The Soldier (1982) User Reviews (39)

You should definitely enlist The Soldier into your collection!

[tarbosh22000 · 6/10 · 22 March 2012]

Evil Russians steal some nukes, plant them in an oil field, and threaten to detonate them, thereby contaminating a large part of the world's oil supply. For some unexplained reason, they are anti-Israel bigots who want to move the Israelis off the West Bank. Sadly, The President (that's actually his credited character name) (Prince) is all too willing to comply. But there's one more ace up the USA's sleeve: The Soldier (Wahl). He's a highly-trained agent who controls a super-secretive and elite unit, and he's working with the Israelis to save the world.

This movie has a killer opening sequence that really pulls you in. Its themes of terrorism and anti-Semitism (even from the highest levels of government) are, disturbingly, quite relevant and even prescient for today. The Soldier, for all it's 80's-style anti-commie plot threads (not that those are a bad thing in any way), was ahead of its time. Plus it has an unbeatable combination of Ken Wahl and Steve James fighting the baddies. So for that alone The Soldier is worth seeking out.

Of course, there is some top-notch stuntwork as well. The ski chase sequence is a movie highlight, and director Glickenhaus must have loved it so much, he also included it in his movie Shakedown. Sam Elliott is watching it in the movie theater. It's truly Glickenhaus on Glickenhaus. And it's top-notch Glickenhaus. He's only directed eight movies, and out of those, The Soldier stands out. He's adept at action sequences, as amply proved here.

Wahl is cool, and he's as cool here as we've ever seen him. He should have done more projects like this. His sweaters are very stylish and we liked his attitude. As for Klaus Kinski, one of the most underrated actors of all time, he does about a five minute cameo and has no spoken dialogue. Hmmmm...talk about a paycheck role. The Soldier could have been improved if Kinski was the main bad guy and Wahl had to face off against him. That would have been awesome. Chalk that up to a missed opportunity.

Loaded with three of the best things you can ask for in a movie like this: top-quality stunts, over-the-top action violence and 80's atmosphere, these elements overcome some plot weaknesses. Additionally, the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream rules.

You should definitely enlist The Soldier into your collection.

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Badly made movie with a few good scenes.

[mm-39 · 5/10 · 21 July 2003]

Not a great movie, but better than other films. The Soldier is about the cold war between the Soviets and Ameriacans. This movie is similar to James Bond but is more violent than the Bond films. Ken Wahl is the C I A's version of James Bond. However, I find the movie is inferiorly made compared to the Bond series. I hate seeing a few good scenes wasted in a film which has choppy directing, an unbelievable script, and bad acting. I like these kind of films but this movie is like a HBO style, low budget film. I wish the makers had more time and money to make this movie the way it should have been made. The Soldier is an 3 or 5 out of 10. Watch it on late night TV.

Bond for Babies

[neil-douglas2010 · 5/10 · 9 May 2022]

A film so ridiculous it's almost good. Released a year after "For Your Eyes Only", this is similar in only one respect a skiing chase scene. Even this is pretty poorly done. The cast are uniformly dismal and the music isn't much better. The only saving grace is that it doesn't overstay it's welcome and they didn't make a sequel.

What is it about Cold War-era Films?

[deapod · 26 June 2001]

I saw THE SOLDIER in the theater, on HBO or Movie Channel (I can't remember which), and in college. Now, I was a freshman at a military college, and they showed this one weekend. Everybody cheered during the title sequence, when words like "DEMOCRACY" and pictures of B-52s were shown, and booed for "COMMUNIST" and pictures of Soviet leaders. Yes, it was the height of the Cold War, and we were training to fight the Soviet Menace, the Evil Empire, the Reds. And we all loved the opening scene in Philadelphia, when the limo, targeted by the terrorists, turns out to be bait to draw the bad guys into the open, so Ken Wahl and his team can hose them with their weapons. But, let's face it, the dialogue was bad, and Ken Wahl has two acting modes--steely resolve and steely anger. But it was a fun little movie in which the good guys will, the bad guys lose, and a Porche gets destroyed jumping the Berlin Wall! It's James Bond with naked breasts and more firepower. And, of course, the "Politically Correct" crowd hates it. But THE SOLDIER, like RED DAWN and THE FINAL OPTION, are definitely products of the Cold War. We, the US and NATO, are good. We stand for freedom, democracy, and peace. They, the Soviets and their minions, stood for oppression, conquest, and war. Of course, we are going to win in these films. Did they ever make a movie about WW2 in which the Nazis won? It seems that most people will try to quickly forget the past, even if that past is less that 20 years earlier. Just enjoy films like these for what they are, movies from an earlier era. Just remember, "SKY BLUE ICE DAWN!"

Holy Mother of God, save us from this movie

[Chiat · 3/10 · 25 August 1999]

First of all, everybody's acting sucks. Considering the cast includes personal favorites like Jeffrey Jones, Ken Wahl, and Zeljko Ivanek, this says a lot. The plot is kind of like a bad acid trip, maybe a mescaline letdown - hard to tell. Everybody moves like they're underwater, and it's completely incomprehensible. The ski sequence was the best of the scenes, which frankly isn't saying a heck of a lot. I wept for Ivanek and Jones, caught like deer in headlights. Bet that ABC Movie-of-the-Week that they turned down to do this is looking like Bergman about now.

Consider the times

[kilted911 · 7/10 · 20 January 2006]

I saw it when it first came out, and I think I was a sophomore in high school. Carter and his "maliase" (pardon the spelling) were out, Reagan and his pro-America anti-evil empire were in. The Soviets were considered a real threat. Perhaps like today's Bin Laden with a few thousand nukes pointed at us.

Yes, the acting tended to be stiff, and there were some things that happened in the movie that didn't make too much sense. You know what? It was not a documentary. Tangerine Dream did an excellent job with the score, the opening scene was great, good action sequences that were of course pro-American, and it had a patriotic ending. It was a good movie for it's time. Back in 1982, it was considered very cool to be very patriotic, and this movie fit the time.

There Are Better Ways To Spend Your Time

[damianphelps · 5/10 · 3 November 2021]

At the time this movie had some teeth and a small reason to exist, however those things have both since been swallowed up by time.

Check it out only if you are going through an 80's B action phase :)

Great action!

[douglas-erwin · 7/10 · 21 March 2006]

At the forefront of "80's" action films. Better than anything Chuck Norris except maybe Delta Force? The vehicle (limo) ambush is great and the undercover agents are awesome. The silo takeover is hardcore and eye opening. I saw it young and several times, enjoyed it every time. Rent it, hard to find on DVD.

Ken Wahl and his team are outstanding in the fight sequences. Joaquim Almeida has gained popularity lately with "Clear and Present Danger" villain Hector and "Behind Enemy Lines" Admiral Pique, NATO.

Looks like some stuff out of the Anarchists cookbook with the light bulb. I'm sure some dumb kid has tried it at one time or another.

At the set location in St Anton, Austria

[arnesjoblom · 2/10 · 4 January 2005]

I was nearly added as an extra on this film but I passed when asked. Instead my friends, who made the cut, had to spend 2-3 days walking in and out of doors to a cable-car/tram at the Kapall in St Anton to be part of the film. It was really boring according to them, but they managed to rub shoulders with Mr Wahl and the famous Mr Kinski.

We all worked as tour-guides for a Swedish travel agency that winter and we had been asked when visiting the Krazy Kangaroh*, also included in the film, if we wanted to be part of the film as extras. As a matter of fact I said no to be a part of the film and but my friends, who accepted, had to stand inside being filmed and missed the chance to ski in glorious sun and skiing conditions. We had 6-8 feet's of snow that winter and lot's of powder.

Anyway, I ended up seeing the film later that year when I happened to stumble upon the film at a small cinema in Paris, France. It was of course dubbed to french with no subtitles but I really enjoyed the film scenes from St Anton and the stone-faced Mr Kinski. But I really couldn't make out what the film was about...!

*/ There is a scene in the film when the hero is doing a 360 over a ski jump and shooting bad guys at the same time. He then lands on restaurant tables and that scene is from KK. KK's owner, Gunnar Munthe, is standing in the audience watching in amazement.

Style over content leads to some great scenes but overall messy film

[Aylmer · 7/10 · 17 April 2019]

James Glickenhaus finally gets to work with a decent budget and uses it to create a fairly nonsensical but engrossing adventure just the same. The film maintains a serious and important tone throughout with plenty of high stakes and tension but disappointingly doesn't do much with it in the end. Mainly I find the film memorable due to the uncompromising and intense score by Tangerine Dream coupled with a lot of mean-spirited and violent setpieces toward the beginning of the film.

Ken Wahl reminds me of Italian actor Fabio Testi in that he's basically a blank slate but gets the job done. His delivery sounds a little like that mindless surfer bro who serves you a smoothie on the beach, but it gives his underwritten character a little bit of life. Supposedly his unit (also consisting of Steve James, Peter Hooten, Joaquim De Almeida, and some other random dude) are the crack, best of the best assigned to protect covert US interests. However their only real shared action is the bizarre, dreamlike opening of the film where they use no tactics whatsoever to foil and needlessly complicated terrorist attack. They're just standing there with Mac-10's drawn and spray and pray from the hip, killing squealing (yeah, squealing??) henchmen while burning as few calories as possible.

Little can be said about the film without mentioning the brilliant ski chase sequence, which may be the best ever filmed. Klaus Kinski shows up only to be completely wasted in one scene with a single inconsequential line, much like most of the other visiting character actors.

Overall THE SOLDIER feels more like an elaborate directing reel than an actual movie. I'd be much more apt to recommend it if the film's final act wasn't such a dreary letdown after all that build-up.

Posibly the worst move I've ever watched in my life

[eirhost · 1/10 · 22 February 2023]

Warning spoilers ahead

I am a fan of movies that are so bad they are good but this is just so bad this terrible.

It starts off with a plot that is absolutely ridiculous, and get progressively worse.

I watched it on the movie channel Talking Pictures TV and decided to give it a go because I fan of Ken Wahl from wiseguy fame.

The basic plot is that the KGB have decided to steal nuclear material from the United States because everybody knows they don't have any themselves. They then use this material to can a dirty bomb in Saudi Arabia unless the United States force Israel to withdraw from the West Bank.

In the end the soldier says today by jumping a Porsche over the Berlin Wall while his friends take over a nuclear missiles facility and threatened to nuke Moscow unless the KGB let him know where the bomb is.

Throw in a mud wrestling fight (yes really. There was one of those too) and you have possibly the worst movie ever made. It was like watching a car crash so horrendous that you could not look away from it.

Very enjoyable

[gareth633 · 8/10 · 2 July 2010]

Probably the best Glickenhaus film, great action sequences, over the top yes, but a lot of fun. Especially the beginning and the plutonium theft scenes.

The only downsides are the film drags slightly in the middle and Klaus Kinski has a minuscule role. Only gets one line I think. No great acting performances but action speaks louder than words in these sort of films and there is plenty. A ninja sequence with Steve James is a bit wasted as this angle could have been used more throughout the film i think, maybe in the assault on the missile base? Apart from those minor points it is overall a very good and underrated film. Certainly worth watching.

"You have two choices, *beep*...duck or bleed."

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 29 April 2018]

"The Soldier" is a politically loaded, extravagant action-thriller that is very much a product of the Cold War era. Ken Wahl of 'Wiseguy' fame (whatever happened to him?) stars as the title character, a coldly efficient anti-terrorism expert with a squad of four (played by Joaquim de Almeida ("Clear and Present Danger"), Peter Hooten ("The Inglorious Bastards"), cooler than cool Steve James (the "American Ninja" series), and Alexander Spencer). They're an "outside the grid" team that report straight to the director of the C.I.A., and they're called into action when KGB agents, posing as terrorists, steal a nuclear bomb and plant it in a Saudi Arabian oil field, threatening to detonate it. They want Israel to withdraw from the West Bank of Jordan, but didn't count on the Wiseguy factor.

You have to turn your brain off a bit watching this gleefully over the top escapism, while it goes and pushes your buttons with zeal. The plot (by director James Glickenhaus, who was following his memorable revenge saga "The Exterminator" at the time) is muddled, but it allows for some extremely impressive set pieces, which of course is what we're really watching this for. You may find some of this material totally implausible, but it's undeniably exciting. One highlight is Wahl escaping down a mountain on skis and turning around in the air to mow down his pursuer.

Glickenhaus wastes absolutely no time in amusing the viewer, with Wahl and his comrades baiting a terrorist group into the open so the cretins can get annihilated. The globe trotting aspect is also highly appreciated. Pacing is excellent and those electronic score geniuses Tangerine Dream do wonders with the music.

Wahl doesn't have to really DO much with his hero; all we need to know and see is that the guy defines the word "badass". James is as charismatic as ever. The late Canadian beauty Alberta Watson ("The Sweet Hereafter") is a sexy Mossad agent and romantic interest for Wahl. William Prince ("The Gauntlet") is the U.S. President, Jeremiah Sullivan ('The Adams Chronicles') the Russian villain. Buffs will enjoy spotting familiar faces in small roles: Zeljko Ivanek ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"), Jeffrey Jones ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), Ned Eisenberg ("The Burning"), Rebecca Schull ('Wings'), and Tom Wright ("Marked for Death"). However, the legendary Klaus Kinski ("Aguirre, the Wrath of God") is utterly wasted in a VERY brief cameo.

Provided you don't think about it too much, "The Soldier" shows undemanding action fans a pretty good time.

Seven out of 10.

A Poorly Made Action Film

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 10 June 2021]

This film essentially begins in Philadelphia with a terrorist assassination attempt by Soviet operatives which is foiled by an elite squad of CIA agents. The scene then shifts to New York where several other clandestine KGB agents ambush a convoy carrying weapons grade plutonium and subsequently plant the canister at an oil field in Saudi Arabia where they announce to the world that they will detonate their nuclear device unless Israel removes its forces from the West Bank. Realizing that this bomb could seriously impact the world's oil supply the United States makes plans for military action against Israel should they refuse the terrorist's demands. At the same time, however, they also activate the same elite squad mentioned earlier which is headed by one particularly tough CIA agent known simply as "the Soldier" (Ken Wahl). However, the KGB has anticipated this and taken several measures to eliminate him by whatever means necessary. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say this wasn't a very good espionage movies as it had several noticeable flaws including an extremely unrealistic plot coupled with and an exceedingly poor performance by Ken Wahl. Admittedly, the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream was quite good but even so it wasn't enough to fully overcome the faults just mentioned and I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.

Offbeat and worth watching

[cody1216 · 27 June 2008]

The people who have been trashing this film are missing the point. Of course the film's premise is implausible, many of the scenes are improbable to the point of being ridiculous, and some of James Glickenhuas' political views may be offensive to some, but as far as I'm concerned, The Soldier is more entertaining than all the 007 movies combined. This is a very offbeat, unusual film that requires a complete suspension of disbelief in order to watch from start to finish, but it's definitely worth watching.

Ken Wahl was an interesting choice for The Soldier. I'm surprised that Robert Ginty wasn't offered the role considering that Glickenhaus and Ginty enjoyed great success with The Exterminator less than two years prior. Still, Wahl turns in a good job, although the brief appearance of Klaus Kinski as Dracha is one of the highlights of the film.

James Glickenhaus had a good run in the 1980s (The Exterminator, The Soldier, The Protector, Shakedown) and offered an interesting alternative to all the lousy mainstream movies of that decade. This is one cynical, jaded New Yorker who wishes Glickenhaus would return to film-making and give us another interesting film like The Soldier.

The Soldier

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 13 February 2022]

James Glickenhaus made his name with the cult action movie The Exterminator.

With a bigger budget he followed it up with The Soldier.

Ken Wahl is The Soldier. A codename for a CIA anti terrorist agent to get results by any means.

Rogue KGB agents led by Ivan have stolen plutonium, made a nuclear device and threatening to bomb the oil fields in Saudi Arabia.

They want Israel to remove their settlements from the West Bank.

Faced with the half the world's oil reserves being contaminated for almost 300 years. The Soldier is sent in to investigate.

Ivan anticipates this and has plans to have him killed. When his CIA boss is killed The Soldier teams up with Mossad agents.

Glickenhaus has gone for a low budget B type James Bond movie. There is an elaborate ski slope chase scene and some international locations.

It also has an incoherent story that does not make much sense. It is easy to think that Glickenhaus has deliberately tried to be surreal and clever but I have my doubts.

There is an opening scene where a woman crosses the road with a pram in front of a diplomatic limousine. It fails to stop and mows the woman over.

The woman was actually a terrorist that planned to gun down the limo. The pram contained guns which other baddies went for.

The Soldier and his team gun them down. It looks like a training exercise.

It is part of the narrative but it is shot so ineptly and badly staged.

It is the kind of thing that lets the movie down. It has too many filler scenes, a choppy story and the electronic score does not suit it at all.

Style over substance done right

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 15 October 2023]

I came across the term "arthouse action movie" recently, and I just thought that whatever kind of movie that describes, I wanted to see it. I honestly don't know if it's all that common of a term, or if it even exists outside of Wikipedia... but it's nevertheless an interesting sounding subgenre. Some of the films listed I'd seen (they include well-known stylish/kind of artsy action/thriller movies like Drive and Leon: The Professional), but plenty seemed more underrated. One such movie was The Soldier.

I think it's safe to call it pretty underseen. It doesn't have a ton of reviews or ratings on either Letterboxd or IMDb, and I'd never heard of it until I stumbled down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. But I think it deserves more attention.

It's an odd but wonderfully direct action film, clocking in at under 90 minutes. The plot is barebones and of course the characters are simply there just to get wrapped up in action - The Soldier is also the name of the main character, after all, and that's the only name he's known by. He gets chased, fights, and spends the movie trying to stop some terrorists.

If you wanted to call it free of substance, maybe you'd be right, but also The Soldier doesn't care. Plus the simplicity of it all is fun, rather than frustrating, and the action is ridiculous and well-shot (the ski chase scene is particularly great). Maybe it's not too filling or substantial as a film, like eating a whole bag of potato chips and having your stomach still rumble, but who doesn't love eating lots of potato chips?

This would make an excellent double feature with the equally blunt but kind of admirable classic(?) 1984 film Streets of Fire.

Oh, those nasty Russians!

[Coventry · 4/10 · 17 January 2011]

I seriously have to stop making up my own story lines before seeing the actual movies! Too often it happens that see an enticing poster/cover image and title and then subsequently begin to draw my own story concept. Like in the case of "(Code Name: )The Soldier"… With a title like that, and the dark silhouette of a man with a massive gun on the VHS cover, I quickly became convinced that this film was about a secretly developed military weapon – presumably an indestructible cyborg of some sort – that would singlehandedly exterminate an entire army of bad guys. Disappointment all around when it turns out the soldier is, in fact, just an ordinary human being without any special powers or superhuman strengths. He's simply a CIA-agent who gets appointed the toughest and riskiest jobs. Other than that, "The Soldier" pretty much lives up to all expectations and contemporary 80's clichés. This is a typical US movie released during the peak of the Cold War era, so basically it means that evil and stereotypically hideous Russian bastards are developing fiendish plans to undermine the prosperity of the poor and peaceful American citizens. Russian terrorists with bazookas manage to steal a significant amount of plutonium and threaten to destroy 50% of the world's oil supply, unless the Israelis retire from the West Bank. Yes that does sound like a lot of political gibberish, but don't let this scare you off! In between all the politic nonsense and anti-communistic propaganda, there are plentiful of wild explosions, violent gunfights, close range executions and cheesy dialogs. Whilst allegedly negotiating with the Israelis, the American President assigns the head of the CIA to do whatever possible to prevent the loss of oil. "The Soldier" stands for half-decent and brainless entertainment, even though James Glickenhaus' screenplay sometimes tries to be a little bit too ambitious and intelligent. The film is actually very incoherent and too often jumps from scene to scene without making sense. Glickenhaus puts a lot of effort in the action sequences (like the skiing chase) and detailed accuracy in some cool gimmick sequences (like the construction of a light bulb bomb), but the overall storyline is pretty dumb. Glickenhaus' previous film "The Exterminator", about an embittered Vietnam veteran going on a vigilante rampage is much more shocking and socially confronting. Oh, and Klaus Kinski's role is frustratingly petite! It's hardly even a cameo.

Agency Man

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 31 October 2023]

This brainless peripatetic action thriller starts very well with a snazzy eighties-style title sequence. Very much of its time, it has something to offend everyone: thin-lipped Russians, fanatical arabs, mud-wrestling, gratuitous sex, its got it all; even a special "thank you" in the credits for Harvey Weinstein.

Its provenance of a more innocent age clearly indicated by the line "Is it terrorists, or is it the Russians?" and the music by Tangerine Dream. Its all done on a budget the biggest item of which must have been squibs, fake blood, prosthetics, explosives and helicopters, although it manages to briefly include a couple of reputable actors in the form of William Prince and Klaus Kinski.

Well, I enjoyed it!

[thunders-1 · 5/10 · 15 September 2005]

I saw this movie late one night on HBO about 20 years ago. At that time, I found it riveting, because that was when the Cold War was still going on, and the premise seemed reasonable enough.

Nowadays, it comes off as a really silly piece of right-wing propaganda, along the lines of "Rambo" and "Red Dawn." Oh well, it was a reflection of the times, i.e. Reagan's defense build-up, "Evil Empire" speech, etc.

However, I still have fond memories of this movie, because it's still highly enjoyable, in its own silly way. That ski chase scene was way cool, especially when the Soldier spun around in mid air and sprayed the bad guys. Even James Bond never pulled that one off.

Tangerine Dream music was AWESOME!

[sjamos8541 · 7/10 · 12 June 2016]

I was in high school when I saw this movie. Along with Red Dawn etc. we were all paranoid about the soviets pulling a fast one. I thought the Tangerine Dream music was AWESOME! The acting wasn't super, and the plot was OK, but the underlying story was great. Especially considering the last gasps of the cold war. Some of the effects were hokey but not really any worse than the James Bond movies or similar of the same era. It was all real stunts and so on, no CGI back then. Ken Wahl and his partners did a great job with what they had. This movie is VERY hard to find on DVD or online etc. Although somewhat early in his career, it showed that Ken Wahl could carry a movie on his own and that he had a good future in acting, TV and movies.

Great for its type

[Henry_56 · 5/10 · 22 February 2005]

This is a bit hammed up - lots of improbable action, dramatic lines, almost a caricature of a shoot-em-up spy movie. Yet, for what it is, it is great - You'd probably appreciate it a lot more as a twelve year old boy than any other age viewer, but it is fun and well done for its genre. It's no more corny than the old Star Trek was, in my opinion, nor much less! Plus, for the older viewer, Alberta Watson looks really good in this one. It moves fast, carries the viewer right along and requires only that you let it be a story and not critique it for accuracy, sophistication or subtlety of plot. There is a bit of 80's era violence, people getting shot, etc., no nudity, and some rough language. Also, in its hokey way, it gives a whiff of the era of the cold war. The Godfather, it's not, but a great movie for what it is.

My "Review" of this movie

[lvcambot-2 · 10/10 · 7 February 2010]

First of all..

I co-owned a video store. There was this young teen who would only rent this movie. Over and over and over..

-----

This is surely in my top 5 GREAT movies to watch! This material deserves a real Film-DVD or Film-Blue Ray release. IMHO!

I saw it when it first came out. It was every bit as shocking as Glickenhaus's other genre movies.. if not more so.

I'm also sure its release has been hurt by how accurate it must have been.

------

The folks that give this movie a bad or low rating.. Well they need to put this movie into context. Unless you were at least 20 years old in 1980.. NONE of this movie will make much sense. Many of the "In" jokes or cold war antics will not be fully understood.

Yes we were actually AT WAR with the Russians. Yes a whole lot of goofy stuff happened back then. On both sides of the wall.

At the time this movie came out.. This movie made it a point that America was not a super power anymore. We had lost the ability to field troops. Post Vietnam era really took its toll on the Military.

We couldn't even launch helicopters to rescue our hostages in Iran. Poorly trained.. Poorly armed.. We were a toothless lion (with nukes) in 1982.

Also you need to understand that SCENARIOS such as presented in this picture were actually "Thought about" back then. What if THEY do this? Is there anything WE can do? People forget that under Regan.. America nearly launched WWIII nukes more than 6 times! The scene where the American President orders a first strike against Israel. Then the next scene is the Israeli (guy in charge) being told the strike is coming. Yes it would surely have gone like that. So much for secrets right? To that end.. I'm sure there were rouge "Elite" units active back then. Folks that had the "Keys" and kept up the "Code books" to gain access.

There is probably more truth in this movie than any TOM CLANCY book.

Yea.. really.

PS: From what I understand Glickenhaus is "Not a nice man". His production company has hurt young film makers. (Watch out)

Don't blink! You might miss Klaus Kinski's guest-role

[t_atzmueller · 7/10 · 19 February 2012]

Not being a big fan of Ken Wahls wooden style of acting (if you want to call it that), there was one reason I went and watched „The Soldier": next to Wahls name on the promo-poster, stood the name Klaus Kinski and a Kinski-performance was always something special, no matter how mediocre the film itself.

Well, Kinski does appear as the informant 'Dracha' – for an estimated minute and a half. If ever there was a shorter cameo in any movie, the only thing that comes to mind is Harrison Ford's performance in "Bruno". Kinski, notoriously short on cash, looks like he just walked in on the set, while being on vacation in Switzerland, wearing his own ski-suit – let me correct me there: he actually was on vacation and it was his own suit. Though Harrison Fords mentioned guest-appearance in "Bruno" was shorter, the acting was infinitely better, leaving this one of Kinski's weakest performance ever.

So, what else do we get in "The Soldier"? We get a suitably no-brainer action flick, produced fast and cheap. No-brainer, because if you'd use that organ between your ears, you'd notice plot-holes that are big enough to swallow an entire galaxy. You'd also notice that director James Glickenhaus has stolen more stunts and action-sequences from more films then I care to remember – or you might not notice it at all, if you're the type of action-fan who'd reply to the question, whether you like James Bond films, with a puzzled, "James… who?" At times it's good and wholesome to turn the thinking-apparatus off for a little while and wallow in cheap acting, cheaper special effects and lots of gunfire and explosions. "The Soldier" is perfect for moments like those – just don't expect a good movie. In other words, you'll get what you wanted, when you rent "The Soldier" – unless you expected "On the Waterfront", and that kid in the video-store gave you the wrong film.

7 out of 10 points.

Middling effort.

[lost-in-limbo · 5/10 · 24 April 2020]

Who remembers the 1980's vigilante thriller "The Exterminator"? Well, genre writer/director James Glickenhaus would follow up that cult film with the global cold war thriller "The Soldier". Glickenhaus sure knows how to stage action and that's hard-edge action. From the opening minutes, you just know you're in for a grungy, violent treat with spectacular stunt-work and explosions galore. Watch how everyone just seems to pop out a gun, when needed. Throw in gratuitous slow motion and a foreboding electronic score by The Tangerine Dream. They really do set the tone with their pounding tune in the opening credits.

Sadly though it started off more promising then how it ended. It's disappointedly low-key with its reveal and ultimate pay-off. At least the pacing remains consistent, even if not finding the second half to be as riveting. And the build-ups do offer some outstanding set-pieces involving thrilling car chases, bloody shootouts and dangerous skiing. Locations have character, due to being on location and having scope with it cinematography. From USA, to Israel, Germany and Austria, it does have that grand James Bond feel to its picturesque backdrops and adventurous plotting. As for the narrative, it's confounded with scheming and shady politics. Script remains little light on the details, but the recognizable cast does a serviceable job with the complicated material.

Ken Wahl brings a quiet confidence to the soldier role and Alberta Watson is rather icy. But you know you can count on badass Steve James to liven things up. Just look how he greets his pal (Wahl) and of course taking out some drunken yokels after being at the end of abusive language. Now let's move onto Klaus Kinski. It's a very odd appearance. For a mere minute he simply walks in, then walks off. Never to be seen, or heard of again. I thought his character was going to have bit more to him, but in end it's disposable. Maybe he accidentally walked onto set? There are bit parts also for William Prince, Ned Eisenberg, Zeljko Ivanek (looking rather fetching decked out in a cleaning lady's outfit) and Jeffrey Jones.

Forget the plot, enjoy the action. "The Soldier" is an entertainingly, ballsy political action-thriller, despite undesirable material.