UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING (John Hyams, 2012)

[whiteandblank]

How would I go about doing this?
This is unfair, I really want to see this!

[Abyss-Lord]

i'm currently renting it on my PS3 for $10... i'm going to watch it later tonight, when i get off work.
And then I have a 24 hour period, until it's gone. So i'll probably watch it a couple of more times.
I'm pretty stoked!
I may watch Regeneration again, before I watch it.
Though I know it may or may not exactly match up as a real sequel. I guess i'll find out, tonight!

[Jox]

Hyams said the VOD version available now is the R-rated theatrical cut but "the bluray will be uncut and at the time of the bluray release the VOD will be uncut."

[Jox]

The red band trailer endorsed by Dolph himself!


AICN got the new character posters (from John Hyams I assume)!

(click for high-res)

[Jox]

John Hyams audio interview
http://theactionelite.com/2012/10/john-hyams-interview/

[Abyss-Lord]

Awesome movie! Ok, this is Spoiler-free.

i'm going to watch it again, tonight.

But yeah.. so the VOD version I saw was the theatrical cut.. but when it comes out on blu-ray SOMEDAY, it will be an extended uncut version? I can't imagine what could have been left out.

I will say that though I think I understand the movie... it was still confusing in parts.
I'm not sure if I could say that it's as good as Regeneration.... But Dolph had a bigger role.

Yeah, i'm still a bit confused by the ending. Sorta kinda.
Upon further viewings, i'm sure it'll make more sense.
But yeah, I can see how it definitely could be considered a direct sequel... Just so many years later.

One thing that's bothered me about the recent Universal Soldier movies though... And this may have been answered in Regeneration... but... do the Unisols no longer overheat and need to be put on ice? Along with that, there were a few elements that they added that were new to the series that really gave no explanation for. Though, being further into the future, this could be a new breed of Unisols.

I'd love to hear the director's commentary!

[Jox]

but when it comes out on blu-ray SOMEDAY, it will be an extended uncut version? I can't imagine what could have been left out.

Just a few shots of sex and violence that the MPAA demanded to be trimmed. So the BD version will just be an "uncut" version (not "extended" or "director's cut" - this will actually be the director's cut).

[Abyss-Lord]

More sex and violence? Wow. epic. There was plenty to begin with, so it'll be even sweeter. haha.

I gotta give them props for including all of the topless chicks.

i only wish there was an explanation as to why Andrew Scott (I assume a clone) was just chillin up in the brothel, and how the new unisols were able to regenerate fingers and dismembered body parts. Probably a more advanced unisol concept. Considering that "the plumber" and John were both newer government unisols, compared to JCVD being an older model, once again, just speculation on my part.

It seems like, if they wanted to, they could make a movie that would take place between Regeneration and Day of Reckoning. Damn, im looking forward to watching it again, tonight.

[Jox]

http://theactionelite.com/movie-review/ ... 12-review/

I think I’m still in shock after watching this movie as it is one of the most brutal and disturbing movies I’ve ever seen. It’s more of a horror movie than an action movie, especially in the first half.

Dare I say it, but comparisons with Kubrick and Lynch would not be unjustified; the long corridors of the hotel rooms, the sparse soundtrack and the dreamlike atmosphere all give it the Kubrick vibe, but the surreal moments like the brothel/motel scenes all remind me of David Lynch.

It really is one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen and during the first half you may think “eh?” a lot, but the second half has some of the best fight scenes you’ll ever see.

As usual Dolph eats up the screen and has the best lines, including a nice nod to the original Uni Sol… boy, does that feel like a long time ago.

The fight scenes are amazingly choreographed, with no shaky cam and no shortage of blood.

Overall, Uni Sol: Day of Reckoning is a visceral nightmare that will not be for everyone, but it’s original, brutal, well acted and with the best fight scenes you’ll see this year. Check it out, if you dare. Just don’t watch it with your mommy.

[Jox]

There's a new promo featurette (4:30 mins) with Dolph, Scott Adkins and John Hyams on iTunes
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/magn ... reckoning/
http://trailers.apple.com/movies/magnol ... _h480p.mov
(spoiler warning: new footage)

[Jox]

It seems Sony will release the US Blu-ray/DVD on January 22, 2013.
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Universal ... ray/58361/

[dolphage]

Saw it!

SPOILER ALERT! (I feel like there are obviously going to be spoilers in any review so why even bother pointing it out? Anyway don't read the rest of this message if you haven't seen the movie.)

AMAZING! This is one my favorite action movies EVER! Truly incredible!

I don't undertand how people find it difficult to follow! By the end of the movie it's all been explained!

The reason why we (the audience) are confused and find ourselves in a nightmarish world throughout the movie is because we're seeing it through John's (Adkins) eyes. Our protagonist is a clone that has had fake memories implanted into his mind and is finding himself in a world he's never lived in with a brain that's playing tricks on him.

I understand that Day Of Reckoning is not not for everyone; you're not spoon feed the story quite like we are used to in contemporary movies but come on... it's NOT that difficult to follow!

Bottom line: SUPERB!

[Jox]

NICE!

Audio commentary recorded by John Hyams with Dolph like the previous one.

[Abyss-Lord]

Day of Reckoning is indeed a direct sequel to Regeneration (which i loved).

It's set much further into the future....

In Regeneration, at the end when JCVD runs off... It was stated before that they didn't know what JCVD would do, after the mission was complete.

Well, what he does, inevitably ends up doing what he is doing in Day of Reckoning...

The NGU from Regeneration has a new role in Day of Reckoning... and he is a clone....
Seeing how much more advanced the NGU of Regeneration was, and how they could reattach limbs? Well...
Technology has progressed... And they make a point of this, but it's lost on the viewer, unless you watch it more than once. I've seen Day of Reckoning 3-4 times, since I downloaded it from the PS3 Online store.

Now, to be specific....

People wonder why Scott Adkins/John and the Plumber are able to regrow limbs. Just like the NGU had limbs reattached... since this is so far in the future, the NEW Unisols (the government ones that are sleeper agents like John and the Plumber) are able to regrow limbs. This is sorta explained vaguely through a phone recording that John listens to that Issac left... Andrew Scott is indeed a clone. But a more refined clone. The cloning process of the first movie wasn't perfected, as Andrew Scott was very much not himself. He was very cold, harsh, inhuman, and couldn't remember anything. He was asked questions constantly about "the meaning of life", etc. So cloning has progressed since Regeneration. As you noticed at the end of Regeneration, the final scene, they were doing more cloning experiments. At the end of the movie, they recovered all of the bodies, except for Andrew Scott's clone. The package that was being sent up river to the Unisols led by the last surviving original unisol (JCVD) was, from what I gather, additional cloning material, as Lundgren noted that they would soon multiply. So that's a dead give-away, obviously that Andrew Scott/Dolph is a clone (well, he has to be, if he got a gunshot through the head in Regeneration, dur... In regards to why JCVD would run off and create a Unisol army... well, the government USED him in Regeneration to do their bidding... Maybe he was just sick and tired of the manipulation... and in that movie, they were trying to get him "back into the world"... Maybe this led him to find a way to free Unisols (cloned or not) from their government mind control. Obviously, I think, many of those in his group that looked up to him, were government unisol clones that were produced years after the experimentation seen at the end of Regeneration.

So a lot of what i just put in the spoiler blackness above may just be my theory. But I see it as a clear link.
Not explained... but that's how I see it. I like that Day of Reckoning isn't completely straight forward. It's got tons of re-watchability. Even though I've also seen Regeneration countless times.

Maybe i'm over-thinking the Regeneration and Day of Reckoning link.
Maybe there is no link at all?

If you haven't seen the movie, don't look at those blackened spoiler info.
But if you have, i'd like to hear thoughts from others...

Did I mention that i LOVE this movie? ha

[Abyss-Lord]

Day of Reckoning is indeed a direct sequel to Regeneration (which i loved).

It's set much further into the future....

In Regeneration, at the end when JCVD runs off... It was stated before that they didn't know what JCVD would do, after the mission was complete.

Well, what he does, inevitably ends up doing what he is doing in Day of Reckoning...

The NGU from Regeneration has a new role in Day of Reckoning... and he is a clone....
Seeing how much more advanced the NGU of Regeneration was, and how they could reattach limbs? Well...
Technology has progressed... And they make a point of this, but it's lost on the viewer, unless you watch it more than once. I've seen Day of Reckoning 3-4 times, since I downloaded it from the PS3 Online store.

Now, to be specific....

People wonder why Scott Adkins/John and the Plumber are able to regrow limbs. Just like the NGU had limbs reattached... since this is so far in the future, the NEW Unisols (the government ones that are sleeper agents like John and the Plumber) are able to regrow limbs. This is sorta explained vaguely through a phone recording that John listens to that Issac left... Andrew Scott is indeed a clone. But a more refined clone. The cloning process of the first movie wasn't perfected, as Andrew Scott was very much not himself. He was very cold, harsh, inhuman, and couldn't remember anything. He was asked questions constantly about "the meaning of life", etc. So cloning has progressed since Regeneration. As you noticed at the end of Regeneration, the final scene, they were doing more cloning experiments. At the end of the movie, they recovered all of the bodies, except for Andrew Scott's clone. The package that was being sent up river to the Unisols led by the last surviving original unisol (JCVD) was, from what I gather, additional cloning material, as Lundgren noted that they would soon multiply. So that's a dead give-away, obviously that Andrew Scott/Dolph is a clone (well, he has to be, if he got a gunshot through the head in Regeneration, dur... In regards to why JCVD would run off and create a Unisol army... well, the government USED him in Regeneration to do their bidding... Maybe he was just sick and tired of the manipulation... and in that movie, they were trying to get him "back into the world"... Maybe this led him to find a way to free Unisols (cloned or not) from their government mind control. Obviously, I think, many of those in his group that looked up to him, were government unisol clones that were produced years after the experimentation seen at the end of Regeneration.

So a lot of what i just put in the spoiler blackness above may just be my theory. But I see it as a clear link.
Not explained... but that's how I see it. I like that Day of Reckoning isn't completely straight forward. It's got tons of re-watchability. Even though I've also seen Regeneration countless times.

Maybe i'm over-thinking the Regeneration and Day of Reckoning link.
Maybe there is no link at all?

If you haven't seen the movie, don't look at those blackened spoiler info.
But if you have, i'd like to hear thoughts from others...

Did I mention that i LOVE this movie? ha