"Send in the freaks - that's an order!"
Although we are in Direct-to-DVD territory here, with 'mixed martial arts' fighters cast rather than actors, Universal Soldier - Regeneration (or '3' or 'A New Beginning', depending on where you look) tries very hard to rise above its limitations, and this efficient if low-key film meets with reasonable success. The abandoned Bulgarian steel plant doubling as Chernobyl provides a stunning backdrop for an unashamed action movie that tries to elicit some suspense from a screenplay that is pure videogame in style and structure. John Hyams directs with energy and a good eye for camera set-ups, although the couple of cribs from Blade Runner and Halloween are somewhat obvious, with dad Peter as Director of Cinematography doing expectedly sterling work with the action and locale. It is good to see Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren back in their signature roles in the series, and their inevitable (lengthy) smackdown does not disappoint, although both roles seem rather underwritten, especially the 'motivation' of Lundgren's character. Funnily enough, Universal Soldier is one franchise that could benefit from a younger, modern re-boot, but with the old guard still in play, that idea - like the UniSols themselves - might be best put on ice for a while.
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