24 March 2026

Review: Soldier 4K UHD

Soldier (1998)

You’d think a film like Soldier would be a firm 60MW staple, in fact, it’s probably TOO GOOD to be included in a cannon of absolute dirge that Ramrod (and his maniacs) and Dave (and his… grandads?) normally lean towards in their “60 minutes into” series of shows. Imagine my horror on hearing that Ramrod had recently bought an old 2^ndhand bluray (not this brand spanking new 4K UHD Blu-ray Arrow version of the film) and … turned it off, because, and I quote ‘It’s terrible’.

Impossible, I thought. It’s KURT RUSSELL. Okay so the director Paul W. S. Anderson has made some clangers, especially recently. But…Ramrod…what were you thinking!?

Well I am pleased to tell you that Ramrod isn’t wrong very often, but this time he is…with bells on. Soldier is a solid (but a bit daft) futuristic adventure and definitely a film of the 90s, and one were Kurt plays a soldier who was picked as a baby and brought up to fight and ends up being killed (though he’s not dead) and dumped on a far off planet populated by …people… like… Sean Pertwee. Kurt has NO emotion all the way through the film as he’s a trained killer.

This is why I think Ramrod struggled with the film. If you’re looking for a wisecracking sexy Kurt, he’s not here.

I admit it’s not a classic action film (and I do wonder often how some films get picked to be released on 4k when others don’t. Today I heard Hazel O’Connor on the radio and wondered why Breaking Glass has never had a UK blu-ray release). But it’s certainly entertaining, if only for the fact Kurt never cracks. Imagine a buzz cut, miserable yet focused Jason Statham, actually no. I think Jason would still be sexy.

A fun way to spend a few hours, and enhanced again by some very interesting special features.

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:

Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films approved by director Paul W.S. Anderson
4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio and stereo audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Archival audio commentary by director Paul W.S. Anderson, co-producer Jeremy Bolt and actor Jason Isaacs
Reporting for Duty, a brand new interview with actor James Black
Fire in the Hole!, a brand new interview with assistant director Dennis Maguire
On the Front Lines, a brand new interview with associate producer Fred Fontana
Designing for the Future, a brand new interview with production designer David L. Snyder
VFX Before and After, a brand new behind-the-scenes look at how the film’s special effects were created with visual effects supervisor Craig Barron
Weapons of Mass Creation, interviews with visual effects supervisors Craig Barron and Van Ling and miniature supervisor Michael Joyce
A Soldier’s Journey, a brand new interview with Danny Stewart, author of Soldier: From Script to Screen
We Don’t Need Another Hero, a brand new retrospective on the film with film historian Heath Holland
Archival electronic press kit
On-set interviews with cast and crew
Trailers
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic Priscilla Page