Nobody would have really expected a fourth part of the "Universal Soldier" series. Neither can Jean-Claude van Damme and Dolph Lundgren be seen again in their traditional roles. A journey into the heart of darkness culminating in a surreal encounter with a most unlikely Jean-Claude van Damme.
Now "Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning" is here and even comes in superfluous 3D. At the beginning of the film you take on John's perspective and experience what happens to him via a subjective camera - and you are all the more shocked that Van Damme as Devereaux has now apparently become a cold-blooded killer. Just like the main character, the viewer has no idea. The film seems confused and incoherent, nothing makes sense. It is the total disorientation from which the protagonist also suffers. As the story progresses, however, it becomes clear what "Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning" is aiming for and what gigantic role model the authors have apparently taken. This film is – to put it succinctly – a B-action bastard version of «Apocalypse Now». This also explains why Van Damme acts bald here. As a Unisol version of Colonel Kurtz, he should probably look as similar as possible to the original. So much for the story:
John (Scott Adkins) witnesses three men break into his home. Their leader, Luc Devereaux (Jean-Claude van Damme), kills his wife and young daughter before his eyes. Nine months later, John awakens from a coma in a hospital. He suffers from partial amnesia, but remembers the murder of his family - and he wants nothing more than revenge. As John attempts to track down Devereaux, a Universal Soldier is activated to track down and destroy Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) and the other deserted Unisols. But Scott turns him around so the assassin can join the nascent army of ex-Unisols. He is sent to catch John, who, however, cannot be stopped by the man. Like a bloodhound, he follows the trail that finally leads him down a river and into the lion's den, where Devereaux is already waiting for him.