Soldier (1998/I)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Paul W.S. Anderson

Writer (WGA):

David Webb Peoples (written by)

Release Date:

23 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Left for dead on a remote planet for obsolete machines and people, a fallen hero has one last battle to fight

Plot:

After being defeated and left for dead by his genetically engineered replacements, Sergeant Todd must save a peaceful community from destruction by the same soldiers.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Sergeant | Colony | Futuristic | Survivor

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	Todd 3465
Jason Scott Lee	...	Caine 607
Jason Isaacs	...	Colonel Mekum
Connie Nielsen	...	Sandra
Sean Pertwee	...	Mace
Jared Thorne	...	Nathan
Taylor Thorne	...	Nathan
Mark Bringleson	...	Rubrick
Gary Busey	...	Church
K.K. Dodds	...	Sloan
James Black	...	Riley
Mark De Alessandro	...	Goines
Vladimir Orlov	...	Romero
Carsten Norgaard	...	Green
Duffy Gaver	...	Chelsey

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and brief language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1999) | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:MA (original rating) | Australia:M (cable rating) | Canada:14A | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 (video premiere) | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Freeze frame the 'Trinity Moons' data readout display in the closing scene and you will find several references to "The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy". The 'Top Archive Specifications' comes up with ZZ9.Plurl.ZA (the sector in which Earth is reported to be) which comes up in Zaphod mode. On the right under 'Search Results' you can see 'Slartibartfast' complete with an 'HHG' reference number.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Todd is rising from the water ready to shoot, it is clear from the ripples, lack of water falling from his body, and the fire in the background that the shot was played in reverse.

Quotes:

Sandra: How do you know they'll be back?
Todd: Because they're soldiers, Sir. Like me.
Sandra: Why are they doing this?
Todd: They're obeying orders, Sir. It's their duty.
Sandra: Do you know how many there will be?
Todd: Seventeen more, Sir.
Sandra: Oh my God, you can't fight seventeen more on your own, you have to organize us. We're not cowards, we'll do as you tell us, we'll fight.
Todd: No.
Sandra: Why not?
Todd: Soldiers deserve soldiers, Sir.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spartan (2004)

Soundtrack:

Night Ride Across The Caucasus

An action Sci-Fi movie with something more than one liners to say

I don't remember this film getting a cinema release over here. I only saw it when it came onto cable. The film deals with the dehumanisation of children into killing machines. Specifically one person, the way he gets replaced and dumped (literally) into an off-world community where he finds himself unable to cope with coming to terms with who he really is and what he feels.

Seems to me that a lot of people expected this to be Rambo in space, and would have been happy if it was.

I'm certainly happy it was'nt - Kurt does a fine job of portraying an emotional cripple. The scene where he's sitting outside the compound shows this, albeit the decision for two slow-mo replays detracts from the moment.

This is not a classic SF movie in the way that Bladerunner, Alien, Silent running, Logan's run or THX1138 were, however it is unfortunately the nearest I've seen to it in a long time.

He changes in the movie to a believable degree, he does'nt crack Arnie one liners, he does'nt become Snake Plissken and there is no definative happy ending.

That's why this film did'nt do well. It did'nt follow formula, and among a 18-25 year old target American audience, that's unforgivable as it was was'nt what they expected to see.

Fear and discipline.

Always.