	electrician
John Connell	....	gyrosphere assistant camera (as John A. Connell)
Thomas F. Cooney	....	electrician
Don Corl	....	grip (as Donald Robert Corl)
Loren Corl	....	key grip
Maurizio Dotto	....	camera preparation: second unit (as Maurizio M. Dotto)
T.S. Fisher	....	camera loader
Robert Forrest	....	dolly grip
Stephen M. Foss	....	grip
Alan Frazier	....	electrician
Steven Frohardt	....	grip
Austin Goss	....	chief lighting technician
Chris Haarhoff	....	steadicam operator
Neil Holcomb	....	best boy electric (as Larry Neil Holcomb)
Frank M. Holgate	....	aerial tyler mount operator (as Frank Holgate)
Steve Holgate	....	aerial first assistant camera (as Steven McNeal Holgate)
Robert Holland	....	video playback
Emi Marie Ishikawa	....	grip
Michael Kelem	....	gyrosphere camera operator
Peter Krause	....	camera operator
Peter McAdams	....	grip (as Pete McAdams)
John McDermott	....	electrician
Karl Owens	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Heather Page	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Jim Riley	....	grip (as James Riley)
Brian Robertson	....	best boy grip
Stefanie Rosen	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Gary D. Scott	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera (as Gary Scott)
Mark Silverstein	....	electrician
Shawn Stone	....	grip
Henry Tirl	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Daniel L. Turrett	....	director of photography: second unit
Jürgen Vollmer	....	still photographer (as Jurgen Vollmer)
Scott Webb	....	electrician
Troy Webb	....	electrician (as Troy D. Webb)
Gregory Wong	....	grip
Stephen Spurrell	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Megan Day	....	casting assistant
Mai Gray	....	extras casting
Christian Kaplan	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elaine Balboni	....	costumer
Judy Bowerman	....	costume construction
Anita Louise Brown	....	additional costumes (as Anita Brown)
Maria Cittadini	....	assistant costumer (as Maria Cittidini)
Theda DeRamus	....	assistant costume designer
Carol Dobrovolny	....	costume construction
Renee Dorion-Foley	....	costume construction supervisor
Donn Hook	....	additional costumes supervisor
Laureen Jacques	....	set costumer
Deadre Koransky	....	costume construction
Grant Krajecki	....	costume construction
Janet Oliva	....	costume construction
Yolan Pinter	....	additional costumes
Yolan Pinter	....	costume construction
Stacy Seeds	....	additional costumes
Deanne Smith	....	costumer
Suzanne Villemarette	....	additional costumes (as Susanne Villemarette)
Victoria Wendell	....	costumer
Christi Work	....	wardrobe mistress (as Christi K. Work)

Editorial Department
Noori Dehnahi	....	post-production coordinator
Nicolas De Toth	....	assistant editor
Peter S. Elliot	....	additional editor
Mark Goldblatt	....	editorial consultant
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer (as Dale Grahn)
Kim Nakakura	....	assistant editor (as Kimberly Nakakura)

Music Department
Robin Glenn	....	music supervisor
Brynmor Llewelyn Jones	....	music conductor (as Brynmor Jones)
Lisa Kauppi	....	music editor
Edgar Rothermich	....	music producer
Edgar Rothermich	....	music recordist
Richard E. Roth	....	music producer
Harry Shannon	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Norma Allard	....	driver
Art Bauer	....	transportation captain (as Arthur O. Bauer)
Jon Carpenter	....	transportation co-captain (as Jon Jay Carpenter)
Lynn Carpenter	....	driver
Ralph D. Carpenter	....	driver
Joseph D. Crocker	....	driver
Sean Dugen	....	driver (as Sean Dugan)
Shane Greedy	....	production driver
Gerald Harvey	....	driver
Clarence Holter	....	driver
Birdie Johnston	....	driver
Morgan Jones	....	driver (as Morgan S. Jones)
Eugene Kaytz	....	driver (as Eugene H. Kautz)
Matt Kutcher	....	mechanic
Monty Laird	....	driver
Darryll Legendre	....	driver
John Ornstein	....	transportation coordinator (as John P. Ornstein)
Jeff Purpus	....	driver (as Jeffrey Purpus)
Daniel Rothstein	....	driver
Ann Schott	....	transportation office manager
Bruce Edward Smith	....	mechanic
John Snow	....	driver
Jim Sullivan	....	driver (as Jim G. Sullivan)
Jon White	....	driver

Other crew
Frans J. Afman	....	financial services
Elena Azuola	....	production accountant
Wenden K. Baldwin	....	title design and coordination
Kim Balser	....	assistant: Mr. Kassar
Monica Bielawski	....	assistant accountant
Julie Bourne	....	production executive: IndieProd
Dea Cantu	....	script supervisor: second unit (as Dea E. Hickox)
Scott K. Coder	....	craft service: second unit (as Scott Coder)
Candace Cornell	....	assistant: Mr. Michaels
Jeff Crawford	....	key set production assistant
Carol Dobson	....	assistant: Mr. Devlin
Ute Emmerich	....	production executive: Centropolis Film Productions
Kenneth E. Fix	....	location manager
Guiliano Gallo	....	caterer
Steve Geray	....	helicopter co-pilot: Vietnam/Hoover Dam
Floyd Goodat	....	pilot: The Guppy Commander
Albert Hansen	....	helicopter ground supporter
Lynnette Herrel	....	assistant: Mr. Shapiro
Robbie Hollins	....	pilot: Kingman Airfield/Hoover Dam/Sikorski
Gregory Jacobs	....	office production assistant
Jeanne Joe	....	production coordinator
Mario Kassar	....	presenter
Mark David Katchur	....	assistant production coordinator: Arizona
Brandon Lambdin	....	set production assistant
Kevin LaRosa	....	aerial coordinator
Kevin LaRosa	....	helicopter pilot: Vietnam/Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam
Rosamaria Marquez	....	assistant production coordinator: Los Angeles
Mitchell C. Mays	....	office production assistant
Stacey L. McCormick	....	projectionist
Sally S. McDaniels	....	production secretary
Seth Jerome McKenzie	....	assistant accountant (as Seth Jerome McKenzie Mona)
Mike McNally	....	first aid
Richard G. Murphy	....	assistant: Mr. Van Damme
Steve Newman	....	unit publicist
Karen O'Toole	....	production assistant: second unit
Cherry Parnell	....	post-production accountant
Michelle Patterson	....	craft service (as Michelle C. Patterson)
Joseph Poma	....	personal trainer: Mr. Lundgren
Laurie Reese	....	assistant: Mr. Baumgarten
Sergio Rodriguez	....	assistant production accountant
Marc Roskin	....	production assistant
Linda Seger	....	project consultant
Jim Sgrignoli	....	office production assistant
Doug Shetlar	....	craft service
Eric G. Smith	....	office courier
Greg Smith	....	production assistant (as Greg T. Smith)
Mark Snyder	....	caterer
Kay Sweeney	....	script supervisor
Mikela Walter	....	assistant: Mr. Lundgren
Lars P. Winther	....	set production assistant (as Lars Winther)
Peter Winther	....	assistant: Mr. Emmerich
John Achorn	....	adr voice group (uncredited)
Michael Barnes	....	legal attorney (uncredited)
Robert 'Rock' Galotti	....	weapons specialist (uncredited)
Bryan Hanna	....	stand-in: Jean-Claude Van Damme (uncredited)
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator (uncredited)
Dave Tommasini	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Studio Canal
• Carolco Pictures
• IndieProd Company Productions
• Centropolis Film Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Film (1992) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Guild Film Distribution (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Interama (1992) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Mandviwalla Entertainment (199?) (Pakistan) (theatrical)
• Penta Distribuzione (1993) (Italy) (theatrical)
• TriStar Pictures (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (Argentina)
• Columbia TriStar Films (France)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (Spain)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• Maple Pictures (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Toho-Towa (Japan)

Other Companies

• Adelson-Baumgarten Productions  thanks
• Albert G. Ruben and Company  production insurance
• Arizona Film Commission  thanks
• CBS News Archives  interview: Richard Nixon (as CBS News Film and Tape Archives)
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals (as Cinema Research Corporation)
• Compaq  thanks (as Compaq Computer Corporation)
• Costume Collection  additional costumes
• Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce  thanks
• Deluxe Post-Production  post-production facilities
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  international publicity
• Eastman Print Film  prints
• Film Finance  completion bond services provided by
• Film House  sound re-recorded at
• Fish Films Footage World  Vietnam War footage (as Fish Films)
• Galco International  thanks
• Hoover Dam, Boulder City, NV, The  thanks
• Hualapai Tribe  special thanks
• Kredietbank Luxembourg  banking services
• Miracle Shop, The  costume construction
• Modul  set construction and unisol truck
• Mojave Country Airport Authority  thanks
• Panasonic  thanks
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Precision Film Cutting  negative cutting
• Prescott Chamber of Commerce  thanks
• Sonic Images  music recorded at (as Sonic Images Studios)
• Technicolor  color
• Technicolor  prints
• The Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra  music performed by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack
• Veterans Administration Hospital  thanks
• Waveframe  thanks

Also Known As:

Crystal Knights (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

103 min | Germany:84 min (TV version) (heavily cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

CDS (digital 35 mm prints) | Dolby SR (analog 35 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Germany:16 (heavily cut) | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Ashfork, Arizona, USA

Company:

Studio Canal

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Roland Emmerich] [44]Luc Deveraux's codename in the UNISOL program is GR44.

Goofs:

Continuity: Luc decoys the soldiers with the wooden "gas station attendant" mascot. But when the truck pulls up, the mascot is still standing where it was when we first saw it. As the UniSols approach, it isn't there any more.

Quotes:

Scott: You're dead soldier...
Luc: No... I'm alive.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "So Graham Norton: (#5.7)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

It's Almost Time To Put The Bottle Down

Excellent Action Fluff

Universal Soldier might be dumb and derivative but I couldn't care less, it is also one of the most entertaining action films to be released in the 1990s and provided signature roles for two of my favourite trash icons, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The film also serves as a testament to the last good movie made by Roland Emmerich before selling his soul to the Hollywood machine.

This film has long been a favourite with genre fans. Universal Soldier was a theatrical box office hit but really developed its cult following on video. I watch this film every couple of years and I'm always struck by the quality of the writing, directing and yes, even the acting. This is simply a well crafted movie and an excellent example of a film that is so much more than the sum of its admittedly tawdry parts.

Universal Soldier owes a hell of a lot to "The Terminator". It lifts a whole raft of ideas from Cameron's action classic, including the basic concept of a good guy with superhuman strength protecting a woman from a bad guy with superhuman strength. Actually, it even borrows minor details like the eye-cam, the nude walk and an act of self-mutilation. Nevertheless, the film never feels like a blatant rip off. Roland Emmerich, while never a particularly original mind, injects sufficient change and innovation into the film to ensure it has a distinct energy of its own.

The film recycles old ideas with great skill due to the excellent screenplay. The action comes thick and fast, and the dialogue is first rate for an action film. Furthermore, it provides several memorable characters and successfully introduces an element of black humour without detracting from the action. No matter how well written it is, an action film is only as good its action sequences and Mr Emmerich does not disappoint. The film contains several fantastic set pieces, from the grandeur of the hostage rescue to the phenomenal truck chase through the desert, which even manages to find time for a mid-chase game of "catch" with live grenades and a string of memorably corny one-liners. Emmerich is in his element, filming explosions and stunts from every imaginable angle. Universal Soldier is also far gorier than his later films and is all the better for it.

The film would not be half as enjoyable without its leading men. Jean-Claude and Dolph both give great performances. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Jean-Claude was at his physical peak and excels during the action scenes. He performs several signature flying kicks in a great fight with Dolph, which is mercifully filmed in a long shot - I wish the John Woo wannabes from the "cut and paste" school of directing who directed Jean-Claude's later films had taken note. Dolph is great fun as the villain, making crazy eyes for all he is worth and relishing every trashy one-liner. They both are more than adequate in their non-action scenes, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that they are essentially playing refined zombies who walk around naked a lot. The supporting cast is also great. Ally Walker showed a lot of promise as the female lead and has gone on to have a good career in television. Jerry Orbach and Tico Wells, also TV regulars, give memorable performances in minor roles.

Universal Soldier is relentless, the film starts with a bang and never lets up. It might be trashy, but it is never less than completely entertaining. In my opinion, this is one of the seminal action films of the 90s. The sequels, however, are only recommended for experienced crap connoisseurs.