Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms

Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms

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Overview

With the UniSol program budget cut by the government, a gang of mercenaries takes control of the new line of Universal Soldiers for their own nefarious ends. In doing so, they clash with Luc Deveraux, survivor of the first incident with the UniSols, alongside his long-lost and newly-resurrected brother Eric and reporter Veronica Roberts.

Media

Universal Soldiers - Bande Annonce Officielle HD - Burt Reynolds / Gary Busey / Matt Battaglia

Cast

Richard McMillan

Director:

Jeff Woolnough

Writer:

Peter M. Lenkov

Release Date:

1998-09-27

Run Time:

92m

Tagline:

No memory. No emotion. No mercy... Until one of them decides to become human again.

Genres:

Action Science Fiction

Keywords:

army killer robot vietnam

Financials and Popularity

Budget: 5,350,000.00$

Revenue: Not Declared

Vote Average: 4.3/10

Vote Count: 71 Votes

Movie Popularity: 1.6492

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 27 April 2026 at 10:32 pm

6 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 6/10 THE SUMMARY This 1998 made-for-TV sequel ignores the continuity of the first film's ending and tries to start a new chapter. Luc Deveraux (now played by Matt Battaglia) is back, but he's no longer the lone survivor; he's part of a new government "UniSol" program that’s gone rogue under the control of a corrupt CIA deputy. Things get personal when it turns out Luc has a brother, Eric, who has also been reanimated as a super-soldier. It’s a low-budget, small-screen attempt to keep the franchise alive, focusing more on military conspiracies and family drama than the massive spectacle of the original. THE PROS The film is a win for those who like a more grounded, "TV-procedural" take on the concept; it spends more time exploring the shady government backrooms that fund these programs. Matt Battaglia puts in a sincere effort to step into JCVD's boots, playing the role with a stoic, physical presence that feels right for a reanimated soldier. Gary Busey is a total belter as the villain, bringing his signature unpredictable energy to the screen and making the dialogue far more entertaining than it has any right to be. It’s a celebratory explosion of late-90s action tropes that will feel comfortably familiar to fans of syndicated action shows from that era. THE CONS It earns a 6/10 because it’s a bit of a head-scratcher why they chose to recast the iconic lead roles and reboot the timeline so soon. The lack of JCVD and Dolph Lundgren is a sincere blow to the film's "cool factor," making it feel more like a spin-off than a true sequel. The action sequences are a bit flimsy compared to the original’s blockbuster scale, often feeling confined to cheap-looking warehouses and forest clearings. It misses the 7/10 mark because the "brother" subplot feels a tad forced and predictable, lacking the visceral impact of the first film's rivalry. THE VERDICT A 6/10. Decent if you’re a franchise completionist or just really love Gary Busey being Gary Busey. It’s a vault essential only for those who want to see the weird, forgotten TV-movie era of the *Universal Soldier* saga. Go and watch it if you’ve got a soft spot for 90s cable action, but keep your expectations in check—it’s the business of "straight-to-video" quality. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Franchise Confusion: This film and its immediate follow-up, *Unfinished Business*, were produced for Showtime and are actually ignored by the "official" theatrical sequels like *The Return* and *Regeneration*.• Cast Connections: Matt Battaglia, who plays Luc Deveraux here, would later go on to have a successful career as a producer, eventually winning an Emmy for his work on the series *Homeland*.• Canadian Roots: Like many TV movies of the late 90s, the production was filmed in Ontario, Canada, to make the modest budget stretch as far as possible for the various explosions and military hardware. THE VIBE Like a late-night rerun on a fuzzy hotel TV. It smells like cheap coffee, stale gunpowder, and old camo gear. It makes you miss the original cast, question why the government keeps building these things, and realize that sometimes the biggest battle is just staying relevant.

Videos

Universal Soldiers - Bande Annonce Officielle HD - Burt Reynolds / Gary Busey / Matt Battaglia

Cast

Richard McMillan

Desmond Campbell

Michael Copeman

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Collections

Universal Soldier Collection

Reviews for

Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 27 April 2026 at 11:32 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 6/10
THE SUMMARY
This 1998 made-for-TV sequel ignores the continuity of the first film’s ending and tries to start a new chapter. Luc Deveraux (now played by Matt Battaglia) is back, but he’s no longer the lone survivor; he’s part of a new government “UniSol” program that’s gone rogue under the control of a corrupt CIA deputy. Things get personal when it turns out Luc has a brother, Eric, who has also been reanimated as a super-soldier. It’s a low-budget, small-screen attempt to keep the franchise alive, focusing more on military conspiracies and family drama than the massive spectacle of the original.
THE PROS
The film is a win for those who like a more grounded, “TV-procedural” take on the concept; it spends more time exploring the shady government backrooms that fund these programs. Matt Battaglia puts in a sincere effort to step into JCVD’s boots, playing the role with a stoic, physical presence that feels right for a reanimated soldier. Gary Busey is a total belter as the villain, bringing his signature unpredictable energy to the screen and making the dialogue far more entertaining than it has any right to be. It’s a celebratory explosion of late-90s action tropes that will feel comfortably familiar to fans of syndicated action shows from that era.
THE CONS
It earns a 6/10 because it’s a bit of a head-scratcher why they chose to recast the iconic lead roles and reboot the timeline so soon. The lack of JCVD and Dolph Lundgren is a sincere blow to the film’s “cool factor,” making it feel more like a spin-off than a true sequel. The action sequences are a bit flimsy compared to the original’s blockbuster scale, often feeling confined to cheap-looking warehouses and forest clearings. It misses the 7/10 mark because the “brother” subplot feels a tad forced and predictable, lacking the visceral impact of the first film’s rivalry.
THE VERDICT
A 6/10. Decent if you’re a franchise completionist or just really love Gary Busey being Gary Busey. It’s a vault essential only for those who want to see the weird, forgotten TV-movie era of the *Universal Soldier* saga. Go and watch it if you’ve got a soft spot for 90s cable action, but keep your expectations in check—it’s the business of “straight-to-video” quality.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• Franchise Confusion: This film and its immediate follow-up, *Unfinished Business*, were produced for Showtime and are actually ignored by the “official” theatrical sequels like *The Return* and *Regeneration*.
• Cast Connections: Matt Battaglia, who plays Luc Deveraux here, would later go on to have a successful career as a producer, eventually winning an Emmy for his work on the series *Homeland*.
• Canadian Roots: Like many TV movies of the late 90s, the production was filmed in Ontario, Canada, to make the modest budget stretch as far as possible for the various explosions and military hardware.
THE VIBE
Like a late-night rerun on a fuzzy hotel TV. It smells like cheap coffee, stale gunpowder, and old camo gear. It makes you miss the original cast, question why the government keeps building these things, and realize that sometimes the biggest battle is just staying relevant.

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