Battle Beneath the Earth/The Ultimate Warrior [Import]

This is the movie that virtually set the template for all post-holocaust action films This isn't a great film but it is a very entertaining one; what more do you want? 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 when you consider that in 1975 there were NO movies of this kind being made, other than THE OMEGA MAN and A BOY AND HIS DOG. Take the cool story, cool post-apocalyptic sets and Brynner's and Von Sydow'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. This is a film that deserves to be released on DVD!

They seriously need to put this on DVD!
The Ultimate Warrior is a blast! YUL ROCKS!

"The Ultimate Warrior" is a post-Holocaust action film that came out in 1975 after "The Omega Man," but just before the genre became popular with "Mad Max" and "Escape From New York." The film is set in 2012 in a New York City that was decimated by a biological plague a couple of decades earlier that has created a world in which nothing grows. Now in the decaying city Baron (Max Von Sydow), leads a group that has barricaded a street against a rival gang of thugs, run by Carrot (William Smith). Wanting his pregnant daughter, Melinda (Joanna Miles), to have a better future, Baron hires Carson (Yul Brynner), a super-Samurai, who has been standing outside the public library waiting for somebody to make an offer for his services. Baron has heard of a mythical island off of the coast of North Carolina and wants to relocate his band there. Of course, this means fighting their way out of what is left of the Big Apple. Melinda's husband, Cal (Richard Kelton) is a scientist who knows the secret of growing plants from seeds, so humanity might have a chance after all.

Director/writer Robert Clouse is therefore offering up the first combination Science Fiction/Kung Fu film, which is not surprising since he directed Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon." From that perspective the film offers up the tradition two warring sides with champions that face off to settle the issue. The script is actually halfway decent, although surprisingly the action sequences are the weakest part of the film until the climatic battle between Carson and Carrot. However, the opening scene does a nice job of establishing the world in which this film takes place. The film hinges on Brynner's performance, which is actually fairly complex because we are not completely sure that Carson is a cynical anti-hero; in fact, we suspect he might be the only truly human character in the film. "The Ultimate Warrior" is no where near being the ultimate example of the post-apocalyptic action film, but it is a solid, unpretentious little B-movie. Plus, it has Yul Brynner.