Image credit: TriStar Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures, Overture Films
It's not all about Marvel and its cinematic universe full of super soldiers.
1. "Universal Soldier" (1992) Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in a movie together? Sign me up! These two play soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret government program as Universal Soldiers. Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) starts to remember his past and goes rogue, leading to an inevitable showdown with his nemesis, Andrew Scott (Lundgren).
Do you like your action with a side of existential dread? This one's got it in spades.
2. "Demolition Man" (1993) Sylvester Stallone is John Spartan, a cop cryogenically frozen as punishment but thawed out to catch his arch-nemesis, Simon Phoenix, played by Wesley Snipes. It's 2032, and society has become a pacifist's dream, so they need a caveman like Spartan to do the dirty work.
Notable for its hilarious "three sea shells" bathroom joke, this movie knows how to mix humor with gunplay.
3. "Soldier" (1998) Kurt Russell is Todd, a soldier engineered from birth to be a killing machine. Unfortunately, Todd becomes obsolete and is replaced by a new batch of genetically-enhanced soldiers. Left for dead on a trash planet, Todd finds a community and becomes its reluctant defender when his replacements come knocking.
Think of it as "John Wick in Space," minus the dog but with plenty of feels.
4. "District 9" (2009) While not a traditional super soldier movie, the protagonist Wikus (Sharlto Copley) becomes one after exposure to alien biotechnology. Initially a bureaucrat overseeing the relocation of aliens in Johannesburg, Wikus transforms into an alien-human hybrid and eventually joins the alien resistance.
Besides being a straight-up action bonanza, it's also a not-so-subtle take on apartheid.
5. "Elysium" (2013) Matt Damon plays Max, a factory worker in a future where the elite live on a space station called Elysium, while the rest suffer on a ruined Earth. After a lethal dose of radiation, Max is fitted with an exoskeleton and takes on a mission to Elysium to save himself and bring equality. It's a class struggle with power armor, y'all. Plus, Jodie Foster as the villain? Yes, please!
6. "Edge of Tomorrow" (2014) Tom Cruise keeps dying and coming back to life, and it's as entertaining as it sounds. Playing Major William Cage, he's thrust into a battle against alien invaders despite zero combat experience. He quickly dies but finds himself in a time loop, reliving the same day. With the help of a badass Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), they hatch a plan to end the war.
The movie didn't quite set the box office on fire, but it's achieved a sort of cult status, and for good reason.
7. "I Am Number Four" (2011) Aliens hiding as high-schoolers? This movie makes it work. John Smith, aka Number Four, is an alien hiding from intergalactic bounty hunters. When he discovers he's next on the list, he has to balance his teenage life and train for combat.
We get cool superpowers, and a high-stakes battle in the climax, making this a rewatchable guilty pleasure.
8. "Oblivion" (2013) Tom Cruise again? Yep. This time, he's Jack Harper, a drone repairman left on an abandoned Earth. The planet's been wrecked by aliens, and humanity's moved on. Or so he thinks. As he unravels the truth, he realizes he's a clone, engineered for his role.
While not a "soldier" per se, the layers of manipulation and deception make this a unique entry.
9. "Pandorum" (2009) Imagine waking up from hypersleep, with no memory, on a massive spaceship. That's the reality for Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) and Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid). As they explore the ship, they encounter humanoid monsters and realize they're part of a colony mission from Earth, gone horribly wrong.
Tense, gritty, and claustrophobic, this one's a hidden gem.
10. "Riddick" (2013) Vin Diesel reprises his role as Richard B. Riddick, the ultimate anti-hero. Betrayed and left for dead on a barren planet, Riddick has to survive against alien predators. Oh, and he intentionally lures mercenaries to the planet just so he can steal their ship.
This movie is as much a one-man show as you can get, and Diesel's machismo is dialed up to 11.
