In comparison to most recent Van Damme vehicles, "Universal Soldier" is actually quite good. Director Roland Emmerich, of course, went on to direct blockbusters like "Independence Day" and "The Patriot", and he returns to provide a commentary for the special edition disc of "Universal Soldier".

Effort has clearly gone into the picture transfer, which is at times very fresh looking, especially during daytime exterior shots. It also maintains excellent levels of detail during the gloomy rain-soaked Vietnam flashbacks.

The number of UK region 2 DVDs that come with a DTS sound mix is still very limited. Surprisingly, this is the latest addition to that exclusive club, and it's a pumped-up, bass-riddled delight.

Scriptwriter Dean Devlin joins Roland Emmerich for a commentary that contains a fair few periods of silence. When they do speak, it's usually to discuss the technical production of the movie, just as Emmerich does with his audio observations on "The Patriot" DVD.

A short 'making of' featurette provides more background information on the movie and includes a few welcome comments from the ever-interesting stunt guru Vic Armstrong. If you're in any doubt as to whether you'll enjoy the film, Van Damme is also on hand with such reassuring quotes as "Hey, it's a good movie." Even if you don't share his opinion, the disc is pretty fine and is more than most fans would likely have expected.

Chapters: 20
Region: 2
Ratio: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1
Extra Features: Scene selection, audio commentary with director Roland Emmerich and writer Dean Devlin, 'making of' featurette, behind-the-scenes footage, two trailers, animated menus, multiple languages, subtitles.