Deserves more than a 5.2 - Soldier (1998) Discussion

[–] sqeezycheez 20 years ago

I hear ya. I enjoyed this movie a lot. The ONLY part that drove me nuts was the scenes where they showed the soldiers in various battle sequences from wars in Todd's past. They just walked forward shooting like robots... except they weren't robots. Apart from that, it was a great movie.

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[–] somatic-1 20 years ago

Absolutely agree. People just don't understand this movie. They want a side-show and director of "Soldier" is too serious for them. This film has strong dramatic element. This film made me cry. "Titanic" didn't make me cry. "Terminator 2" didn't make me cry. "Soldier" reminds me of stories told by old veterans: no lies, blody, dirty, immoral truth but it touches you like no melodrama ever does.

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[–] zoltar55 20 years ago

I Agree with you I just bought the DVD for very cheap $ 8.oo and I enjoy watching it immensly.I like the Kurt a lot and I wish people would wacht a movie without analyzing everything in it but just watching it and enjoy what is on the screen.It is a very good movie.Zoltar

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[–] Trayzer 19 years ago

i agree too is a great movie,love the acting by russell.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] ClydeBickle 19 years ago

I saw Soldier many years ago and I remember loving it. I saw Mad Max for the first time and hated it, and now Mad Max is one of my favorite movies, so maybe I'll hate Soldier if I see it again.

Oh, and Body Double is *beep* awesome!

"Death to Videodrome! Long live the new flesh!"

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] phoenix22-1 16 years ago

ditto :)

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] weejockxxx 9 years ago

You've hit the nail on the head. One part that got me about 'Soldier' was the scene where a tear trickles down Kurt's face and he is obviously unaware of what it meant. Not a bad movie.

Oh gravity, thou art a heartless bitch!

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[–] stephen700 16 years ago

Yer there were quite a few Bad moments in this film though also a few good ones it seemed to drift between good and bad a bit of editing/and better acting could have made this movie far better it seems such a high budget and could have done far better with a little tweaking.
There were good startling realistic bits like>>
The kid fight flashback - he beats a classmate to death then calmly continues working on a puzzel.
Good -Concept of the emotionless trained from birth soldiers so subjugated they become devoid of feeling or ability to integrate into normal society.
Good - Where he crys after being outcast , Tries to save the injured survivor but cant. His longest sentence in responce to thee lovly Sandra's question "what are you going to do" ? "I am going to kill them all sir" and he does too.

Then some almost comedic Bad acting/casting by the 2 commanders (his commander and the one promoting the new replicants) then again i havent been in the fources so mabey this is realistic ! For me though it really dragged the movie down alot.

Overall kept me amused to the end.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] VGrevolution 19 years ago

I think the above poster demonstrates why people hate the movie, they have such a vendetta against Anderson they will hate anything he does whether it is deserved or not. This movie was what it was meant to be an action movie that focused on a soldier that feels out of place (Done very well by Kurt, even if dialogue was limited) in a "civilized" society. You truly felt for him, even though he hardly spoke, the scene where he was crying was brillant IMO, and quite heart wrenching.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] c_boy101 19 years ago

yes it does deserve more than 5.2 ...for the violence and hilarious mindless destruction.
This film cracks me up and the way in which kurt butchers some of those dudes is great.

I don't know what any of you guys were thinking when you said this was an emotional film, and that you even cried ha.

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[–] MaltinsBeard 19 years ago

This is just a great action movie,

I think a movie is also defined by the amount of times watched and amount of people watching. And this movie is watched a lot... AND by many, because it's just a good action film

The guy a few posts above me is whining about intelligent action films. I think he must be a often dissapointed man, because 90% of all action films are NOT intelligent. And they dont have to be, for they are action films as the name already implies (yet unacknowledged by many). I dont want a man who doesnt like pirate movies to tell me he doesnt like a pirate movie, if I look up info on a pirate movie, you can assume I LIKE pirate movies, so your opinion is .. well of no consequence here, sorry jaeufraser-1.

The action is good enough, Kurt does good as a trained soldier/animal. The moral is okay, the story is tight enough, the scenery is just good. I haven't read all your posts, but I assume that not many are positive. I am attacking not you as a persona, but more you as a type.

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[–] simbob4000 17 years ago

I don't know if it deserves more then a 5.2. I mean it could have been a good movie, it had some interesting ideas, but Anderson just failed to do anything with them. I mean it's kind of crazy when you think about it; Kurt Russell is great in this and there are cool little things taken from the "Long Walk" in this, but Anderson just doesn't seem to be able to pull them all together to make something that's interesting to watch.
I remember really wanting to see this movie when it came out and being let down after seeing it. I also wouldn't really call this a good action film, I know I haven't seen this movie since it first came out (I was in middle school at the time) but I don't really remember much action in it...but then again I'm not sure I every made it to the end of the movie.

Also there was another movie somewhat like this that came out right around the same time

SimonpieterOnTheGeoPoliticalClimateOf TheWorldToday: We live in a new world with a global day

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[–] Draconian_Clown 19 years ago

I think it has a lot of the same cheap visual shots of lone manly soldiering and kick-ass military stuff reflected in movies like Top Gun & Rambo. But those were still good movies and this was a good movie that deserved better than a 5.2 rating. It is important to remember when being critical that this movie is clearly titled 'Soldier' (and not 'Days of the Poofy Hairlip') and thus we should expect explosions and a heavy dose of martial arts.

Kurt Russell was very good and perfect for the role. His best since The Thing. He was completely convincing in the fight scenes. I really didn't see much wrong considering it is a movie about a genetically engineered soldier who gets dumped on a garbage planet.

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[–] dio52 17 years ago

His best since The Thing? His most serious, perhaps, but I don't know how you can overlook his roles in Big Trouble in Little China, Overboard, and Captain Ron. Say what you will about the movies themselves, his acting was excellent in each of them.

"The great act of faith is when a man decides he is not God."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

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[–] gkpete 17 years ago

This movie is pretty solid. Something in the upper sixes is far more appropriate.

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[–] mermanator 16 years ago

Todd wasn't genetically engiineered, the soldiers replaceing him were, but Todd and the older ones were selected at birth.

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[–] vegabass 19 years ago

I agree with you..it's definitely not the best movie ever made, but it is entertaining and I really enjoyed it..I would give it at least a 6.5-7 personally..it was 6.88$ in the walmart cheapo bin..about as cheap as you can get..

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[–] guillermotorofan 19 years ago

DESERVES A 7 AT LEAST

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[–] coloneleverett 19 years ago

At least. Movies are meant to entertain. If it did that, and most of you said it did, then it was a good movie. Personal opinions are just that, personal.

Stay Frosty

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Megn1 19 years ago

The film aspires to be a dumb, "park your brain at the door" style sci/fi action film and it succeeds admirably! I gave it 10/10, because it is a film I put in my dvd player many times. It has great replay value and is great to watch with mates with some Coke and Spring rolls. Kurt Russell is awesome in everything he has done and Paul Anderson deserves more credit, particularly with this, Event Horizon and Mortal Kombat.

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[–] rmohan80 19 years ago

Definitely agree with all your points...i'd give this a 7/10...I'm a big Kurt Russell fan and may be the reason why i like this much...but then again, this film has a high replay value (i've seen this a couple of times)

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] jem0178 19 years ago

okay I am laying it out here.
There are two universal truths in this world
1)I like Tang
2) Soldier is the most underrated movie ever,
I remember renting this in England (it went straight to video if I am not Mistaken) And at the time I thought wow! pretty good movie,
And it continues a trend of Kurt Russell movies i.e. the ones you think will be good suck and the ones you pay no attention to are good (breakdown,dark blue) and yet he is great in every movie I have seen him in since Tango and cash ( worst movie ever made?? at least worst cop movie ever)
And it really doesnt matter what piece of crap you saddle him with he pulls out a decent piece of acting and he is downright awesome in this movie.
Yeah at least a 7.5 IMO

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[–] MoBiUG 19 years ago

If you're in the UK, SOLDIER is on channel 5 RIGHT NOW. I too like this movie, it's definately not bad. Decent sci-fi actioner.

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[–] Entrayl 19 years ago

lol, yeah... I'm watchiong it right now.

Kurt Russle's performance is beutiful. You can really feel how lost he is. I find it really sad that just because this movie has some mindless violence in it, movie snobs automaticaly trash it. Obviously the movie has faults, (the story line is a bit dodgy) but it clearly deserves more than 5 out of ten. Definatly 7 at least. Altimatly I can see why its no ones cup of tea tho. Its roughly 50% drama (so fans of mindless violence will hate it), and 50% mindless violence(So fans of drama will hate it). It's an interesting combination that this movie doesn't acheive well.

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[–] TrekkerUK 19 years ago

Well i think 5.2 is too low. It's a great film, I didn't think there was much mindless violence. It's a bit like saying Saving Private Ryan had too many people with guns shooting each other. This is a movie called Soldier, about the utter foulups and dirt that happens during war. You expect violence. The violence is there to show how Todd faces the new generation - what else would you have them do? Maybe the new generation could fly over, land, drive out in there giant vehicles and join Todd in a cream tea party, with scones. Here they can talk about the philosophical questions arising from their plight, while enjoying some good tea.

No, thats not going to happen. It's war.

Also on Russel himself, I though he was fantastic in this film, along with his other men. The full-of-botox-but-incredibly-hurting-inside face was spot on, I (at least) really felt sorry for him and his abandonment.

I really can't see what people are getting worked up about, it was a damn good film in my opinion, worthy of more then 5.2

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[–] freejacker314 19 years ago

I have to say this movie is seriously worth the look in.

Some of the cinematography and human elements are excellant.

Other parts lead me to believe however that this movie is a bit tongue in cheak.

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[–] juslen 16 years ago

This movie is simply awesome as far as action sci fi movies go. I would give it a 7-8

Kurt Russel was 100% convincing in this film. He didnt need to say anything for you to understand what he was thinking and feeling at the moment.

And unlike other sci fi action movies.. this one actually has a few emotional moments. Now im not saying the acting was spot on, and im not saying there is a major moral tale to be told.

However.. if you watch it carefully, you can pick up on some very smart additions to the movie. They are subtle at times.. but this movie has elements which makes it more than explosions, bullets and blood.

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[–] cheesepowder 19 years ago

It deserves a lower score! 5.3 is way too high!

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[–] bonnie91 18 years ago

I totally agree.

I've got an idea. Why don't those of us who liked it vote it in at a 10 so that we can bring the average up? If enough of us do it, it will eventually bring up the score.

-I have seen death, and it ain't pretty (unless there's BLOOD, lots of BLOOD).

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[–] meshuggahcl8on 18 years ago

I totally agree.

I've got an idea. Why don't those of us who liked it vote it in at a 10 so that we can bring the average up? If enough of us do it, it will eventually bring up the score.

Doesn't seem to work that way though...

Great movie, I too could not believe how low the score was in comparison to some other crap movies like to kill a mockingbird, singing in the rain, lord of the rings, star wars, harry potter...

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[–] Omegamagezero-1 18 years ago

Great movie, I too could not believe how low the score was in comparison to some other crap movies like to kill a mockingbird...

Yeah, Atticus doesn't kill anybody. He doesn't even beat anyone up, jeez! I mean, he shoots a dog, but they don't show it clearly enough.

BTW, I love Soldier.

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[–] gkpete 18 years ago

A lot of stupid people voted very low for this one. It should at least be in the mid-6's. Stupid people......

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