Leofwine_draca Paul Anderson's follow-up to EVENT HORIZON is another multi-million pound special effects space extravaganza, but it seems that the problems which faced EVENT HORIZON - namely that it was little more than a rehash of other, better movies - also faces this latest, violent movie. This time around the influences are even clearer, and yes, it's Rambo in space time, with a beefed-up Russell taking on a squad of superhuman soldiers and, predictably, winning. In one scene we see Russell applying camouflage paint to his face in a scene directly copied from Schwarzenegger's COMMANDO, while the nomadic colony brings to mind the MAD MAX trilogy, with even a touch of ALIEN 3 thrown in for good measure (the refuse planet being a giant scrapheap). At least SOLDIER tries to do something different this time around, but in the end we have yet another mindless film which substitutes plot for effects, and the plotting really is minimalist.The theme of an almost android-like person trying to discover humanity has been explored loads of times, and this time it's no different. Kurt Russell struggles to convey pathos in his role and very nearly succeeds, while he is no great actor he is adequate in a role which only gives him a few scant lines of dialogue, and, just like Christopher Lee found in THE MUMMY, it's pretty difficult to convey feelings using only your eyes, but Russell just about does it. If not entirely successful, it's still a entertainingly bad effort. Also, for a man nearing 50, he's in great shape.He is given able support by Jason Isaacs and Sean Pertwee, both returning from EVENT HORIZON, and Isaacs fits naturally into the old school type of leader who destroys anything in his path. Pertwee too is a long way from the kind of stuff his father was in, and both men cope well with their respective roles, even if they are quite small. Gary Busey also has a small role as a military man, and it's good to see him in a film again, even if he doesn't play the baddie this time (something of a rarity here folks). Jason Scott Lee, with a fake eyeball, visually plays the part of a heavy well, although he doesn't act (unless you count having a mean expression on your face as acting).Once the action starts, however, it soon all falls apart. Firstly, it's all predictably bigger and more expensive than we've seen before, with rockets flying around in every corner and debris being scattered. Men getting shot is always a boring death to me, especially when it's repeated loads of times. However there are a few enterprising deaths to be had, the best being, of course, the final showdown between Lee and Russell, wherein Lee is slashed with an iron girder, has his arm and then his neck broken. It's bloody and gruesome (although when the film shows a brief glimpse of a man's blown-off leg, you have to give it some respect for not dwelling on the moment, the impact of the glimpse working much more effectively when the viewer uses his/her imagination), so you immediately see why I liked it. In the end, though, SOLDIER is an insubstantial film, much like EVENT HORIZON was. It's an intriguing premise, to be sure, but one which is severely hampered by poor execution. So-so.

Giallo Fanatic I still enjoy this movie. Sure it is exaggerated and simplistic, sure it is just another "Rambo" set in the future and a far away planet instead of a forest or jungle. As a kid, I watched it mainly for the action and Kurt Russell. I thought Kurt Russell was mesmerizing as Todd and I could really relate to his character. Nowadays it is mostly for its theme and still Kurt Russell that I watch the movie. (I'll get deeper into the theme). There is lots of action, but on the more naivé and simplistic side. With a Rambo-like character that can take on a whole army without getting a scratch, standard stuff for your average action movie. But although with the simple premise and approach, I still feel interest in this movie. It is not a groundbreaking movie. It is not the most well made movie, but it doesn't take itself too seriously, which is good. With a subtle and convincing performance of Kurt Russell.Now to the real reason why I like this movie: the theme. The theme has been explored many times before but I still find it interesting in this movie. The theme is dehumanization, it has been explored better and deeper, like in Stanley Kubrick's 'Full Metal Jacket'. Also 'Full Metal Jacket' has a much more punching power than this movie. But in 'Soldier' it was quite touching with Todd's character development (Although I like Joker's character development better) and its exploration to its theme. Whilst in 'Full Metal Jacket', we get to see the consequences of dehumanization and its effects on mankind in the end, in 'Soldier' we head in the other direction where our main character begin to act more human and regain his humanity. Kind of like the other side of the coin. But I honestly prefer 'Full Metal Jacket', I feel it is more honest. But 'Soldier' is still an above average action movie even though it is quite simplistic. I honestly feel this movie is worth watching over and over again. Oh, also Kurt Russell doesn't spend half of his time on-screen spitting out cheesy one-liners like you would normally get in its genre, which I quite like.I give the movie 7/10

bent-mathiesen I am a fan of Kurt Russell as an actor. And I am a fan of Science Fiction.Unfortunate I am not really a fan of Science Fiction where people live in garbage in the future or where people are reduced to processions.Neither I am fan of violence without purpose.Trash/garbage, violence and brainwashing humans to nothing, to change them in any way the people in power like - that is just too much alike what the presents is about today pretty much all over the world.But I could live with that if just the acting was good.The first 10 min was just really bad acting - really a '1', and gave me nothing, it could have been much better in all ways. However, I forced myself to continue to watch, but it didn't really improve that much.A dumped brainwashed soldier who start a new life, then have to fight again, ....Not my kind of movie.

Robert Thompson (justbob1982) Version I saw: UK DVD releaseActors: 6/10Plot/script: 7/10Photography/visual style: 7/10Music/score: 6/10Overall: 6/10It is not widely known, but Soldier is actually a 'side-quel', set in the same world as Blade-Runner. It mentions a couple of details in passing which mark the connection. It is mainly notable, however, for being the follow-up of director Paul W.S. Anderson to the seminal Event Horizon.Anderson's career has become increasingly shaky, arguably deteriorating progressively from a high-water mark that was the eerie sci-fi horror film Event Horizon. Some of his output has veered dangerously close to outright B-movie fare.Soldier is, in some ways, a throwback to the 1980s, an era of bold, brash action movies with muscular male stars. It even has a couple of representatives of that period, in the form of star Kurt Russell and supporting player Gary Busey. They feed into a theme of old vs. new, mature vs. inexperienced, that I thought would be the entire backdrop to the story.It turns out that this was only a prelude. Russell's titular warrior loses heavily, and is cast out to survive in the wilderness, amongst poor scavengers. Here, it becomes clear that the skills and temperament that made him an excellent soldier, and indeed that were ruthlessly ground into him, are handicaps in any other context. This puts it in a field with the likes of All Quiet on the Western Front, Born on the Fourth of July, Full Metal Jacket, First Blood and right up to the much more recent American Sniper and Ender's Game. Admittedly, having said that, it is far from flattered by these comparisons, but it deserves some credit for tackling an issue, which is more than can be said for many of those dumb 80s actioners.Russell has always been a likable lead, and has only grown in experience. In Soldier, he needs every ounce of it, because his character is so laconic as to be practically mute. So much of his performance comes in the form of body language and facial expressions, constituting a hundred different gradations just of stoic determinedness and confusion/uncertainty. There's something... efficient about his performance that rather impressed me.Another thing that impressed me somewhat was the special effects. By today's standards, CGI from this period often looks very ropey. However, Anderson cleverly places these special effects shots in the background and doesn't draw attention to them, so that they enhance the far-future outer space setting without coming under excessive scrutiny.When it comes down to it, though, Soldier is first and foremost an action film. For all the other themes explored to a degree in the movie, by far the theme most explored is that of men fighting each other. But that certainly has its place, and has become Anderson's metier. I hear Pompeii is pleasingly daft and enjoyable, and if he is not going to go back to the tense, intense horror of Event Horizon, this will more than suffice.