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

[Jox]

If by any chance you change your mind, don't do like me who missed my train to Cologne and scraped my trip (now that was money thrown out the window)!

[Nathan]

If by any chance you change your mind, don't do like me who missed my train to Cologne and scraped my trip (now that was money thrown out the window)!

Oh man, that's gutting! At least you guys have the chance to see it theatrically, I am up in bonnie Scotland where the closest it will get to a cinema is if someone throws a copy of the DVD at the screen during The Expendables 3.

[Jox]

Yeah for sure, that's lucky considering that festival probably picked it up at the last minute! Too bad European distributors don't take a chance at a real theatrical release (even limited)...

[Nathan]

Hollywood is chock FULL of sequels at the moment. I went to see Skyfall tonight and looked at the list of showings on the screen....Madagascar 3, Silent Hill 2, Taken 2, Paranormal Activity 4...fuckin 4! It's usually hit the DTV sequel stage by that point and they can't even take a chance on a frickin movie that's getting almost universally glowing reviews. Seriously, it pisses me off, the guys that run production and distribution companies have as much interest in the industry and the quality of the output as Jimmy Savile does in the legal age for sex - zero. All money, money, money, milk the franchise, money, money....

[Tom]

Well said, Tom! Although I wouldn't go so far to compare this to Verhoeven's or Cronenberg's work. Well, maybe a a little. The first person view in the beginning is a very nice idea.

I really liked the first person stuff too. Best I've seen it since Cameron's Strange Days. I compare to Verhoeven mostly for the schlockiness of it, and the fact it never pulls it's punches with the violence or nudity. And I suppose there's a little Robocop in there too!
The violence really had a good Cronenberg punch to it, like in History of Violence. And the film really made me want to re-watch Videodrome. Why I don't know, but it did.

[dolphage]

I am so glad that critis seem to be "getting" this movie. It feels like it could have gone the other way to, a domino effect of bad reviews.

The thing is that all the flaws get covered up by the fact that it's a subjective "memory loss" movie. There's so little you can complain about because we are seeing things from Johns eyes, you really can't critique it as harshly as you could if it was a traditional acton film from an objective p.o.v. It can be as weird and inconsistent as it wants to be... Good for Hyams.

the guys that run production and distribution companies have as much interest in the industry and the quality of the output as Jimmy Savile does in the legal age for sex - zero.

Haha.

[Mosquito]

I really liked the first person stuff too. Best I've seen it since Cameron's Strange Days. I compare to Verhoeven mostly for the schlockiness of it, and the fact it never pulls it's punches with the violence or nudity. And I suppose there's a little Robocop in there too!
The violence really had a good Cronenberg punch to it, like in History of Violence. And the film really made me want to re-watch Videodrome. Why I don't know, but it did.

True, the violence was uncompromising like in History of Violence. And undiscriminating... men, women, children... and I can also see your Videodrome flashbacks.

[leigh1975]

Optimum/Studio Canal are handling the UK release, so expect it to mirror the German release; 99% of the time, the UK releases are straight ports of the continental versions.

[Jox]

Press conference photos









http://desdehollywood.com/estuvimos-con ... cio-final/

[Jox]

Dolph Lundgren and John Hyams Dish on ‘Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning’ (Exclusive)
http://www.whogottherole.com/featured/f ... exclusive/

The 5 mins featurette if you haven't seen it on iTunes:

[Jox]

Another great review
http://supervillain.wordpress.com/2012/ ... ll-clones/

" 'Regeneration' is a well executed movie, but Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning is a good movie on every level, and the difference is palpable."

"Hyams isn’t afraid of blasting his ideas out in bright primary fashion, either."

"Everyone in the cast is a physical performer first, so they pay off their emotional arcs in acts of violence. "

" 'Day of Reckoning' is a strange phenomenon, it just existing — a 3D release sequel to a movie that never even came out in theaters."

"Hyams, Lundgren, Van Damme, Adkins, they all know where they are working, and they do the best job they can. Enough can’t be said of how great this movie is as a result."

[Jox]

Just found out that 3D is for VOD only and that it will be 2D in U.S. theaters.

[Nathan]

Just found out that 3D is for VOD only and that it will be 2D in U.S. theaters.

Yet another wasted opportunity...

[Mosquito]

Well, I was actually glad that I got to see the 2D version at the cinema. I'm no fan of 3D. The glasses are annoying and often the effects are not that noticeable. I'd rather they put more effort into the story and nice scenes instead of trying to impress people with 3D effects.

[leigh1975]

Well, I've finally seen this, and I have to say - it's very strange but very, very good. The action was great, Atkins' acting is getting better by the film, Van Damme is... oddly detatched (for the second UNISOL film in a row, he has barely any lines of dialogue, possibly through choice... does he have even more reservations about returning to the franchise than Dolph?), Dolph brings more of the Scott of the first film back, and the whole film was very well shot. However, the person that will benefit the most from the film is John Hyams... He's essentially taken a DTV action film budget from a company and crafted an arthouse genre film. I have to say, it will be interesting to see what he's going to do next that isn't UNISOL... he's clearly outgrown straight action formats artistically within the space of two feature films.