Scott LeBrun "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.

kilted911 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.

Alec West When I first saw the film, I enjoyed it thoroughly. The acting, far from being bad, seemed more a realistic portrayal of how people might speak and act in the given situations. And, those who speak of it today as a 'relic' of Cold War times should take a good look at Russia today. There are those who don't particularly care for Vladamir Putin and the current status quo in government. And, the K.G.B. didn't go away, it just changed its name to the F.S.B. -- still very active in Russia and, perhaps, with elements unfriendly to the Russian status quo among their numbers. Nationalist candidates still only capture minority interest but this can change ... as can the F.S.B. The film portrayed fictional incidents in 1982. And, while those incidents might seem Cold Warrish in 2002, future events could alter that perception. I saw the film recently and like it better than when I first saw it.

deapod 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!"