AllMovie

It is tough to think of a legitimate reason to give The Soldier a positive notice. This film is basically a string of lovingly crafted action sequences that is periodically interrupted with tiny bits of plot and even less characterization. In fact, there is so little story going on that the film frequently wastes its impressive resources: for instance, the producers go to the trouble of casting Klaus Kinski and then waste him with a meager bit part that gives him less than five minutes of screen time (and even fewer lines of dialogue). No one gives an impressive performance, mainly because they don't have time to -- the film is constantly rushing from one setpiece to the next. The end result feels like the creation of someone with far right-wing tendencies and a lifetime subscription to Soldier of Fortune magazine. That said, if you can turn off your brain and just appreciate its action-crazed insanity, The Soldier does offer plenty of bang for the viewer's buck. Highlights include a fiery scene where a plutonium-carrying convoy is taken down with a few missiles, and a ski chase that climaxes in an on-skis gun battle. In short, The Soldier is probably too story-deprived for most viewers but action junkies might get a few cheap thrills from its explosive excesses.