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Return of the soldier
Macho man Jean-Claude Van Damme, who made his mark with Double Impact, and
went on to consolidate his position with films like Timecop, Hard Target,
Nowhere To Run, returns in the sequel to the hit Universal
Soldier...
When you think of the recent action heroes, three names come to mind - Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Jean-Claude Van Damme. While the first two have diversified into playing emotional roles, where they have proved that there’s more to them than just muscles (Stallone was superb in the comedy Oscar, while Schwarzeneggar was endearing as a father in Jingle All The Way), Van Damme (as he is popularly known) still hasn’t broken free from his action-hero image. And he wouldn’t really want to because all his action films, with amazing fights and stunts (a result of the combination of modern action and martial arts which Van Damme has mastered) are lapped up by the audiences.
Van Damme returns with more thrills in the sequel to one of his most successful films Universal Soldier, titled The Eliminator. Released in the US as Universal Soldier: The Return, the film did a fairly good business at the b.o. For the action hero, who has more than 20 films to his credit, this happens to be his first sequel, in which you get to see innovative action combined with martial arts. Here, the saga of Luc Deveraux’s (Van Damme), the unstoppable soldier who was the lone survivor in the original film, continues. The film begins some years later, and we now see Luc as a widower, and a caring father, serving as a technical expert on a special government project - that of coming up with a new, stronger breed of soldiers (robots) that are more sophisticated, intelligent and agile.
The project progresses without any hitches, until the soldiers’ super-computer S.E.T.H. (Self Evolving Thought Helix) played by Michael Jai White, develops a mind of its own and comes up with mean plans, one of them being the destruction of Luc. Only a few people can help the ‘Universal Soldier’, two of them being Erin (Heidi Schanz), a tough reporter striving for a scoop, and Maggie (Kiana Tom), Luc’s partner and close friend, who knows how to combat the out-of-control robotic soldiers.
In this sequel, Luc is up against more than one super-soldier - there’s S.E.T.H., an entire army of Unisols and Romeo (Bill Goldberg), a giant Energizer Bunny. The action-hero overcomes these obstacles in this thriller, which blends action and science-fiction effectively, besides including romance and advocating family ties.
The success of Universal Soldier (which grossed more than $100 million internationally in 1992) spurred Van Damme and his producer friends to make a sequel. Also, the actor could now delve deep into the role that had been just outlined in the original. As co-producer Craig Baumgarten explains, "In the first movie, he was a Unisol, and not really a formed human being. He was just beginning to feel human feelings and understand human emotions - laughter, sadness, pain, anger and love. In this film, he’s a normal human being, a little stronger with bigger muscles."
The Eliminator marks the debut of director Mic Rodgers,
who is a veteran stuntman and stunt co-ordinator (Lethal Weapon and its three
sequels, Payback and Maverick), and has served as the second-unit director
on films like Volcano and Oscar-winner Braveheart. He was chosen for his
experience (a career spanning three decades) and know-how of action films.
Baumgarten wanted "somebody who would bring a lot of energy and a fresh
prespective, with great action" to the sequel. According to Van Damme, it
was Rodgers who was responsible for making the character of Luc appear something
more than just a action
hero.
S.E.T.H. and Romeo, the indestructible villains of the story, also impress with their unique way of tackling Luc’s attacks. Wrestler Bill Goldberg makes his acting debut as Romeo, and like in real life, in reel life too he never gives up fighting. Director Rodgers was sure the audiences would take a liking to Goldberg because "he’s the kind of bad guy one loves to hate." Goldberg, on his part, didn’t have to work hard on the role, simple because he played himself.
Michael Jai White plays S.E.T.H., the super-computer who gives orders to Romeo. White has been earlier seen in the title role in Tyson and Spawn, and he enjoyed playing the evil S.E.T.H., his first role as main villain. According to Rodgers, White’s charcater is one of the highlights of the film, and they were lucky to get the actor who’s essayed it convincingly. "He’s one of the best martial artists, and he and Van Damme, who’s also a martial arts expert, together in the final confrontation, look exciting, and come up with a great fight," co-producer Baumgareten adds.
Director Rodgers also saw to it that his heroines were not "damsels in distress" but a part of action, who would go into the battle as much as the guys. "Strong women are intelligent, more interesting and they’re sexier," he stresses.
The Eliminator has been shot mostly in Texas, at Caddo
Lake, one of the largest natural lakes there. With swamps easily avaialable
there, Van Damme and the stunt team were able to shoot the fast-paced action
sequences that open the movie. The other location for action shooting was
the now-defunct Superconducting Super Collider at Waxahachie, a
multi-billion-dollar government project that was shut down in 1993.
Compiled By Salma
Khatib