by Danny Stewart

BearManor Media

 

A look at Paul W S Anderson’s 1998 sci-fi action movie. 

Noted Blade Runner aficionado Paul M Sammon reflects in his afterword to Danny Stewart’s brief guide to Soldier that we all have our own weird obsessions, and that while he cannot dispute the author’s enthusiasm towards the movie, he personally doesn’t share that strange love. It’s something I can relate to.

On its release in 1998, I found Soldier to be a generic studio sci-fi movie that felt like it had been cut to the minimum running time, and that even Kurt Russell couldn’t save it. Having read Stewart’s book, I don’t feel any differently, but it’s fun to read the first-hand perspectives of some of the creatives.

An interview with screenwriter David Webb Peoples is the most interesting section, as he bats away theories that he doesn’t subscribe to. We learn that his biggest thrill was meeting Kurt Russell and that he has never even seen the movie. Other interviews follow with an associate producer, camera operators, assistant directors, makeup artists and the film loader. There’s nothing Earth-shattering revealed, but if you really are interested in facts about the movie at a granular level, you can sift through the anecdotes.

Verdict: At under 150 pages, this collection of interviews, ideas, essays and reviews doesn’t outstay its welcome, but it’s one for the fans of the movie. 6/10

Nick Joy