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Universal Soldier: The Return

Universal Soldier: The Return

Action · Science Fiction · 1999

Luc Deveraux, the heroic former Universal Soldier, is about to be thrown into action once again. When SETH, the supercomputer-controlled ultra-warrior, decides to take revenge and destroy its creators, only Luc can stop it. All hell breaks loose as Luc battles SETH and a deadly team of perfect soldiers in a struggle that pits man against machine and good against evil.

Movie details

Universal Soldier: The Return

“Prepare to become obsolete.”

1999 Action · Science Fiction 1h 22m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

4.2 / 10

31.8K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

5 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

24 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

Luc Deveraux, the heroic former Universal Soldier, is about to be thrown into action once again. When SETH, the supercomputer-controlled ultra-warrior, decides to take revenge and destroy its creators, only Luc can stop it. All hell breaks loose as Luc battles SETH and a deadly team of perfect soldiers in a struggle that pits man against machine and good against evil.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Universal Soldier: The Return?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mic Rodgers

Written by

John Fasano · William Malone

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Luc Deveraux

Kiana Tom

Kiana Tom

Maggie

Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg

Romeo

Michael Jai White

Michael Jai White

SETH

Heidi Schanz

Heidi Schanz

Erin Young, KTXD

Xander Berkeley

Xander Berkeley

Dr. Dylan Cotner

Justin Lazard

Justin Lazard

Captain Blackburn

Court is in session

Put Universal Soldier: The Return on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.