MovieChat Forums > Universal Soldier (1992) Discussion > Special Edition is $5.50 at Target

Special Edition is $5.50 at Target


I picked it up tonight. I was never in a rush to get it since I already had the other version. Definitely worth the money though since I wasn't aware of the Van Damme interview and commentary. I would have picked it up earlier if I had known about those. Didn't really like the alternate ending though as it didn't make much sense (especially with a character who apparently died earlier showing up out of nowhere) I'm glad they didn't go with that ending (I can see why they changed it though since it didn't leave any opening for a sequel :))

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[deleted]

Haven't watched with the commentary yet or gotten a chance to watch the entire interview but the alternate ending starts at the scene when Luc is just about to exit his house after Scott has called him from outside the house. Luc opens the door to find his mother standing there. Scott proceeds to shoot her in the back and then mentions "sorry to hear about your mother" After that the scene is the same as the theatrical cut up until the part when Luc becomes enraged after Scott throws the grenade at Veronica.

The scene with the enraged Luc starts out the same but at this point he actually knocks Scott on to the shredder (so you get no scene of Luc injecting himself or the fight in the barn) and again it proceeds as the theatrical version (although without the scene of Luc freeing his parents since his mother was dead) However when Luc finds that Veronica is alive, the ending drastically changes from the theatrical cut. Luc turns around to find his father pointing a gun at him and he shoots Luc. At this point cars that were in the darkness start up and a bunch of men get out. One of whom is Dr. Gregor. Gregor explains that those people weren't really his parents and that his parents still believe him to be dead and that they had to use him so they could lure Scott there as well so everybody could be captured. Gregor's men then open fire on Luc as he tries to run away and shoot him many times.

At this point a bunch of police cars turn up along with Veronica's producer who got worried when she didn't show at the police station and they arrest Gregor and his men. For some reason a very alive Woodward is with the group and he quickly starts spraying Luc with the coolant tank he just happened to have on him. Veronica's producer tells her that she is gonna be on the air live but she puts her microphone down to comfort a dying Luc.

Cut to a later point and there is a voiceover of Veronica telling how Luc was reunited with his real parents and that he refused any medical treatment that would have prolonged his life and instead chose to live out his remaining time normally. She then tells that he passed on and will always be remembered.

I guess at some point they planned on not having Woodward die in the Unisol carrier which is the only explanation I can see for him still being alive in this ending. And as I mentioned before it didn't leave an opening for a sequel so its not hard to see why it was changed.

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I received the SE as a Christmas stocking stuffer. The alternate ending was a different take. I enjoyed it.

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is there a commentary with Van Damme & Lundgren?

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Wow. That actually sounds really interesting. I've been considering buying the dvd, but I hadn't since I already owned two copies of the film and I wasn't sure what the alternate ending was...
But, now that I know, I think I'm going to have to check it out!

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