Jean-Claude Van Damme’s cult favorite,Universal Soldier, spawned a whole franchise full of retcons and revisions, but here’s how you can watch them in order. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the firstUniversal Soldier installment was released in 1992. Though it wasn’t a hit on par withJean-Claude Van Damme’sTimecop,Universal Soldiernonetheless found a passionate following. As such, it’s one that has remained endlessly rewatchable. Equally, for fans of brutal, bloody action delivered through a science-fiction and even a slight horror lens, it is considered one ofthe best of theUniversal Soldierfranchise.
Fresh from such hits asKickboxer,Universal Soldiersaw Van Damme play a different kind of heroin Luc Deveraux.A soldier in the Vietnam War, he is killed when a fellow soldier, Dolph Lundgren’s Andrew Scott, goes on an insane murder spree. Though Luc also takes down his new enemy, both are resurrected by the titular government program and imbued with enhanced skills. As a result, gifting fans some ofVan Damme’s best fight scenes, both are put on a brutal collision course again. The sequels, however, take a different route.
Universal Soldier Got Two Straight-To-Video Sequels Without Van Damme
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Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Armswas released in 1998. Though it included several of the same characters, it didn’t feature anotherJean-Claude and Dolph Lundgren movie collaboration. Instead, former football player turned Emmy-winning producer, Matt Battaglia, took on the role of Luc Deveraux. The rest of the cast, meanwhile, was rounded out by Chandra West, Jeff Wincott, Gary Busey,and even Burt Reynolds. With a thin story involving a group of villainous mercenaries and a long-lost brother, as well as uninspired action,Universal Soldier IIwas butchered by critics and holds a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Businessonce again saw a distinct lack of Lundgren andVan Damme in the sci-fi genreoffering. Instead, the same cast from the previous movie all returned, with the story picking up where it left off. Now fugitives looking to expose the Universal Soldier program, Luc and Veronica are pursued by several universal soldiers, including his brother. Hilariously,Universal Soldier IIIculminates with the idea of countless sleeper soldiers all across America,even implying that former president, Bill Clinton, is among them. It was similarly panned by critics and audiences alike.
Universal Soldier: The Return Ignores 2 & 3 (And Brings Van Damme Back)
The Muscles From Brussels Makes An Overdue Comeback
Coming hot on the heels of the last two sequels,Universal Soldier: The Returnwas releasedin1999 to a less-than-stellar critical and commercial response. Nonetheless,it marked the start of theUniversal Soldierfranchise taking some big genre swings. In this case, ignoring the previous sequels, it saw Luc go up against a rogue AI named S.E.T.H., who downloads himself into a host body. Also, withVan Damme and his martial arts movesback as Luc and S.E.T.H. played by Michael Jai White, the action was a marked improvement.
1999’sUniversal Soldier: The Returnwas Van Damme’s last theatrical, live-action release until 2012.
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Universal Soldier: Regeneration Ignores All Sequels
Universal Soldier: Regeneration Takes The Franchise Back To Its Roots
Following the failure of the previous three movies, theUniversal Soldierfranchise was dormant until 2009. When it returned, amidtalk of aUniversal Soldierreboot, it did so with a bang, taking the story back to its roots and bringing both Van Damme and Lundgren back into the fold. In doing so,Universal Soldier: Regenerationignores all sequels, includingReturn. That meant that there was nary a rogue AI or long-lost brother in sight, and that fans only needed to watch the first movie to follow the plot. That plot saw Van Damme’s Luc recruited to foil a terrorist group and his resurrected nemesis, Lundgren’s Andrew.
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Three years later saw the release ofUniversal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. It served as a direct sequel to both the first movie andUniversal Solder: Regeneration, once again makingII,III, andThe Returnobsolete. This time, however,Scott Adkins took over from Van Dammeas the titular protagonist. Instead, Van Damme took on a slightly more villainous role alongside Lundgren inUniversal Soldier: Day of Reckoningas he sought to overthrow the U.S. government. Nothing was as it seemed, however, asthe movie hauntingly explored the existential complications of cloning and government control through false memories.
As well as that exploration, there was a return to form on the brutal action front. That action, as much a slasher as it was an ’80s throwback, was stunningly realized by the talented Scott Adkins and the ever-skilled Van Damme, among others. As a result,Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoninggarnered the franchise’s best reviews. Large praise also went to seeingVan Damme in a more ambiguous villain role. Unfortunately, it didn’t do as well commercially, but nonetheless concluded theUniversal Soldierfranchise on a high note, at least until the next belated sequel or reboot.
Universal Soldier
Cast
Universal Soldier is a 1992 action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The duo plays Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott, two Vietnam War soldiers who are killed, cryogenically frozen, and then brought back to life for a secret government experiment to create superhumans. The film spawned a long-running franchise that led to five sequels.
