Soldier (BD) [Blu-ray]

Good 90s flick. Classic Kurt Russell.

BOTTOM LINE: Well worth your time & money, SOLDIER has brains to go with its brawn and Kurt Russell delivers in what was probably his most physically demanding role since "Escape From New York." An action-packed yet introspective sci-fi flick. 5 STARSTHE STORY (contains spoilers): In the future, soldiers are raised from birth to be living weapons, and their success rate is impressive. However, when a new & improved generation of test tube soldier is developed decades later, the current versions suddenly find themselves labeled "obsolete". When the best of these soldiers, (Kurt Russell), is pitted against a new test tube grunt, he is severely injured in the melee, believed to be dead. He is uncermoniously dumped onto a distant world that's literally a gigantic, planet-wide landfill. He soon discovers that the trash world is NOT barren. Years ago, a small transport ship developed engine trouble and crashed; damaged beyond repair, leaving crew & passengers with no way to escape ...or even signal for help. Forced to make the garbage planet their home, these people adapted over time, learning to live off the leftover refuse of others. Russell's soldier attempts to co-exist with them, unlearn much of what he was conditioned from birth to do and, ultimately, unravel the mystery of exactly what it is to be "regular" human being. But when the military sends their new warriors to the planet on a search & destroy training mission, the SOLDIER must take up arms once again and defend his newly adopted world & its inhabitants.THOUGHTS: On the surface this is sort of a futuristic version of SHANE, a genre-defining western that's iconic in its own right. It's a real shame that there wasn't better recognition for SOLDIER when it came out. I recall renting it on VHS tape many years ago. I saw SOLDIER on Bluray. I'd forgotten much of the plot but knew it had a ton of action and remembered it being a pretty good flick. Besides, it's got Kurt "Snake Plissken" Russel in the lead, so how can you go wrong? (Errr... Captain Ron not withstanding. LOL.) My wife & I both REALLY enjoyed this film.The movie is tailor-made for the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stallone or Van Damme, so I was originally surprised to see Kurt Russell in this kind of role, but he certainly nailed it. Man, he is a BEAST here! He must have done some crazy-intense training to get into such impressive physical shape. He was the physical equal of any other action star of that era, but unlike those other guys Russell had decades of acting experience under his belt. He effectively pulled off a very complex role with almost no dialogue; using facial expressions & body language to convey emotion. I doubt any of those other action heroes would have been anywhere near as good, but Kurt was perfect. There's a scene that takes place shortly after he's been cast out by the trash-picker community, (they are fearful of the threat he represents), which crystallizes why Russell is such an excellent but criminally under-rated actor. Hunkered down in a filthy drain pipe, his eyes well up and a single tear runs down his face. He wipes it off with and stares at it, with no clue as to what this water from his eyes is nor how or why it got there. A subtle yet brilliant insight into the mind of this soldier - and a telling clue that he is slowly transitioning into something more than just an unfeeling killing machine. There's some fairly deep thinking going on under the movie's surface if you take the time to look. But lest we forget, this is an action mivie, and the quiet, insightful moments are perfectly balanced by some gut-wrenching, bone-crunching combat sequences. SOLDIER truly has the best of both worlds. The technical aspects of the film are equally inspiring as well. The cinematography is gorgeous, with some really beautifully shot scenes featuring Kurt bathed in sharp light & shadow. And a special shout-out to the intricate, over-the-top production designs. The level of detail on the trash planet is incredible, and those way-cool, full scale/practical massive military "Crawler" assault vehicles look like real tech and present believable threats to the film's protagonists. Lastly, from a visual F/X standpoint, SOLDIER still impresses all these years later, with no glaringly bad or overly dated-looking CGI shots to belie the film's true age.THE BLU-RAY: The Blu-ray presentation for SOLDIER sports a solid transfer that looks terrific. Considering it was made in 1998 and had no restoration work done to it, the transfer is quite good. Unfortunately, the audio portion isn't so hot. The mix is very inconsistent; I was forced to turn the volume up to hear the soft dialogue, then dial it down to keep my eardrums from being blown out during the action sequences, but that's the only real gripe I have. If you've never seen this film, get it! Recommended!

Great movie, superb acting!

this is a 'good' sci-fi movie: if you like sci-fi action, there's lots of it in this movie; and of course, it's supported by one of the best action-heroes, Kurt Russell!

Nothing beats a good classic pizza and A movie

Thoroughly enjoy this movie.

This has been one of my most favorite of films. One could think of it as an illustration of Arthur Clark's "Superiority." There is action and just a touch of romance, making the story acceptable to a wide audience.

Love this movie. In my top five list. Kurt Russell in a very odd role. Yeas it’s action packed, science fiction, but one that’s not common with his movies. He does a great portrayal of the character, as he doesn’t speak much at all. Not that he can’t, it’s just not necessary for this futuristic role. I rented it, but after watching it again, I realize how much I really do like it and will buy it. Available on cd with 2 more of his movies, a great buy. Or on Prime Video to buy or rent. I’m not sure what I’ll choose. Sometimes my internet goes out, so the cd would be better, or maybe both, not really, but it is that good!!