Sunday, March 14, 2010

Universal Soldier / Dante's Inferno anime reviews

Dante’s Inferno:

This is not an adaptation of the classic poem.  I’ve read a number or reviews from people who thought that this was what they were going to get, and they were all sorely disappointed. If you’re expecting me to review this movie based on my own experiences with the poem or based on my historical knowledge of the time, of Dante Alighieri, or any of that kind of stuff than you’re also going to be sorely disappointed.  I am well-read enough to have gone through the poem in my teenage years, but it isn’t one of my favorite nor was I renting this movie with an expectation that it would be a faithful adaptation.  Truth be told, the poem itself is a largely rambling description of the things Dante imagined within the nine circles of Hell.  And while it may have inspired the video game upon which this movie is based, the poem is a separate entity unto itself.

With that said:

Dante’s Inferno is a journey through hell for a Crusader seeking to rescue his one true love from the depths after her soul is claimed by Lucifer.  He is led through the nine circles of Hell by the poet Virgil, where he comes to face his own sins and the burning souls of those he has known in life.  At the end of each level he is forced into combat with one of Hell’s minions, using a hell-wrought scythe stolen from one of the demons he slays at the Gate.  The story is told with ultraviolent animation from several different sequence directors blends a mix of styles, with artists from America, South Korea, and Japan working to adapt the tale provided in cut scenes from the new video game from EA.  There’s no reinvention of the wheel, and most of the film pretty much bogs down with the over-wrought cries from it’s main protagonist as he calls out “Beatrice!” while charging through one violent encounter after another.  I would have been flipping out as a teenager, but the script becomes somewhat tedious after the first several screams and then just grates on your nerves when you see some of the obvious turn approaching.

The different animation styles blend well enough together.  Each canto is pretty much represented by a different artist, with some stylistic changes between the different studios as Dante is presented with long hair, short hair, mutton chops, different builds, and a variety of different artistic changes.  He does, however, consistently wear a red cross stitched across his chest and a veritable crown of iron that could be seen as a helm, a metal band, or some such variation.  Other characters feature similar variations in their appearance.  The project is a major support for a video game that brings on the grue in tidal waves of blood and gore, and that’s all it ever sets out to be.  Perhaps it may inspire some younger genre fans to pick up the occasional classic or research the history of the Crusades.  Not very likely, but it might.

3.5 out of 5
Worth a look.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration

The original Universal Soldier is largely thought of as a Terminator rip off, cashing in on the success of T2 and promoting itself as a vehicle for the action star antics of Jean Claude Van Damme.  There have been several direct to video sequels, a theatrical follow up some years later, and now a new direct to DVD film featuring the two headline stars of the original film.  JCVD reprises his role from the original film in a sequel that pretty much ignores any of the prior sequels; no mention of a daughter, no mention of other Uni-Sol projects, and no retirement for the Luc Deveraux character.  In this film, Luc is one of five original Uni-Sol’s still in commission.  He is taking part in an experiment to rehabilitate and rejoin society.

A terrorist kidnaps the teenage children of a Russian president, occupies and threatens to detonate the reactors at Chernobyl, and threatens the world with massive nuclear fall out if some 200+ political prisoners are not released.  A doctor responsible for the Next Gen Uni-Sol project works with the bad guy, and the military sends in the four remaining Uni-Sols to try and free the hostages, disarm the bomb, and defeat the Next Gen standing guard.  The whole movie is a nonstop action blitz as MMA star Andrei Arlowski fills the role of the Next Gen soldier tasked with basically wiping out his opposition.  Van Damme is called in with everything goes south, and we find out the mad doctor has a surprise twist of his own with a cloned and upgraded copy of the original films’ Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren).

Unlike the original film, Lundgren isn’t really given much of a chance to develop his character or do much of anything.  There are some scenes that show a glimmer of the psychotic inability to conform that led to Scotts’ breaking free of his programming in the original film, but there’s none of the back story to explain why he behaves or thinks the way he does in this film. I had always thought that Lundgren’s performance in the original film actually saved it from being a total waste of time and that he made a terrific villain. Sure, the whole premise may have been meant to cash in on the T2 action movie trend, but it wasn’t nearly as bad some of the other dreck I’ve seen in my life.  In a surprising twist, it’s actually JCVD who manages to captivate some of the drama for his Luc Deveraux character.  Confused, lost, and unable to understand the glimmers of emotion running in the back of his head, Luc only seems at peace when he’s at the violent peak for which he was created… but his own nature seems to reject. But, like Lundgren, Van Damme isn’t really given enough screen time in this movie to develop a wholly cohesive storyline behind his character.

Too many things happening at a break neck pace, wrapped up with some great martial arts action and explosive combat. Unfortunately, not enough time is spent on providing a solid focus for the audience.  In the midst of the political division between the terrorist and the mad doctor, we also have a “normal” recon commando heading into the lion’s den to ferret out information and maybe locate the hostages, the personal struggle with JCVD, and the kidnapped teenagers attempting to make their own stands. The thing is, I wanted to see a little more out of the characters, a little more out of the script, but I’m also satisfied with what the director delivered anyway.  This movie was pure octane explosive action with some of the best martial arts choreography I’ve seen in a long while.  The stunts were top notch and we saw a good blend of striking combined with an interesting blend of grappling, a much more subtle form of the art that doesn’t see a lot of great cinematography as a result. The crew manages to overcome the limitations most action choreographers find with grappling styles.

Universal Soldier is a satisfying snack to pass the time with, but you’re not going to find much in the way of meat and potatoes. Worth a look, though.

3.5 out of 5.

No comments:

Post a Comment