Movie Review: Universal Squadrons (2011) directed by Mark Millhone (also released as “Minuteman.”)
Captain Lance Deakin (Riley Smith) has returned to his Texas ranch after a second hitch in Iraq as a quartermaster at an isolated supply depot. During his absence, his lover Becca (Willa Ford) and hired hand Corky (David Born) have been trying to keep the place afloat, but the money just hasn’t been coming in, so there’s been no cash for repairs as the ranch falls apart and the bank’s getting pushy about their loan repayments. Becca’s on edge because Lance had promised to marry her, then put it off when he got called to active duty.
Which is all stressful enough, but Lance is having violent outbursts and what appear to be hallucinations, as well as sporadic superhuman speed. Some of his symptoms seem to resemble Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but since he supposedly never saw combat and spent most of his spare time just playing the violent videogame “Minuteman” with his squad, he shouldn’t have that much trauma. Right? And although he doesn’t realize it for a while, he’s being watched.
It turns out that Lance is part of a top secret super-soldier project codenamed “Minuteman.” He’s being observed by the head of the project, Dr. White (Marshall R. Teague) who has a cover as a neurologist at the local VA hospital. Lance has been brainwashed into thinking most of the events involving the project were part of the videogame. But if he breaks that conditioning, or becomes irreversibly unstable, then it will be up to enforcer Peacemaker (Christian Kane) to terminate him.
After an opening that makes it look like this will be a horror film where “if you die in the game you die in real life”, the movie makes an attempt to look like a realistic film about the problems of small farmers and veterans. This part drags, though Barry Corbin as Lance’s disabled veteran father who has an alcohol problem and looks down on Lance for not actually being in combat livens up his scenes.
In general, the cast is much better than the material they’ve been given to work with. The film’s a bit of a slog, with bits of violence and bloody corpses about to try to keep up interest.
The videogame effects get a fair amount of play, and the shoddy computer graphics are fitting for this particular plotline. The superspeed, on the other hand, is criminally underused for budget reasons. A fight scene between two soldiers with superspeed should not be that underwhelming.
The ending makes me think this started as a pitch for a continuing action show.
Content note: violence, sometimes lethal. Bloody corpses. Medical torture. Becca has a shower scene (no naughty bits) and it’s made clear she and Lance are having extramarital sex. Hallucinatory sequences make it unclear whether certain events really happened. Alcohol abuse.
Overall: Not good enough to be fun, nor bad enough to enjoy. Most recommended to fans of the specific actors filling out checklists.
