SOLDIER (1998)

3 stars

Arrow Video. Limited Edition 4K. 27th April

Arrow brings us a 4K release of a film that did so poorly at the US box office when it originally came out in the cinema that it went straight to video in most other territories. I have to say I quite enjoyed it for what it was — a western in science fiction clothing.

Kurt Russell is the strong silent type, with his best Clint Eastwood imitation, as Todd 3465, an elite military man trained from an early age to basically be a killing machine. We know this as the film starts in 1996, with many youngsters being put through rigorous hoops to become these deadly fighters. Russell’s son Wyatt plays the younger Todd in some these scenes — he now appears alongside his Dad in Apple TV’s MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS.

It is now 2036 and the future of this elite unit is now in question as Colonel Mekum (Jason Isaacs) introduces his new force of genetically engineered warriors. Isaacs really needs a larger moustache than he is sporting so he can twirl it with evil panache.

Of course a demonstration is in order with Caine 607 (Jason Scott Lee) taking on several of the old guard – until Todd gouges the newbies eye out whilst they are fighting up some chains hanging from the ceiling. When Todd falls, he is assumed dead and is swept up with the other defeated men and finds himself dumped onto a waste disposal planet. He eventually finds the community that is eking out an existence there (including Sean Pertwee and Connie Nielsen) and they take him in to their fold. However he doesn’t fit in and he is banished – that is until Mekum and his men turn up and Todd has to help defend the under siege populace.

Both Issacs and Pertwee had appeared in director Paul W.S. Anderson’s previous film EVENT HORIZON. This was before Anderson started to make the numerous RESIDENT EVIL movies and in some ways SOLDIER prepared him for those action based horror movies. The script is by David Webb Peoples – though he didn’t have write many lines for Russell’s character. He was also responsible for the now considered classic BLADE RUNNER (1982). This movie is set in the same universe as that Harrison Ford vehicle. There are plenty of thrills and fighting to keep this moving and great production design plus a suitably snarling, stony faced performance from Russell throughout.

The release has a brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films approved by director Paul W.S. Anderson

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Archival audio commentary by director Paul W.S. Anderson, co-producer Jeremy Bolt and actor Jason Isaacs

Interviews with actor James Black; assistant director Dennis Maguire; associate producer Fred Fontana; production designer David L. Snyder; with visual effects supervisors Craig Barron and Van Ling and miniature supervisor Michael Joyce; with Danny Stewart, author of Soldier: From Script to Screen

VFX Before and After, a brand new behind-the-scenes look at how the film’s special effects were created with visual effects supervisor Craig Barron

We Don’t Need Another Hero, a brand new retrospective on the film with film historian Heath Holland

Archival electronic press kit; On-set interviews with cast and crew; Trailers

Plus. Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena and collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic Priscilla Page