Soldier

Details

From the moment he is born, Todd is trained for one purpose - war. Raised alongside hundreds of other children, he grows into one of the military's finest soldiers, knowing nothing beyond following orders and eliminating his enemies. Emotion, compassion and fear are qualities that have been systematically bred out of him.

Years later, a new generation of genetically engineered super-soldiers is introduced, rendering Todd and his comrades obsolete overnight. Ordered to prove their worth in a series of brutal combat trials, the ageing veterans are effortlessly defeated by their enhanced replacements. Believed to be dead, Todd is discarded on a remote waste planet along with the galaxy's unwanted scrap.

Against all odds Todd survives and is discovered by a small community of settlers who have carved out a peaceful existence amongst the mountains of discarded machinery. Initially unable to understand their compassion or way of life, Todd gradually begins to discover emotions and human qualities that years of military conditioning had suppressed.

His peaceful new life is short-lived when the colony finds itself in the path of the same genetically enhanced soldiers who replaced him. Forced to become the warrior he was created to be, Todd must decide whether he is still simply a weapon...or finally something more.

Picture & Sound

Picture quality is reasonable without ever becoming spectacular. The transfer is generally clean and detailed, although it lacks the sharpness and vibrant colours seen on some of Warner's better releases. Compression artefacts are kept to a minimum, but the presentation ultimately feels rather average.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is undoubtedly the star of the show. Gunfire, explosions and the impressive sandstorm sequence make excellent use of the surround channels, while the deep bass gives the action scenes plenty of impact. Dialogue remains clear throughout, resulting in a soundtrack that comfortably outclasses the video presentation.

Menu & Extras

Warner's contribution to the extras department can best be described as non-existent. There are no documentaries, commentaries or deleted scenes - in fact there is nothing here beyond the film itself. At least the studio has finally abandoned its old generic menu system in favour of something a little more presentable, even if there's precious little to navigate.

Overall

Despite an interesting premise, I never really found myself becoming involved in Soldier. Kurt Russell spends much of the film deliberately saying very little, and whilst that perfectly suits the character, it also makes it difficult to build any real emotional connection with him. The pacing doesn't help matters either, with several sections dragging when they should have been building tension.

Reading the blurb on the back of the case also promises far more than the film ultimately delivers. References to gigantic crawler vehicles conjure up images of enormous Jawa-style machines roaming across the wasteland, but what actually appears on screen amounts to little more than monster trucks with guns bolted to the side. It's hard not to feel just a little short-changed.

That's not to say the film is without merit. The production design is convincing, the action scenes are well staged and the outstanding Dolby Digital soundtrack frequently reminds you what your surround speakers are capable of. Unfortunately the script never fully capitalises on its ideas, leaving the film feeling rather flat.

In the end Soldier is a disappointment. An average transfer and non-existent extras certainly don't help matters, although the excellent soundtrack does rescue the DVD from complete mediocrity. Worth a rental if you're curious, but not a disc I'd be rushing out to add to my collection.

Special features

• None