Universal Soldier: The Return Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Universal Soldier: The Return" offers a mix of modest strengths and notable weaknesses, captured through a 1080p, 1.85:1 framed transfer that tends towards the lackluster side. While the remastering process by Sony has ensured the video is free from obvious print flaws and maintains a consistent if unspectacular quality, the film’s visual presentation suffers from a variety of issues. The image often appears dark and slightly hazy, with a general lack of vibrancy in its color palette. Nighttime scenes and poorly lit interiors dominate, which, coupled with a visible but light veil of grain, contribute to the overall murky appearance. Despite these setbacks, the transfer manages to deliver acceptable levels of fine detail and black depth, ensuring that the film's visual narrative is not lost.

Colors are somewhat subdued throughout, never achieving a level of brightness that might have elevated the viewing experience. While fleshtones are reasonably accurate, they do tend toward reddish hues, and the overall contrast appears flat, particularly in mid- and high-range scenes. This creates an unevenness in visual dynamism, leaving much to be desired in terms of sharpness and clarity. However, it's worth noting that for a mid-90s action film, the sharpness is adequate, avoiding the pitfalls of over-processing with no signs of edge enhancement or compression artifacts. This suggests that while the transfer does not dazzle, it does not distract with technical faults either.

In conclusion, while the Blu-ray video presentation of "Universal Soldier: The Return" exhibits resilience in its source material quality and lack of technical issues like edge enhancement, it ultimately underwhelms due to its dim, grainy aesthetic punctuated by lackluster colors and somewhat flat contrast. Although far from a disaster, it stands as a reminder that not all films benefit equally from the high-definition treatment, presenting what might be the best version fans will see for some time, yet leaving a sense that something is missing in its visual execution.

The audio presentation of "Universal Soldier: The Return" on Blu Ray, featuring a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, stands out as a stellar aspect of an otherwise lackluster film. The soundscape crafted here is engaging, making extensive use of surround speakers, especially in the myriad action sequences. Audio fidelity is maintained across a dynamic range from the thunderous bass, which is balanced to be impactful without overwhelming, to the crispness of the higher frequencies. Notably, the soundtrack navigates through aggressive rock music and the sharp report of gunshots with clarity, each element occupying its niche within the auditory stage without muddying the overall experience. Dialogue reproduction remains strong and intelligible, although it does exhibit a tendency to flatten during climactic scenes.

Listeners are treated to an immersive experience right from the opening scene, as sound effects like water splashes are convincingly positioned around the listener, enhancing the visual experience to a near-tactile level. This atmospheric immersion is consistent throughout, with sounds moving seamlessly around the viewing space, creating a cohesive and enveloping field of audio. The action scenes benefit from this envelopment with discrete surround effects that are both full-bodied and strategically placed, making the most of the rear channels to deliver a punchy and thrilling experience.

However, while the soundtrack shines in its aggressive and dynamic delivery in high-energy moments and its handling of music and sound effects, it slightly falters in quieter scenes and dialogue-heavy exchanges, where the audio can sometimes come across as flat and devoid of the vibrance found in the rest of the soundscape. Despite these few moments where the audio lacks depth, the overall presentation is polished, with a richness and aggression that enhances the film's most entertaining sequences. The low bass support adds a satisfying gravity to the mix, ensuring that even when the film doesn't hold attention, the auditory experience remains compelling.

The Blu-ray release of "Universal Soldier: The Return" offers a modest collection of extras that lean heavily on the promotional side, encapsulating a sense of nostalgia for the '90s. The extra features include a brief making-of segment, which, despite its attempts at depth, comes off as a standard electronic press kit (EPK) filled with film snippets and surface-level insights from the cast and creators, including Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Jai White. Amidst these, Van Damme’s retrospective stands out as it intertwines a look back at his action-packed past with a veneer of personal insight, yet it feels more like an elongated advertisement for his filmography under Sony than an intimate portrait. Additionally, Michael Jai White shares his rigorous fitness routine, which, while informative, mirrors the tone of a late-night fitness product infomercial. The inclusion of BD-Live features and high-definition trailers for other films adds a contemporary touch to the disc’s otherwise nostalgic appeal.

Extras included in this disc:

• The Making of 'Universal Soldier: The Return': Promo piece with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
• Michael Jai White: A Universal Soldier's Workout: Focus on White's fitness regimen.
• Jean-Claude Van Damme: Looking Back-Moving Forward: Retrospective on Van Damme’s career.
• BD-Live Functionality: Interactive feature (Blu-ray profile 2.0).
• Trailers: High-definition previews for related movies.

Universal Soldier: The Return" struggles to live up to even the modestly entertaining standards set by its predecessor, suffering from a significant loss of the original's charm and chemistry in absence of Dolph Lundgren. Jean-Claude Van Damme's return as Luc Deveraux, now ironically serving as a tech guru for the UniSol program, lacks the engaging dynamic his previous face-off with Lundgren provided. The narrative, trying to compensate for this chemistry void, throws in a mix of over-the-top villains like Romeo (Bill Goldberg) and Squid/SETH (Michael Jai White) alongside convoluted subplots ranging from kidnapped relatives to double-crossing military officials. Despite these attempts, the film's logic and overall story coherence take a backseat to its relentless pursuit of mindless action sequences, resulting in a disjointed experience that barely manages to entertain on a superficial level.

The film indulges in a barrage of action-packed sequences, relentless gunfire, and explosive chases, yet fails to mask its thinly-veiled plot and underdeveloped characters. The special effects, action choreography, and dialogue all reflect a lackluster effort that further detracts from the film's appeal. Notably, the inclusion of poor special effects and repetitive shooting matches only emphasizes the sequel's inability to innovate or offer any meaningful depth beyond its surface-level thrills. This effort to bank on the franchise's residual fame results in a sequel that feels more like an uninspired rehash rather than a justified continuation of the "Universal Soldier" saga.

In essence, "Universal Soldier: The Return" is emblematic of the challenges facing sequels that aim to capitalize on the success of their forebears without delivering on the expectations set by them. It's an action-packed yet ultimately unsatisfying experience that struggles to find its footing amidst a cluttered plot and forgettable performances. This installment may offer some level of entertainment for hardcore fans of the genre or those with an appetite for non-stop action, but it significantly falters in its attempt to recapture or build upon the original film’s legacy, settling instead into the realm of missed opportunities and what could have been.

Universal Soldier: The Return" finds itself struggling to climb out of the shadow of its origin story, failing to reignite the spark that made the original a notable, if not monumental, entry in the action genre. This sequel seems to stumble at almost every hurdle, presenting viewers with dialogue that feels clumsy at best, and at worst, completely disengaging. The action sequences, which should be the film's bread and butter, come across as tedious and unimaginative, contributing to an overall sense of disappointment. The acting does little to elevate the material, drifting towards the unremarkable, and the plot barely scratches the surface of potential, opting instead for a predictable parade of gunfire and explosions. Despite this, Sony's transfer of the film to Blu-ray format is competent, offering a picture quality that is acceptable though far from groundbreaking and an audio experience that manages to be one of the few highlights, capturing the cacophony of the battlefield with reasonable depth and clarity.

On the technical side, the Blu-ray release does not do much to alleviate the film's innate weaknesses. The visual presentation can be described as functional without offering the sharpness and depth many aficionados have come to expect from high-definition releases. The audio, while decent, stands as a small solace in an otherwise lackluster package. Extras are sparse, providing little additional value to fans hoping for an in-depth exploration of the film's creation or legacy. It seems aimed solely at diehard fans or completists who feel compelled to have every entry in the "Universal Soldier" saga within their collection.

In conclusion, "Universal Soldier: The Return" on Blu-ray is a release that mirrors the film itself: underwhelming. It serves as a case study in missed opportunities, from its narrative to its technical execution. While it may find a home among diehard fans or those with a penchant for action films of any quality, it is unlikely to impress the casual viewer or enthusiasts looking for a standout addition to their collection. In a market flooded with superior action flicks and high-quality Blu-ray releases, this sequel and its physical manifestation struggle to justify their existence beyond mere curiosity.