Two dipshit kids go frolicking in the woods and uncover a bunker from World War II (as children often do) and end up freeing the zombie soldier inside. Said soldier then proceeds to rip the countryside a new asshole as he goes on one of those “absolutely out of control murder sprees” that are all the rage these days. Enter retirement home resident John Rhys-Davies who Basil Expoisition’s his ass all over the place and fills everybody in on the secrets he holds from he war that may help stop the monster in their midst!
Soldier of War, for all of my nonsense above, is actually one entertainin’ fright flick! Coming off a bit like First Blood with a zombie…the slate gray skies, foreboding wooded locales, and our antagonist’s penchant for setting up booby traps for his victims to fall into all bring the Stallone classic (itself a form of pseudo-slasher in my not so humble opinion) to mind, while not being anything close to a rip-off.
Adding to the positives the film has to offer are strong performances from it’s leads. Rosie Fellner and Tristam Summers as the detectives investigating the ghoulish goings-on are solid in their respective roles, but it’s Rhys-Davies who shines as the veteran that has seen some shit and came out the other side damaged, but still in the fight. And it’s with Rhys Davies character we find one of the best parts of Soldier of War; the mystery of his secret keeps the viewer’s interest engaged throughout (though be forewarned, the beginning of this picture is a bit of a slow burn), and provides a storytelling layer that elevates this from the standard stalk n’ slay affair (not that there’s a damn thing wrong with those).
For you gore-hounds in the audience you can expect some of the red sauce to be flung about with kills involving a blend of practical and computer generated wizardry, and speaking of effects, the make-up design of our maniac monster is a rather strong one featuring a face only a mother could love…and when I say “mother” I mean absolutely no one…this fucker is mean and ugly; so cuddly he ain’t!
Writer/Director John Adams (along with Co-writer Peter Adams) has certainly delivered the ghoulish goods with Soldier of War; it’s a great slasher with a fantastic sense of mystery and enough grizzly goings-on to satisfy fans of the genre!
