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Universal Soldier: The Return
Sony Pictures Entertainment

Universal Soldier: The Return reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 24 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
5.8 out of 10
based on 14 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 8 votes
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Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: R for nonstop strong violence, and for language and nudity

Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai-White, Bill Goldberg, Heidi Schanz, Karis Bryant, and Kiana Tom

Luc Deveraux (Van Damme), who has survived his experiences as a Universal Soldier, recovered, and is now retired and working as a technical advisor on a government project to revive and improve the Universal Soldier training program, creating stronger, smarter and more versatile cyborg Soldiers. When S.E.T.H., the supercomputer controlling the Soldiers, becomes discontent and takes over a la HAL, Luc is the only one who can battle this team of deadly warriors and save the human race.


GENRE(S): Adventure  
WRITTEN BY: William Malone
John Fasano
(characters) Richard Rothstein
Christopher Leitch
 
DIRECTED BY: Mic Rodgers  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: December 28, 1999 
Video: December 28, 1999 
Theatrical: August 20, 1999 
RUNNING TIME: 82 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
Sleek...This is one "return" that's surely welcome.
75
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
Has a shameless B-movie exuberance.
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59
Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard
Engagingly silly sub-"Moonlighting"-style banter.
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33
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Jean-Claude Van Damme's latest dud.
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30
TNT RoughCut Matt Kelsey
This testosterone-fest even features a battle inside a strip bar replete with topless women. Talk about your guilty pleasures.
30
Variety Joe Leydon
Lightning fails to strike twice -- an underwhelming follow-up to one of the career-stalled action star's better efforts.
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30
Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector
Must have been slapped together fast: live-action stunts created by uninspired editing lead up to computer-generated imagery that's just as lame.
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25
New York Post Rod Dreher
The Return is about bullets, bombs and boobs - the biggest boob being Van Damme, natch, but there are also mammaries aplenty.
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25
Boston Globe Betsy Sherman
Devoid of personality and has an annoying gratuitous sentimental streak.
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20
TV Guide Ken Fox
Plenty of bone-crunching brawn, but not a brain cell in sight.
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20
Film.com Tom Keogh
Custom-made for an audience of mouth-breathers.
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10
Film.com Sean Means
Slow-moving and violent mess...feels slow even at a scant 82 minutes...Even by the slack standards of Van Damme's oeuvre, "The Return" is a letdown.
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10
LA Weekly Paul Malcolm
A mind-numbing exercise in high body counts and big tits.
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0
Austin Chronicle Russel Smith
Lame, mindless dialogue makes Wing Commander seem Cukoresque by comparison.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 5.8 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Noggin Knife gave it a5:
I think Bill Goldberg is a good addition to the movie 'cuz he's lean and mean and fits the part very well. All the other parts can be thrown out.

Stan gave it a 10:
One of the best movies ever!!!

The Gilbert Mulroneycakes Fayre gave it a 0:
Who keeps watching these things? They wouldn't keep making them if people didn't keep watching them, so who the hell is it?

Sasha G. gave it a 0:
OMG this is one of the worst movies ever!

Felipe Dog gave it a 10:
Best ever!

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