It belatedly occurred to me to see what other Science Fiction films came out in 1998 - which might suggest how this film could have looked with a bigger budget. Turns out there are quite a few favourites: Armageddon & Deep Impact, Sphere, Godzilla, Lost in Space, The Fifth Element.
And whatever you think of those films (I like them all - even the bad one) I think it's fair to say the special effects are a long way ahead of Soldier.
I have always depended on the kindness of Strangers - and the bastards let me down!