Time: 99 Minutes
Cast:
Kurt Russell as Sergeant Todd “3465”
Jason Scott Lee as Caine 607
Jason Isaacs as Colonel Mekum
Connie Nielsen as Sandra
Sean Pertwee as Mace
Gary Busey as Captain Church
Michael Chiklis as Jimmy Pig
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

Todd, a veteran soldier, and his unit are replaced by a new group of genetically engineered soldiers. He takes it upon himself to save his home when the new group of soldiers try to eliminate them.

I knew that Soldier as being one of Paul W.S. Anderson’s movies and went in only expecting an action sci-fi starring Kurt Russell. It was pretty good, it flawed.

The plot really isn’t special; it’s quite simple with plenty cliche action sci-fi tropes. There’s not a whole lot of depth and it doesn’t really use its potential and intriguing elements to the fullest capacity. Still, it is enjoyably cheesy and well paced enough that I was on board with the movie throughout. The opening montage sets the stage of the film well, and the action filled third act is satisfying.

The movie is led by a strong lead performance from Kurt Russell. His character is a silent and broken soldier who doesn’t say much, by far Russell’s quietest performance. He does work well at portraying an emotionally restricted person, and he almost seems childlike with how he acts and even the way he looks at things and people. The rest of the cast consisting of Jason Isaacs and Sean Pertwee are pretty good too.

Paul W.S. Anderson’s direction is solid. There are some good and stylish set and production designs in the junkyard village that much of the film takes place in. The special effects are decent and there are some exciting action sequences, especially near the end.

Soldier is a decent sci-fi action flick with solid performances and set pieces, and it’s one of Paul W.S. Anderson’s best.