The Soldier

The Soldier (1982)

Runtime: 88 minutes (not 96 minutes like it says on the back of the Blu-ray)

Directed by: James Glickenhaus

Starring: Ken Wahl, Alberta Watson, Steve James, Joaquim de Almeida, Peter Hooten

From: Embassy

I know that some dig this film... I certainly did not, even with some inspired moments: 

I now know what “inspired” part of the score to Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

This film has a cult of fans so last year I made a blind buy of the Blu from Kino Lorber; as you can see from my rating, I am not a fan of the film... but it doesn't mean I totally regret the purchase. I mean, there are some inspired moments and the Tangerine Dream score was pretty bitchin.' Yet otherwise...

Things start off on a baffling note with the inexplicable opening scene, then you have the theft of plutonium by the Soviets; that seems fine and all, except that it's being transported via semi truck with two vehicles surrounding it. The semi cab and the two vehicles are taken out... via rocket launcher?! This causes explosions, and is it a smart idea to have FIRE around plutonium? Apparently so, as the heist is successful. The terrorists wants Israel to leave the West Bank, or else millions of gallons of oil will be ruined in Saudi Arabia. The scenario sadly does not sound so far fetched in real life, but I presume the solution we'll get in real life won't be several “special soldiers” putzing around until we get a total wet fart of an ending that is not exciting at all. How a movie ends should never give me a feeling of miasma, yet that occurred here.

A shame, as the cast is fine between Ken Wahl, Alberta Watson, and his other pals including Steve James, Peter Hooten and Joaquim de Almeida. Of course, in small roles are both Jeffrey Jones and Klaus Kinski... while I'll never forget the heinous crimes they were either convicted or accused of, either one of them in a movie does not automatically ruin it for me, or even those two in the same picture-after all, they only have like two minutes of screentime each. The most surprising appearance for most will be during a scene in a country bar, where George Strait (!!) and his band perform a song; it's Fool Hearted Memory, his first-of many-number one country hits. This was just the beginning of him becoming popular and eventually, a legend in the genre.

I wish this movie would have been popular with me-the premise sounds promising for sure. Regrettably, even with some exciting action beats this fell totally flat with me. What should have been a thrilling final act was anything but, and as I mentioned the ending was just lackluster and made me go, “Wait, that's it?” The Tangerine Dream score was bitchin'... but no matter how good that was, it wasn't going to save this motion picture which seems like idiots trying to do 007, and failing at it. As I alluded to at the beginning, one song by Tangerine Dream here sounds almost identical to the Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon theme; this realization greatly amused me. The urge to rewatch an actual Bond film or play Blood Dragon again at least will help make me forget how disappointing The Soldier was.