User Reviews

New York in the year of 2012 is a dangerously decayed environment that has been divided into communities who continuously fight, as the earth has been destroyed by a plague and sources of food is very limited. A small peaceful society living in a small compound are led by "The Baron" and seek that of a warrior to protect them from the street people led the malicious Carrot. The mysterious fighter Carson accepts Baron's offer. Although Carson learns that Baron actually has a plan to get his daughter, his son-law and their unborn child to an island off the coast of North Carolina. He would need Carson's help to get them there.

Where did this come from? I knew nothing off it when discovering it at video shop getting rid of their VHS'. Hard to say why this is one unsung flick, as there is some potent names involved and for most part its cleverly constructed. A thoughtfully desperate Sci-fi / action stint that actually throws up some genuine social commentary without any sort forced impression. Strangely enough, you could possibly claim this to be an influential benchmark in the post-apocalyptic sub-genre. This for goes "Mad Max" and the trend that followed it. There's no doubt the 70s were a flourishing time for innovative films. The director Robert Clouse would be known for Bruce Lee's film "Enter the Dragon (1973)" and some others like "The Pack (1977)" and "The Rats (1975)". Clouse manages to give it a hard-edge and the gritty, grubby post-holocaust setting demonstrates something rather eerie and raw. The violence is brutally intense and truly grim. This only makes this hasty plight more authentic with the nature of the situation turning people to think of only themselves and become something they might oppose. It shows there's common ground despite the walls separating the two sides. For some they might find the story to never really get going until the final half, but there are some interestingly credible ideas (like the horticultural aspect of a immune plant) covered in the chatty opening half and a pinch of wit is a nice welcome. Clouse does a frank and accessible job with what his got to shape here. Fight sequences are swiftly exciting (the final super-charged climax is a hoot), even if there's not much flair and the workable stunts go hand-to-hand. There's some imagery captured with a touch of style, but it mostly done with a lot dirt and grit. Organizing the film's rhythm is Gil Melle's dry and spicy experimental music score, which works a treat alongside Gerald Hirshfeld's reliably on-the-move and penetrating photography. Making up a fine cast is Yul Brynner, Max Von Sydow, William Smith and Joanne Miles. A picture-perfect Brynner emit's a gloriously humane, but also a deadly vibe with his warrior for hire, Carson. His dry temperament was surely tailor made for the part. Von Sydow adds the class to his character, the Baron and character actor Smith milks out a fun performance as the sadistically husky voiced swine Carrot. Miles is also good in her sympathetic turn as the baron's daughter Melinda.

It might look like a b-grade action movie and be spotty in parts, but there are some inspired brushes and fine performances to say it's worth the effort.

...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.

From Robert Clouse, the director who brought us the absolutely classic, Enter The Dragon, comes this post apocalyptic tale starring none other than Yul Bryner. Shall we dance indeed! Wow, sounds good so far eh? Well, as it happens it is rather and benefits immeasurably by its fine casting, especially the always superb Max Von Sydow, here playing a character called the Baron, leader of a commune of survivors trying desperately to survive in this harsh new world. As was later to become a staple plot in the plethora of post apocalyptic flicks which were to follow this in the early 1980's, not only is there unease and warring factions within the commune itself, but outside even more hostile groups are forever plotting to wipe out their neighbours. In this instance, a particularly nasty group headed by a chap called Carrot(!) (played by perennial bad boy, William Smith) are the antagonists. As a result of the mounting pressure, The Baron hires lone warrior Carson (Bryner) to help protect them and in a more secretive plan, to have him lead his daughter and her horticultural expert husband to safety, far away from the ravages of the doomed city.

Whilst best remembered for his action output, Clouse was actually a very gifted visual director and here manages to convey some particularly effective scenes of desolation (the visuals over the opening credits carry an especial air of sorrow and emptiness, depicting the end of civilisation).

Action wise, despite his mature years at the time of filming, Bryner is on fine form here as he demonstrates during the fair number of fight scenes contained within. Special mention to, for the rather shocking decision he makes during his final confrontation with his nemesis, a sure illustration of the old motto, 'Desperate times call for desperate measures.'

Overall, whilst not nearly as exhilarating as some of Clouse's other works such as Enter The Dragon and Black Belt Jones, this is a fascinating film that deserves far more recognition that it presently owns. For fans of the whole post nuke/post apocalyptic genre which was so huge following Mad Max, this is well worth checking out.

I really love 1970s science fiction movies, especially post-apocalyptic ones like 'The Omega Man', 'A Boy And His Dog' and 'Mad Max'. 'The Ultimate Warrior' is in this vein but is often overlooked. I don't know why, it's a very entertaining film. Director Robert Clouse is best known for his martial arts adventures 'Enter The Dragon' and 'Black Belt Jones'. There isn't any martial arts in this one, but there are some fights scenes, especially an exciting one towards the climax between Yul Brynner and b-grade legend William Smith. Brynner, hot off 'Westworld', plays Carson, muscle for hire in the year 2012, in a future society where a plague has devastated agriculture, and anarchy rules in the cities. Max von Sydow ('The Exorcist') plays "the Baron" leader of small group of survivors. They are successfully experimenting with breeding seeds which are immune to the plague. They hire Carson to protect them from a rival gang, led by the mean and nasty thug Carrot (William Smith of 'Run, Angel, Run', 'Invasion Of The Bee Girls', 'Boss N*gger', 'Maniac Cop', etc.etc.). The Baron has secret plans to abandon his followers and leave the city with the seeds and his pregnant daughter (Joanna Miles), and tries to convince Carson to help. Will he? Will Carrot let them? Watch 'The Ultimate Warrior' to find out. I've seen this one a few times and I'm always entertained. It's not the best 1970s SF movie by any means but it's a lot of fun, and Brynner (who's in pretty good shape for a guy pushing sixty!) and the super cool Smith are just great to watch.

The plot: In the far future of 2012, a warrior sells his services to the survivors of post-apocalyptic New York.

While there are some obvious flaws to this film, it's clearly a forgotten classic of the era. I don't see how you could possibly go wrong with Yul Brynner kicking ass in post-apocalyptic cities. It's been a long time since I saw this (probably cable television in the 1980s), but I can still quite clearly remember several of what have become (to me, at least) iconic scenes of 1970s action/adventure/exploitation. If this film got broadcast regularly (instead of other inexplicable cable TV favorites), I think it could really attract a cult following.

For an obvious genre film, the cast is amazing, the writing and directing are better than expected, and the rest of the film is forgivable. Why? Because the flaws pale in the face of a shirtless Yul Brynner standing in the center of a city plaza, waiting for someone to bid for his services. What do action heroes do when they're not fighting bad guys? Why, they just stand there and wait for the plot to catch up to their awesomeness, of course. It's brilliant. If this resonates with you, then you simply must watch this film. If you're going to start asking questions and trying to debate this inescapable logic, then you should probably watch The Shawshank Redemption instead. That's a great film, too, but it doesn't have Yul Brynner knife-fighting with post-apocalyptic gangs.

"Not as bad as you'd think" is not a very convincing way to start a review, I admit, but this is a movie that had a lot going for it. A lot of potential, but not completely wasted. The scrip, including dialog, is rather intelligent. And the smartest thing the film's creators did was cast Brynner, von Sydow, and Smith (who is one of the most underrated bad guys in Hollywood. I wish Tarantino would rediscover him the way he did Travolta, Keaton, Forster--and just about half the main characters of most of his films, in fact). Perhaps, though, the stars' salaries left little money for sets and costumes, which are pathetic. The lighting is about as atmospheric as a dogfood commercial. Sadly, director Clouse's usual flair for fight scenes is, with the exception of a couple of nice touches here and there, absent.

Interestingly, "Day of the Dead" borrows heavily from this film, from the basic storyline (handful of survivors of apocalypse fighting against one another as a handful of them plot escape) right down to the cauterization-with-torch scene and the island-as-escape-from-wordly-chaos theme.

This relatively obscure film is, it has to be said, under-rated. There's the usual fine performance from Max von Sydow as the 'Baron' while an old-looking Yul Brynner does well as Carson, the Ultimate Warrior.

The future looks bleak. In 2012 New York is a city devastated, with rival gangs living in communes. By appearance alone, you might be forgiven for thinking that this is a western - with von Sydow, particularly, looking like he's going to burst into a saloon bar, guns blazing. He plays the leader of one of these communes, desperate to secure a better life for his pregnant daughter Melinda (Miles) and enlists Brynner to this end.

Clouse manages to build up the tension nicely as Brynner & Miles race along the derelict New York subway to get to a fabled island, chased by a gang of nasties. The end, however, is abrupt, to say the least and you may feel cheated as about ten minutes before the end the movie seems actually quite good.

As I said before, this is an obscure film that will have a definite novelty value for fans of Sydow and Brynner. Viewers today will see the irony in the opening sequence of a supposedly devastated NY, with the Twin Towers promenantly still standing in the background.

7/10

Because I was on a kick for some post-apocalyptic goodness and the cast included old favorites, I watched this flick. The result is mildly disappointing but might still be worth it for some. One thing that must be taken into account is that we are talking about a 1975 movie. This excuse its clunkiness and the lack of scope somewhat, although not completely.

The basic plot is rather vague, all over the place. The writing is crude and ridiculous at times, yet there are worthwhile ideas to explore. The story takes place in a post-apoc New-York circa 2012. The usual staples of the genre are there. Lawlessness in a barren city, return to a semi-primitive life and lots of scavenging. Some survivors form bands. This flick focuses on two such rival groups, one of which, in the pure Hollywood tradition is the "good guys" and the other "the bad guys".

Yul Brynner, for a man in his 50s, is surprisingly in shape and exudes action hero charisma. He is effective here as Carson, a super-tough survivor who responds to the (very lame, plot-wise) "good guy's offer" to protect them in exchange for a clean room, triple food rations and most importantly to him... cigars (I kid you not). Max Von Sydow's aura is equally perceptible but as in many, many of his 70s/80s movies, he's simply collecting the paycheck here. You'll appreciate his natural screen presence but do not expect to be blown away. He's the leader of the "good band" here but is not use to best effect. His character is very one-dimensional. While the one-dimensionality of Carson works, we expect more emotion from the peripheral characters. William Smith plays Carrot, your usual psychotic main villain and leader of the "bad clan". Surprisingly, he gives the best performance of the entire film by far, even if that's not saying much. The rest of the actors are extremely weak and their characters are flat and/or undeveloped.

The main flaw of this movie is a failure to establish much motivations. The way leader Baron (Sydow) "recruits" Carson at the start of the movie is beyond ridiculous. The whole setup is just so unbelievable that we expect there is more to it than Carson just standing there in the middle of the city. The two clans are at war but it's difficult to comprehend why exactly. Sure, we get that it's a typical conflict but we never swallow it. But wait, you say. Why does it matter if the characters are fleshed out or not? Isn't this an action flick? There's the problem. There is a real attempt here at telling a story because there is NOT much action. It's just that there is no real story, unfortunately. We spend a lot of time with Baron's bunch. Learning about various characters and the tensions caused by the lack of food but it's all underdeveloped. You get the impression there are directorial comments here about "communal lifestyle" but they aren't clear. There's also a surprising lack of romance here or other kitsch elements. The final act of the flick is a drawn out chase in the subways that is anything but exciting. The final confrontation has nice ideas but again, falls flat.

At its heart, I think Ultimate Warrior wanted to highlight the differences and more importantly the similarities between "peaceful hippies" and "hardened men" such as Carson and how the two react when facing obstacles in a lawless environment. Unfortunately, it fails. Everything this movie does, the Mad Max trilogy does way better. Except I'd rather watch Max Von Sydow than Tina Turner.

Big fans of post-apoc films, Sydow, Brynner or cheesy 70s flick will want to give this one one viewing and that's it. Others are better off passing.

I saw this when I was a kid around the same time I saw Planet of The Apes, Logan's Run and The Omega Man. I love this kind of stuff. Yul Brynner was always a cool actor and he's very cool in this piece of dystopian sci-fi. It also has Max Von Sydow in it who's always good value for money.

The amazing thing about this film (well ok it's not that amazing, more sort of interesting) is how the plot is so similar to Mad Max. There really was a preponderance of this sort of movie in the early seventies, enough to cover the writing of thesis me thinks.

Anyway if you have a spare evening and no idea what to watch why not check Yul in full flow.

This is the movie that virtually set the template for all post-holocaust action films. Yul Brynner, pushing sixty at the time of filming(!)has enough old school movie star charisma to more than make up for the rather pedestrian fight scenes. It is a shame he died when he did because he is loaded with charm and presence and he could have made a much better action movie hero than the lame wanna-be's who followed in the 80's. And how often does one get to see an actor of Max Von Sydow's caliber in films like this? He brings an air of dignity and authority to the film. If one could quibble with anything it would be the sheer cleanliness of everyone--they all look like they just got their freshly laundered clothes from Wardrobe--but this is small potatoes. Take the cool story, cool post-apocalyptic sets and Brynner's and VonSydow's presence and add b-movie legend WILLIAM SMITH as the heavy and you have a rather enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. One final note,the cinematography by Gerald Hirschfield is quite lovely, contrary to my memories of earlier viewings, where I thought the lighting flat and TV movie-like; not at all; Hirshfields cinematography creates an eerie, diffuse beauty out of the images of a decayed, empty metropolis.

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.

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.

This is just an action movie: the acting is crappy, the directing is cruddy, the sets are cheesy, and the effects are cheap... but so what?!? This is Yul Brynner stripped to the waist, fighting with knives!!! It's just brilliant!!! If your fantasy involves the sky falling, you'll get off on this. And just in case you're keeping track, this one came after 'Omega Man' and before 'Mad Max'.

Virus holocaust is not the only plague that threatens our future. New York City, 2012 A. D. Only a few people still live in New York City in 2012. They are organized in gangs with their own turfs , confronting roaming survivors , and other dangers. One of them is led by Baron (Max Von Sidow) , a good and recourseful veteran with a pregnant daughter (Joanna Miles) , while fighting against the freakish enemies. Along the way , finding other lost people , but these are nasty hoodlums led by Carrot (William Smith) , and they are constantly at war with each other. Baron's gang is more peaceful and Cal (Richard Kelton) has developed seeds that can germinate despite the virus plague . A lone ranger (Yul Brynner) called Carson is hired by Bishop for protection. He must defend the plants and seeds of the pioneer scientist to help replenish the world's food supply in this acceptable thriller . Even in the year 2012 it's not safe on the streets !. A Film of the Future !. You have seen great adventures. You are about to live one. More than a movie. An adventure you'll never forget. And now, you will not only see it, you will feel it, live it. A plague devastated world, one tired man finds a reason to fight !.

Nice dystopian film displays action-packed, thrills , fast-paced and wild fighting images. This Sci-Fi movie has its moments concerning a small group of survivors living in a wasted New York . This is an imaginative , action-filled adventure/thriller with some excellent moments , even if the storyline is not up to the scale of the tale . Science-fiction thriller gets off to a breathtaking start with the world ravaged by a searing virus holocaust . Succeeding a post-apocalyptic world, in which a group of survivors live at a New York slum while protecting themselves against ominous human predators . This is a decent epic of some people who survive virus holocaust and their incredible odyssey through the nightmare world it created . This apocalyptic sub-genre disappeared after its heyday in the 1950s , was revived in the 70s and 80s with films as ¨Mad Max¨, ¨The Road warrior¨, ¨Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome¨ and ¨Damnation alley¨. Stars a good cast , such as : Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles , William Smith, Richard Kelton, Stephen McHattie and special mention for starring Yul Brynner playing a tough and silent warrior who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals . While' it's a not a notable film , it's not particulary excellent , but simply acceptable and passable . The movie has its moments and considering the outdated premise , that's quite an accomplishment , adding the stunning musical score by Gil Mellé, as well as evocative cinematography by cameraman Gerald Hirschfeld. The picture is passable and decent enough in spite of its limited budget .

This medium-budgeted actioner was competently realized by Robert Clouse , an expert on Chop-Socky movies and he directed Bruce Lee's last film , Game of Death (1978) . He is an American filmmaker with a penchant for thriller , action , Kung-Fu movies and other extravagant entertainments . Robert Clouse is known best for his most successful film : Enter the Dragón (1973) and Clouse was a director who worked mainly in the visuals of cinema, owing to the fact that he was completely deaf, he employed assistant directors who could verify that actors had delivered their lines correctly. After being contracted by Warner Bros. And Golden Harvest to direct Enter the Dragón (1973), Clouse was escalated into the realm of profitable filmmakers . But, unlike others in this category, doors in Hollywood were not entirely open to him and the failed with ¨The big brawl¨. Clouse was hired by Warner Brothers Pictures to direct Black Belt (1974) . The film proved to be a moderate success, but was seen more as a vehicle for Enter the Dragón (1973) protégé 'Jim Kelly'. After that , he directed vehicles for Samo Hung , Jim Kelly , Richard Norton as ¨Gynkata ¨ , Yul Brynner in ¨The last warrior¨ one of the best films of his long career , Cynthia Rothrock as ¨China O'Brian I and II ¨or Yul Brynner in this ¨The Ultimate Warrior¨ and other B-films .

Yul Brunner is obviously too old for this kind of thing. The role should have gone to someone like Gordon Liu or Bruce Lee. If you take into account that this film was directed by Robert Clouse, Bruce Lee would most likely have starred in this film if he still was alive when it was made. This film belongs to the early seventies post-apocalypse subgenre that includes titles such as The Omega Man and No Blade of Grass. It's the type of film that you would have probably enjoyed if you watched it in the late 70's-early 80's on late night TV. Nowadays it seems quite dated, with ridiculous action scenes and silly violence. There is scene where Yul Brunner gets attacked by four men and having no other way for the hero to win this fight, the writer makes the three of them run away for no reason. The main reason to watch The Ultimate Warrior is to see to which extent The Walking Dead show has ripped off this film. If you get a sense of deja-vu while watching this film it's because the production designers of Walking Dead have been strongly influenced by this one. Also several of the main character of Walking Dead seem to have been lifted verbatim. The final duel between Rick and Negan-(Carson and Carrot)-was also the main influence for the duel between The Bride and Gogo in Kill Bill. The flying ball used by Gogo is nothing but an updated version of the weapon used by Carrot. Despite the grim theme, the onscreen violence is strictly PG-13. If there was more of the red stuff on the screen, The Ultimate Warrior would probably have been better remembered.

How well I remember The Ultimate Warrior when he was a big draw in Vince McMahon's WWF back in the day. With him in mind I thought I would get a titanically built warrior along the lines of Arnold Schwarzeneggar. Instead I got Yul Brynner looking very uncomfortable in a role for which a Schwarzeneggar was required to make it believable.

The Ultimate Warrior the movie is set in an apocalyptic New York in the year of 2012. A plague has descended on the land and the world's food supply has been pretty wiped out. Manhattan island has descended into gangs that have formed tribes. One of the more civilized tribes is headed by Max Von Sydow who is a scientist and whose son-in-law Richard Kelton has developed some vegetable seeds that are immune to the plague virus. But he and his pregnant wife, Joanna Miles have to escape to the country and give these seeds a chance to grow.

Which is where Yul Brynner comes in, The Ultimate Warrior, an ultimate fighting machine who makes hash out of an invading tribe headed by William Smith. Can Von Sydow and Brynner keep civilization alive.

Brynner was never a man exactly out of shape, but he was 55 and looking it when he did this film. Fifteen years earlier he might have been believable, but not now. Von Sydow was all right though as the voice of dying civilization.

One thing though in that last hand to hand fight with William Smith if Schwarzeneggar had been cast he would never have had to make the sacrifice he did. You'll have to see the movie to know what I'm talking about.

Only for Yul Brynner's fans and even they should approach this one with a caution.

This would have been improved greatly if the scenario had been developed more . The world has been devestated by a plague/famine sort of apocalypse and the survivors have to kill to keep on living . In many ways it`s the sort of premise seen in the works of John Christopher especially THE DEATH OF GRASS and PENDULUM , but unfortunately the causes of this world disaster are never fully explored , and I also guess not having Rudy Giuliani as Mayor of New York didn`t help the situation .

Of course being an American survivalist drama the story concentrates on action and violence unlike the genre`s more thoughtful British counterparts , and this is where THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR comes into its own . The film starts with a stabbing but it`s done with a certain amount of novelty . There`s also countless more stabbings in the movie not to mention umpteen scenes of people getting thrown off roofs but check out this scene of cruelty :

Bad Guy : Anything else you want to tell us ?

Traitor : No . AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH

Oh nasty

Embarassingly banal project for great star Brynner and distinguished actor von Sydow to be involved with. Just gettin' on the post-Soylent gravy-train, guess.

Bland regurgitation of Soylent Green's message of post-dystopian Men of Heart and Honor defending Mankind in the face of Impossible Odds. Only the sets and extras have changed, or have they, even?

Yul's moves are good, I'll give him that, in yet more of those heavily Kung-fu influenced fight scenes, with all the usual debris and deritis, both inanimate and human, coming at him from all angles. Max is left with mouthfuls of 'splainin' to do, an unenviable task. but someone's gotta do it, and it pays well

If u wanna see Yul get physical and Max drone on about just how, exactly, we're gonna save the world, this one's for you

I'm not the biggest fan of Yul Brynner. To me, he was never an actor - he just played himself. It's no wonder he was well cast in "Westworld." Regardless, he did appear in some good films in his day. "The Ultimate Warrior" is a low budget but entertaining film that is based in an apocalyptic world. Max Von Sydow is the leader of a small band of people who need to escape from the ruins that New York has become. They seek an island that is located near North Carolina, where there is fresh food, water and in which the air hasn't been polluted. The problem that the survivors of New York face, is that the city is run by criminal gangs who prevent anyone from leaving. Yul Brynner is recruited to guide Max Von Sydow and his group through the city's underground tunnels, before they have a chance to leave New York. Dangers of various kinds are in front of them during their journey. The majority of filming was done on the studio backlots, which is to be expected from a film that is based in the future. There is some good action and William Smith is good as the leader of the criminal gangs. For a man of 60, Yul Brynner is an energetic man of action. It is Max Von Sydow who gives the best performance. The director is Robert Clouse. He made his best film, the Bruce Lee classic "Enter the Dragon."

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

Yul Brynner and Max von Sydow in a post-apocalyptic setting. Without any doubt, The Ultimate Warrior is not a top-notch movie of the genre, but still fun. So, in the case that you are on the hunt for some old but fresh eye and soul candy, get this one and - enjoy. Recommended if you like The Omega Man (Charlton Heston), Soylent Green (Heston again), Quintet (Paul Newman), Zardoz (Sean Connery) and so on.