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Sure, it's a bit testosterone-driven, but without movies like this, we wouldn't have TNT, right? Kurt Russell stars in this retro sci-fi flick as Sgt. Todd, a Soldier. No other job title is necessary-- you can hear the proper noun status in the voice of everyone who says this word in the movie. I only wish it worked when I say "I'm a teacher." Todd has been "replaced" by a new breed of fighting Soldiers. Todd does his best to prove himself in a physical endurance test where he does all but turn his head and cough, but gets his can royally kicked by his replacement Caine (Jason Scott Lee) and is "disposed of" on a remote Planet Dumpster. There, Todd meets other refugees of the galaxy and joins with them in their fight against being wiped out by the very administration that disposed of him.
Some of the characterization is excessive. Gary Busey is the Col. Trautman to Russell's Rambo, but only enough for him to spout some smartass rejoinders to his superior officers. Col. Meekum (Jason Isaacs)tries to come off like an evil R. Lee Emery but comes off more like a "bad wittle boy" instead--he's too much the bureaucrat, both in character and physique. Still, we need that kind of performance in a movie like this. Since Todd is the main character, and since his character has been trained to be silent and respectful, it helps to surround him with walking cliches to evoke and enhance the discipline and strength he's supposed to emit. And the funny thing is, it works. We couldn't listen to Todd spout lines like "I'm going to kill them all, sir" without them--he'd sound like a bad Terminator ripoff otherwise. You can pretty much plot the course of this movie after watching the first five minutes, especially if you've seen Shane: Good guy gets retired, is alone, finds others who are alone, is ostracized by them, saves them against their wills, unites with them, and kicks the bad guy's can in revenge. But that's not to say we don't enjoy seeing the story played out.
--Long
Copyright 2002 Tso Long Productions ©