Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Micah Lloyd
Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.
Lela
The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
George Taylor
If this film had a budget, it could have been great. Starring Yul Brynner as the Ultimate Warrior, and Bill Smith as the main bad guy, Brynner is helping defend a peaceful group of post apocalyptic survivors, whose leader Max Von Sydow has the last seeds in the world. Low budget, this was filmed nearly entirely on the (quiet clear) Universal back lot.
Coventry
For starters, "The Ultimate Warrior" only confirmed what I already knew for multiple years, and that is that Yul Brunner represents pure manliness to the fullest! This actor, and several other ones from his generation like Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen, was testosterone personified. Especially during the opening sequences, when Brunner's character just stands shirtless on a rooftop with his eyes closed, waiting for villagers from a nearby community to approach him; it doesn't get any more robust or macho than this. I hate to sound like an old and whiny critic, but actors like Brunner simply don't exist anymore nowadays. Even the toughest action heroes nowadays, like Vin Diesel or Jason Statham, can't hold a candle to Brunner and company. Secondly, for your sake, I sincerely hope that you're not going into "The Ultimate Warrior" expecting an extravagant post-nuclear Sci-Fi/thriller in the vein of "Mad Max: Road Warrior", "Escape from New York" or one of their countless Italian rip-offs. The title and Brunner's portrait on the film poster may suggest an exhilarating spectacle, but this is actually a very sober, intellectual and atmosphere-driven "after-the- apocalypse" tale. Being released in 1975, the film falls somewhat in between of the pioneers ("Silent Running", "The Omega Man", "Soylent Green") and the action-packed blockbusters. The story takes place in the outskirts of New York City, in the year 2012. The depressing images during the opening credits already say it all, in fact. Streets and boulevards that used to be crowded with people are now completely deserted and shrouded in an uncomfortable silence. There are ruins and waste everywhere. The relatively few survivors live in communities in secured fortresses and attempt to protect themselves from organized criminal gangs living on the streets. Via the leader of such a community, The Baron, we slowly learn that our planet fell victim to epidemics that eradicated all vegetation and animal life. The Baron begs for the help of lone fighter Carson, supposedly to help protect his fortress and followers against the increasing number of attacks of street gangs led by the relentless Carrot. Once recruited, Carson discovers that the Baron wants him for a secret mission to transport rare and vulnerable vegetable seeds towards an island where perhaps they may grow. The first half of "The Ultimate Warrior" is extremely powerful and intensively grim, but unfortunately all this diminishes and the second half of the film suffers too much from tedious moments and repetitive subject matter. The Baron's disciples demonstrate that they are just as barbaric and selfish as Carrot's troops, while greed and distrust destroy the last remnants of civilization. The fighting sequences come across as somewhat tame and dated by today's standards, and personally I think the film could have benefited from a bit of firepower. "The Ultimate Warrior" was written and directed by the extremely underrated Robert Clouse. The Kung-Fu movies that he made with Bruce Lee ("Enter the Dragon", "Game of Death") are successful enough, but Clouse also made a handful of really good horror/thriller movies that sadly nobody still mentions. "The Ultimate Warrior" is one of them, but also "The Pack", "The Amsterdam Kill" and "Deadly Eyes" are recommendable genre films. The DVD-version that I own of this film is a cool French release with an awesome alternative title ("New York doesn't respond anymore...") and several interesting extras.
Scott LeBrun
...He just might pop them out of your head. The almighty B movie legend plays the antagonist "Carrot" in this reasonably enjoyable post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller from Robert Clouse, director of "Enter the Dragon".An intense Yul Brynner stars as Carson, a loner hired as muscle by a peaceable group struggling to survive in the NYC of the year 2012. This group needs somebody like Carson to protect them from the aggressive forces led by Carrot. Leading the good guys is the Baron (a highly engaging Max von Sydow), and one other thing that they have on their side is their botanist Cal (Richard Kelton), who's developed seeds that are immune to the plague. Eventually Carson must make a trek for freedom accompanied by the Barons' pregnant daughter Melinda (Joanna Miles), with Carrot and his gang in hot pursuit."The Ultimate Warrior" is good fun, if unfortunately not having quite enough "oomph" to make it something truly special. The script, by director Clouse, is on the routine side, and it never does flesh out the characters too much. That said, the actors are still able to make an impression. Both Brynner and von Sydow have commanding presences and Smith, as could be expected, is a very effective bad guy. Among the supporting cast is reliable veteran character actor Stephen McHattie as Robert, one of the Barons' men. Production design, art direction, and set decoration are all heavy assets; the viewer will have a lot to take in while looking at these run down, forlorn "future" locales. Talents behind the camera include cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld, editor Michael Kahn, and composer Gil Melle, whose score helps to drive the movie forward. What *is* great is the ultimate showdown between Brynner and Smith, which is well worth waiting for; Brynner proves to be in real fighting shape.A very grim and gritty tale, this movie doesn't pull its punches and portrays a hard scrabble existence in a straightforward manner. It deserves to be more popular, especially considering the subsequent productions such as "Mad Max" and "Escape from New York" that it surely must have influenced.Seven out of 10.
wrathchild1387
This was a great movie!!!Yul Brynner plays just a bad ass as usual, Max Von Sydow acted real well, and William Smith was cast perfect as the villain. The set was designed to perfection as a post apocalyptic world would be seen. The music was done very well by Gil Melle and still holds today. The costumes fit a lot of people for this type of movie but some just didn't look raggedy enough, but the acting makes up for it as well as the violence. The fight scenes were done well, remember folks this was directed by Robert Clouse of "Enter The Dragon" fame as well for other exploitation films.This is probably his best besides "Enter The Dragon"; just do to it's atmosphere and the way it was filmed. I thought Brynner showed off some cool fighting techniques as well as knife fighting. But yet people complain that there wasn't enough or it wasn't flashy or lots of kicks like Bruce Lee (RIP)would have done it. Remember not all martial arts are flashy or scientific, some are just nitty gritty street fighting techniques or survival, not all are for show. Also remember for movie to be done well, there must be a story and doesn't always has to revolve a guy kicking and showing off his martial arts talent. I thought Brynner was a great fighter, showing a different style of fighter consenting of holds, throws, punches, knees, and slashing. He wasn't trained full time like Bruce but he pulls off the fights with enough charisma. The best thing to remember is that Yul Brynner is not Bruce Lee and Bruce Lee is no Yul Brynner either.The story and fight scenes were balanced just right where one didn't over take the other. But anyways here what the story is about. New York 2012, the world has gone down the crapper and a plague as wiped out the food supply. The Baron (Von Sydow) and a couple of survivors developed seeds that are resistant against the plague. But Carrot (Smith, just a cool baddie) and his boys are causing some havoc of sorts and the Baron enlist the help of "the Ultimate Warrior" Carson (Brynner, in the first minutes of the film is shown standing in front of the library square for two days meditating while standing, very atmospheric) to help transport the seeds to a island of the coast of North Carolina with his pregnant daughter Melinda (Joanna Miles, giving a really good performance). Then this eventually leads to a showdown between Carson and Carrot in the New York Subways. To wrap up this review, this was a great entertaining movie from the 70s that somewhat helped jump start a film genre that still remains today...the post apocalyptic, as well for the martial art post apocalyptic one as well. Rent it then buy it if you like it and hopefully it will be out on DVD in widescreen and with goodies. Also try to find the novelization of this movie, it is one of the better novelization of a movie and goes into detail as well for emotions, fights, the city in general and the nitty gritty. Before I start rambling on again just watch this underrated classic!Peace!I also recommend Mad Max Trilogy, Steel Dawn, Cyborg, Escape from NY and LA
