I am an unabashed fan of all things Jean Claude Van Damme. At the height of his theatrical dominance he put out so many great martial arts flicks that I love to this day. In 1992 Van Damme teamed up with fellow action star Dolph Lundgren for the action flick Universal Soldier from the Independence Day writer and director duo of Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich and now Lionsgate is bringing it to 4K for the first time ever.

 

Universal Soldier follows soldiers Luc Deveraux and Sgt. Andrew Scott who killed each other in Vietnam, but their demise proves to be just the beginning for the U.S. government, which brings both men back to life decades later for a secret anti-terrorism program. I remember seeing the trailer for this movie and being blown away by its possibilities. When I finally got to see it on the big screen it not only lived up to my hopes it became one my favorites of the Van Damme catalog. This is Van Damme’s Terminator with him getting to showcase and emotionless character that evolves as the film moves forward all while kicking major ass throughout.

 

Both Van Damme and Lundgren get to showcase the badassery they are known for with Lundgren getting to chew up more scenery as the bad guy looking to take Van Damme out. This made for some great and for me iconic fight sequences right up until the rainy nighttime farm fight that is perfection. What’s even more impressive is one of the early fights in the diner where Van Damme just wants to eat but is forced into a fight and kicks ass using minimal movement and tons of personality. This is vintage 90s action and until recently with his turn in the Kickboxer remakes is the only franchise he has stuck with through all four films.

 

This new 4K release looks great and brings a crisp fresh look to this already awesome action flick like never before. In addition to the film this release offers up a ton of bonus content including commentary, trailer, alternate ending, featurettes and more. Grab your copy of Universal Soldier available now on 4K Ultra for the first time ever from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.