Movie Review: Soldier (1998)

This movie begins in 1996, where infant children are being chosen to become soldiers. The main character, Sergeant Todd (Kurt Russell) is conditioned physically to become a fighter by methods such as running, training with weapons, and fighting. He is also mentally prepared by being show very violent situations, such as dogs attacking chickens, and forced to watch. Upon graduation, Todd fights in many wars, such as the War of the Six Cities. At the age of 40, Todd begins to realize that he is becoming obsolete, to be replaced by the new, genetically-engineered soldiers. Colonel Mekum (Jason Isaacs) wants to replace Todd's unit, but Captain Church (Gary Busey), believes that the unit is still useful. Mekum and Church put their units in a death-match to see who's is best. Todd and Caine 607 (Jason Scott Lee) begin fighting, and even though Caine 607 loses an eye, Todd is eventually knocked out. The remaining of Todd's unit are stripped of their ranks and are given menial support roles.

Todd, thought to be dead, and is sent to Arcadia 234, a trash planet. He meets up with the inhabitants, pacifists who left earth on a voyage to the Trinity Moons. He soon becomes friends with Mace (Sean Pertwee), but most of the group decides he is unfit to live among their group due to his behavior as a result of his conditioning. He is exiled with enough supplies for him to survive by himself. When Nathan, Mace's son, saves his parents from a venomous snake by killing it with one of Todd's techniques, Mace goes out on his own to find Todd.

When Colonel Mekum's unit comes to the planet (which is listed as uninhabited) for a training exercise, he decides that the people living on Arcadia 234 are trespassers and should be used as practice and orders his troops to kill them. Todd meets Caine 607 once again, and manages to kill Caine 607.Mekum orders the troops who lost in the death-match(who were given menial support roles) to prepare a bomb capable of destroying Arcadia 234. When Mekum realises that all of his soldiers are gone, he kills Captain Church and orders that they lift off. Then Todd soon appears, and the soldiers from Todd's original unit side with him, take over the ship, and throw Mekum onto the planet as they're lifting off, just seconds before the Planet explodes. They head off towards the colonists original destination, the Trinity Moons.

I personally think that this was a great movie and very under-rated. Kurt Russell only speaks about 104 words.

Where to buy this movie
www.amazon.com/Soldier-Kurt-Russell/dp/0790740443/ref=sr_1_1
video.barnesandnoble.com/DVD/Soldier/Kurt-Russell/e/085391695820/
www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp cheapest, 5.99 with free shipping

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_(film)
http://www.answers.com/topic/soldier-film