Bullet Points: Ultimate Justice
Ultimate Justice is a great example of the type of action movie you get when the producers of the action movie are die hard action fans.
There is a definite old school feel to Ultimate Justice and I don’t just say that because the star of the movie is action movie veteran Mark Dacascos (Only The Strong). The old school feel is thanks in part to the action to drama content, which seems to have been taken straight from the Cannon Films playbook. The fight scenes and shootouts are gritty and violent and don’t feel over produced as is often the case in so many of today’s modern action movies.
- To Live IsTo Fight: At its core Ultimate Justice is the story of two brothers in arms. Gus van Behren (Mark Dacascos) and Commander Hans Sturm (Wolfgang Riehm). The two men started Europe’s best security and protection service, stockpiled with elites soldiers, known as VME. VME is short for Vivere Militare Est which is latin for To Live Is To Fight. Sturm is the head of VME, with Gus as his right hand man. As the movie begins we see the VME team in action, but things don’t turn out exactly as planned. This less than successful mission gives pause to the VME founders and it is not long before the two are selling off the company for a handsome price tag. Gus and Sturm celebrate their new financial windfall at a club, this is where they meet a woman named Michaela (Sandra Tauro). Gus tries putting the moves on Michaela, but she is drawn to and absolutely smitten with the Commander.
- 8 Years Later: The movie then skips ahead 8 years, Hans Sturm and Michaela are married and raising a daughter named Annika. Gus along with his girlfriend Diana (Susen Emrich) pay his old buddy Hans a visit at stately Sturm manor. Michaela is concerned about her husband, when Gus talks to Hans about it, Hans tells Gus he believes somebody is watching him… Gus chalks it up to Hans being bored with civilian life and thirsting for the action that he once was a part of. Gus and Diana head home so they can shag. Later that night, Hans Sturm’s paranoia comes true. Three masked men invade his home beat the crap out of Hans, rape and kill Michaela while they force Hans to watch and kidnap Annika.
- Family Values: When Gus and Sturm ran the VME, the VME was like family. So it is really no surprise that when Hans Sturm’s daughter is kidnapped the old team jumps at a chance to get back in action and help Hans out. The team includes big bad Joe (Mike Leeder, who also wrote the script for the English version of the film and served as the Executive Producer), bigger and badder Frank (played by action legend Matthias Hues), Florian the tech guy (Martin Baden), former cop Henry (Henry Muller), Doc (Brandon Rhea) the teams medic and a sadistic interrogator, Julia the tough chick (Yazmeen Baker), and last but not least Benny played by Mike Möller. Benny is a real show stealer in this one, displaying some impressive martial arts skills. I guess it should have been no surprise that Möller also served as the fight coordinator for the film.
- Action Packed: With the band back together it is time to start dishing out some ultimate justice. Gus and the team get a lead when a surveillance camera at Hans’ home reveals a neck tattoo on the masked man that raped and killed Michaela. The team starts scouring tattoo parlors in the area getting them one step closer to finding Annika. One clue leads to another as the team follows the trail filled with action and mayhem. Whether they are using guns, their feet, their fists or other assorted weapons (how about that shot with the shovel?) Gus and the team deliver some major ass whoopings.
Ultimate Justice can check off all the boxes where a quality action movie is concerned. Having Mark Dacascos as the lead was a huge get for the film as the Gus character comes across as a fiercely loyal friend and a true leader of men. Ultimate Justice goes one step further by throwing in some big surprises to keep the audience thoroughly engaged.
Now I’d like to throw in some Bonus Bullet Points to wrap up this movie review…
- If You Ever: …wanted to see Matthias Hues rocking a hamburger hat, then this is the movie for you.
- Request Line: More Mike Möller please. Not sure if I’d buy Mike as the lead in action movie but I believe he’d be a helluva sidekick or as part of an ensemble cast like he was in Ultimate Justice.
- Tools of the Trade: Some of the tools used by Doc during interrogations include a nail gun, a sander and a tattoo needle.
- SLAM: One of my favorite moments in the movie is when Frank Radowsky (Matthias Hues) slams a guy up against a wall with such force the guy bounces off of it. Then Frank follows up by slamming the dude on the floor for good measure. Great physicality!
- Boob Tease: I thought for sure we were going to get a look at the bare breasts of Gus’ girlfriend Diana, but alas it was not meant to be despite the opportunity being there.
- Made in Germany: There is nothing Hollywood about Ultimate Justice. But the most non-Hollywood thing about it is the fact that so many characters are killed during the course of the movie. There’s no way the sequel happy Hollywood would kill off so many characters.
