Soldier - 1998

Warner Bros. Pictures, Morgan Creek Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Cast:

• Todd 3465 – Kurt Russell
• Cain 607 – Jason Scott Lee
• Colonel Mekum – Jason Isaacs
• Sandra – Connie Nielsen
• Mace – Sean Pertwee
• Church – Gary Busey
• Riley – James Black
• Jimmy Pig – Michael Chiklis

Story: In the not so distant future, soldiers are selected at birth. They are trained, educated, developed and bred to be soldiers, nothing more. They follow orders without question, do as they are told, and are the perfect fighting machines. Todd 3465 is one such soldier under the command of Captain Church. Colonel Mekum appears with the latest batch of soldiers, bred with DNA manipulation to make them superior to the soldiers The new soldiers are pitted against the old soldiers, and under training situations, the new soldiers appear superior. Cain 607 is sent into combat against Todd 3465 and two others and defeats the three soldiers. They believe all three to be dead, but Todd 3465 is simply unconscious. The bodies are given to waste disposal, where they are loaded on a waste freighter and dropped on a waste disposal planet. Todd 3465 manages to survive the drop and finds himself among a group of marooned people who were on their way to the Trinity Moons to colonize there. They have given up on their rescue and have created a sort of life there. Todd learns to interact with the colonists, and comes to realize there is more to life than being a soldier. Colonel Mekum and his soldiers are assigned to a security sweep of the area, and when they land on the planet, they are told to consider the colonists hostiles and to eliminate them. Todd 3465 realizes there is only one way to stop the killing, and that is to kill the soldiers.

Review: Another bleak look at the future of mankind. But this time, it isn't the machines we have to worry about, its us. Kurt Russell and Jason Scott Lee are both excellent in this minimalist drama about future soldiers who have no other interests than being soldiers. Neither have many lines, since soldiers only speak when they are spoken to. So it comes down to their ability to convey their characters with expression, which is not an easy thing to do. But they both manage to pull it off nicely. Gary Busey is perfect as the “Old School” captain in opposition to Jason Isaacs as the over confident Colonel Mekum. Connie Nielsen and Sean Pertwee do well as the stranded couple trying to raise their son and make a life on a hostile and harsh planet. Overall, the film has the right feel and the right depth of scientific development. No phaser rifles, but lots of oversized heavy weapons and machinery. The story development is interesting, and there are plenty of scenes where Todd is exposed to the lives of the colonists, a world he is unfamiliar with and uncomfortable in. Rated R for violence and language, the younger teens should be able to watch this without a lot of concerns.