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Soldier, 1998
Set in the future, a group of soldiers are raised from babies to be the ultimate obedient killing machines. Todd (Kurt Russell) is the best of the best of these soldiers, but when a military leader (Jason Isaacs) introduces a new generation of super-soldiers, Todd finds himself discarded like trash on a random planet. Taken in by a band of outcasts and cared for by a couple, Mace and Sandra (Sean Pertwee and Connie Nielsen), Todd must figure out his place.
Listen, we've all seen this story a million times. A robotic, emotionless killer/soldier must learn to *tilts head to the side* . . . love?
It's all incredibly by the numbers. Todd silently takes in the affection between MAce and Sandra, and their child. He feels stirrings as he watches Sandra (in unsubtle close-ups) hang washing on a line. Gears turn in his head as locals give him a scarf as a thank you present. He gets triggered into PTSD as the locals yell and whirl at a dance. When the time comes, he shows off his strength and skills to a mixture of fear and awe.
But, I don't know, this film has a lot of people I'm happy to watch. Russell does a good job in the lead role, which doesn't ask a whole lot from him, but his chemistry with Pertwee, Nielsen, and Taylor Thorne (who plays the young child) is solid. Isaacs is suitably smarmy as the leader of the new soldiers.
What is kind of a let down is the action sequence in the final act, as the new soldiers come to kill the villagers. The action is just kind of a mess, and I had a bit of trouble fallowing what was happening. It was just a garble of darkly lit explosions and leaping bodies.
Very passable action elevated by a good cast. If I needed to put something on in the background while I vacuumed or something I could see rewatching this.
Soldier, 1998
Set in the future, a group of soldiers are raised from babies to be the ultimate obedient killing machines. Todd (Kurt Russell) is the best of the best of these soldiers, but when a military leader (Jason Isaacs) introduces a new generation of super-soldiers, Todd finds himself discarded like trash on a random planet. Taken in by a band of outcasts and cared for by a couple, Mace and Sandra (Sean Pertwee and Connie Nielsen), Todd must figure out his place.
Listen, we've all seen this story a million times. A robotic, emotionless killer/soldier must learn to *tilts head to the side* . . . love?
It's all incredibly by the numbers. Todd silently takes in the affection between MAce and Sandra, and their child. He feels stirrings as he watches Sandra (in unsubtle close-ups) hang washing on a line. Gears turn in his head as locals give him a scarf as a thank you present. He gets triggered into PTSD as the locals yell and whirl at a dance. When the time comes, he shows off his strength and skills to a mixture of fear and awe.
But, I don't know, this film has a lot of people I'm happy to watch. Russell does a good job in the lead role, which doesn't ask a whole lot from him, but his chemistry with Pertwee, Nielsen, and Taylor Thorne (who plays the young child) is solid. Isaacs is suitably smarmy as the leader of the new soldiers.
What is kind of a let down is the action sequence in the final act, as the new soldiers come to kill the villagers. The action is just kind of a mess, and I had a bit of trouble fallowing what was happening. It was just a garble of darkly lit explosions and leaping bodies.
Very passable action elevated by a good cast. If I needed to put something on in the background while I vacuumed or something I could see rewatching this.