Soldier is vastly underrated. It's actually a great movie. I think it may be misunderstood because it is more like an old Western than a modern dystopian SF tale. It conveys the idea that genetically bred soldiers of the future still have something human in them, which can be awakened by the love of community. It certainly portrays the military industrial complex as evil and seeks to inject a sense of humanity into what it means to be a soldier. It could be seen as a morality tale in support of today's soldiers who are increasingly expected to act like robots in hi-tech wars. It juxtaposes the utopian self-supporting family community with the dehumanizing corporate-military machine -- which is unfortunately what many future conflicts may look like. As in a Western of old, the hero is the underdog fighting for the community against overwhelming odds. A one man Seven Samurai. I found it quite moving. The acting, story, sets, music -- all masterful. It's a mystery to me why it did poorly in the boxoffice. I hope Soldier 2 is made with the same cast set 20 years later!

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.

Soldier (1998):Dir: Paul Anderson / Cast: Kurt Russell, Jason Scott Lee, Connie Nielsen, Gary Busey, Jason Isaacs: An ugly and repulsive bag of garbage that gives new meaning to the word "cheap." It contains perhaps the worst production all year. I have seen McDonalds commercials that contained better production effects that what is seen here. Title suggests one being born into an uncontrollable environment, such as someone being forced to watch this film. Kurt Russell is trained from birth to become a mindless fighter and comes to realize that fighting is all he knows once he is placed in a camp with peaceful civilians. He doesn't fit in but realizes that other soldiers are set to attack. So we are given endless gory scenes of Russell in combat including a scene where he plunges his fingers in an opponents eye sockets. Story is unrealistic, predictable and totally dense. Director Paul Anderson should not be proud of this or his efforts involved. Russell's dialogue consists of words like, "Duh." Jason Scott Lee makes more noise than most musicians. Other dull performances come from Connie Nielsen because the screenwriter obviously felt that a female lead or damsel is needed. Gary Busey also appears for whatever it is worth, and that is likely not much. This film is a pointless parade of graphic violence that should be smashed with a sledgehammer. Score: 1 / 10

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