By Malice Intended
John (Scott Adkins) is startled from his sleep by a group of masked gunmen and beaten into a coma while his family is murdered in front of him. He awakens in the confines of a hospital room, plagued by nightmarish flashbacks and an inkling that the past he remembers may all be a lie. He also learns that he possesses physical abilities beyond those of any ordinary human. The further back he pulls the curtain, the scarier the possibilities become.
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is the sixth film in 21 years to bare the Universal Soldier name and a direct sequel to 2009’s Universal Soldier: Regeneration. As such, it plays somewhat like the second half of a two-part reboot. Writer/Director John Hyams finds himself in the unenviable position of working in a form that gets very little respect, with a franchise that not many people take seriously. That being the case, he makes the absolute most of the opportunity he is given.
Straight-to-DVD action films are usually generic because they are normally helmed by unimaginative hacks. Luckily, John Hyams is a visionary. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning’s dull color palette, coupled with its harshly contrasted lighting effects, give it an antiseptic look. This is totally in keeping with the tone of the film, as the protagonist often seems like a drugged up patient wandering the halls of psyche ward. Other moments assault the viewer with subliminally suggestive imagery such as strobing lights. Hyams and cinematographer Yaron Levy mercifully use these tactics sparingly. Despite such obvious restraint, the results are sometimes overpowering.
Stunt/Fight choreographer Larnell Stovall is one of modern action cinema’s best kept secrets. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning enhances that view. He’s present everywhere and visible nowhere and as much of an asset to this film as any of the actors or effects that appear onscreen. Stovall’s approach mixes MMA-style choreography with prison yard brawl-brutality for a haphazard, yet oddly disciplined execution. There’s a steady, unbroken rhythm to it all that maintains itself despite the sheer ferocity on display. Thankfully, John Hyams, Yaron Levy and coeditor Andrew Drazek know enough not to butcher Stovall’s work in the editing bay.
Scott Adkins, who is fast becoming the most dependable action star on the straight-to-DVD circuit, is as formidable a physical performer as you is likely to find. Hyams gives him a bit more to do than usual, at least from an emotive standpoint. Day of Reckoning dives headlong into paranoia and espionage a la thrillers such as The Manchurian Candidate and takes a cues from similar sci-fi thrillers, namely Total Recall , 12 Monkeys, and even The Matrix. Adkins takes on this challenge in admirable fashion. He never oversteps his bounds or pushes too far beyond his abilities. As a result, he is credible enough to carry his character arch to completion. It isn’t Shakespeare, but it still captivating.
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning provides further proof that compelling, well-made action films still exist, if only on the direct-to-DVD format. While big budget blockbusters continue to underachieve despite having limitless resources at their disposal, Hyams and his ilk continue to do much more with much less. He doesn’t have to dilute the potency of his vision in hopes of drawing in a bigger crowd. He also doesn’t need to rely on CGI or optical tricks during the action scenes, as men like Larnell Stovall and Scott Adkins make such things unnecessary. Whatever Hyams’s next venture may be, I’m looking forward to it. He’s delivered the first truly good Universal Soldier film yet.
3.75 Out of 5
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