The Ultimate Killing Machine is about four kids that are recruited as test subjects into a secret army program that will change them into killing machines. The procedure involves stem cell treatments that enhance the physical attributes of the subjects making them very powerful and also horny. The kids aren't aware that they are test subjects until they start coming back from training with holes in the back of their necks. They figure it isn't such good training when one of the original test subjects breaks free and reeks havoc throughout the installation killing everything in sight except the kids at first. The ultimate battle takes place and the results need to be seen. Relatively good acting, sick script, good cinematography and directing.
22 Reviews
Coulda been a contenda
lastliberal22 April 2008
I got sucked into this because of Michael Madsen, who is working hard to get to his 200th film appearance. He may have well over a dozen appearances this year alone. This was not one of his best, but it was certainly in character and an easy paycheck.
The Army is having problems finding soldiers. Instead of getting out of Iraq, they turn to scientists to develop the Ultimate Fighting Machine. Holy Universal Soldier Batman! Nothing original here.
They experiment with a real war hero (Simon Northwood), but he is too advanced, so they recruit a jock, a nerd, a slut, and a neurotic virgin. War hero gets loose and carnage begins. There is a lot of blood; even a ripped off face, but there just isn't enough action to keep things interesting.
The complete lack of titillation makes this a chase for the out of control machine while the new recruits run around trying to escape. It is probably in the Wat-Mart $5 bin right now. Save your money and watch Near Dark again.
The Army is having problems finding soldiers. Instead of getting out of Iraq, they turn to scientists to develop the Ultimate Fighting Machine. Holy Universal Soldier Batman! Nothing original here.
They experiment with a real war hero (Simon Northwood), but he is too advanced, so they recruit a jock, a nerd, a slut, and a neurotic virgin. War hero gets loose and carnage begins. There is a lot of blood; even a ripped off face, but there just isn't enough action to keep things interesting.
The complete lack of titillation makes this a chase for the out of control machine while the new recruits run around trying to escape. It is probably in the Wat-Mart $5 bin right now. Save your money and watch Near Dark again.
Very weak horror film.
HumanoidOfFlesh8 February 2007
Two guys Waylon and Buddy and two girls Zoe and Carrie decide to join the army.Unfortunately for them they quickly realize that they are the objects of a medical experiment facility with a doctor who plans on turning them into ultimate killing machines."UKM:The Ultimate Killing Machine" is pretty bad.The somewhat intriguing story loses steam after the first fifteen minutes.One of the first test subjects becomes crazy and escapes from his cell going on a killing spree in the military compound squeezing heads of soldiers and occasionally peeling off people's faces.The film lacks suspense and interesting characters and quickly becomes silly.I can't believe that Michael Madsen appeared in this crappy flick.4 out of 10.
Madsen, why have thou forsaken me???
movieman_kev11 December 2006
Military experiment on unknowing test subjects in this beyond lame heavily clichéd horror flick. Horrid acting, lousy special effects, a moronic plot line, and Michael Madsen collide in what can arguably be said is the worst movie I've seen this year. Mr. Madsen, did you really need the money this bad??? Tp make matters worse all of the characters are horribly annoying and make the minutes I wasted on this festering turd stretch on and on forever making it seem like an eternity. Make no doubt about it, this movie is bad with a capital B in every possible or conceivable way.
My Grade: F
My Grade: F
lick the enemy...messed up adrenaline glands and sexual urges (don't get too excited, you won't even see a nipple) caused by spine drilling
piotr_andronowski7 January 2007
this was one of...no wait, THE worst movie ever made with a budget of about 1.99 CDN. whoever gave rated this movie above 3/10 must have been a) high b) dumber than Forrest Gump c) retarded beyond belief LICK THE Enemy LOL LMFAO Michael Madsen should be ashamed for being in this movie. did he have to pay off some mafia debt or what? i see no other reason for his appearance. i have just wasted an hour 25 minutes of my life watching this disgrace of a movie. i wish i saw some random commercials on TV instead.what a piece of junk. in fact i think my IQ lowered by 10 points after watching this movie. throughout the entire film i hoped that it would turn into a porno to make it at least somewhat interesting, but instead they had the beginning of a sex scene and guess what, the guy turns the girl down because HE does not know if it's really her who wants to bang him or if it was the "adrenaline gland" messing her up and making her have "sexual urges".
As much fun as getting stabbed is, only more painful.
humppatarzan28 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I know it's always a bad sign, these days, to see Michael Madsen starring a movie. Even though he has been - and perhaps in some ways still is - a decent actor, he's been making a lot of bad B-movies lately and surprisingly, this is even worse than BloodRayne. He has come far from the days of Reservoir Dogs and both Kill Bills, but apparently lacking the sense of staying far enough from movies like this.
First of all, this movie has an identity problem. It's like a compilation of all those clichés you have seen in about every other movie, but only worse. The movie begins like any other cheap scifi horror flick, where people are tested against their will by the US Army and some ketchup gets sprayed on the walls as your regular monster gets loose for a moment. Then we go into a teen comedy, where four teens act like they do in every other teen movie, all so rebellious. Since these teens are all scum, yet in different ways, they get the privilege to carry on for the rest of the movie. They hate each other and the army, then they hate a bit more, after the evil experiments they get away, get couple of totally incompetent guards beaten up, and then they bond and fight each other, while those same incompetent guards get killed by the monster from the intro sequence, losing their heads and faces, while Mr Madsen tries to figure out what to do with the old, crazy nazi and the lovely nurse. Luckily all three get killed by the monster. In the end there is supposed to be an explosion, but since the budget was pretty close to twenty bucks in the beginning, there's not even any cheap CGI in the movie, but just a flash with couple of booms. Oh, forgot to mention about that one girl, who got shot in her forehead.
This movie lacks all the logic and even all the suspension, as you can only watch with your jaws open and wonder if you are supposed to be laughing at or just frightened about all those horrible things you see on the screen. Yes, the acting is horrible, the properties seem to be made by a six-year old Chinese, and since there is no script, I can't see why there was an add-on romance in this movie. Maybe it was an accident.
To make it short, if you want to spend some time doing something totally useless, watch this film. It will make you feel better about your real life, as escapism this bad is surely worse than anything one could ever face in the real world.
First of all, this movie has an identity problem. It's like a compilation of all those clichés you have seen in about every other movie, but only worse. The movie begins like any other cheap scifi horror flick, where people are tested against their will by the US Army and some ketchup gets sprayed on the walls as your regular monster gets loose for a moment. Then we go into a teen comedy, where four teens act like they do in every other teen movie, all so rebellious. Since these teens are all scum, yet in different ways, they get the privilege to carry on for the rest of the movie. They hate each other and the army, then they hate a bit more, after the evil experiments they get away, get couple of totally incompetent guards beaten up, and then they bond and fight each other, while those same incompetent guards get killed by the monster from the intro sequence, losing their heads and faces, while Mr Madsen tries to figure out what to do with the old, crazy nazi and the lovely nurse. Luckily all three get killed by the monster. In the end there is supposed to be an explosion, but since the budget was pretty close to twenty bucks in the beginning, there's not even any cheap CGI in the movie, but just a flash with couple of booms. Oh, forgot to mention about that one girl, who got shot in her forehead.
This movie lacks all the logic and even all the suspension, as you can only watch with your jaws open and wonder if you are supposed to be laughing at or just frightened about all those horrible things you see on the screen. Yes, the acting is horrible, the properties seem to be made by a six-year old Chinese, and since there is no script, I can't see why there was an add-on romance in this movie. Maybe it was an accident.
To make it short, if you want to spend some time doing something totally useless, watch this film. It will make you feel better about your real life, as escapism this bad is surely worse than anything one could ever face in the real world.
w.t.f
reddevils8512 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
err w.t.f.is this crap poor acting random crappy soundtrack s**t story it sounded lick this was gonna be a top film with a title like U.K.M. ultimate killing machine it does sound lick it is gonna be the dogs b*ll**ks but it isn't but it isn't it made me mad just watching it Michael madson must of needed the money badly. i couldn't even finish watching this s**t it was that bad i would rather get kicked in the gonads all night long than watch w**k lick this hope these comments were useful to u i would give this film lower but i cant i wold rather hit myself with an iron but don't isten to me watch this fu**ing sh*t for yourself and hate it like me too cheers
terrible- not worth watching for any reason
emperorsclothes7 March 2008
Another embarrassment to Canadian film making. I think it was supposed to have some humour, but again first rule about being funny: don't try to be funny. Also, the acting was terrible, how anyone justifies putting the time in to do something like this and then some other jerk justifies buying it and then some idiot at Rogers justifies putting it on the air? I don't know. To the actors of this film, take some acting lessons and dig deep, because the audience deserves it. Acting is not easy and if you think you've done it here, you should probably quit. The whole thing is terrible. Terrible. Terrible. I could not even get past the first ten minutes. Michael Madsen is a good actor, but even the editing and shot selection made him look kind of weak.
Don't Waste Your Time
k012957-122 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Plot: Mad scientist does illegal experiments for military on unsuspecting army recruits.
This is a barely watchable movie. The viewer has a choice. Watch this mess til the end, or give up. Trust me, give up. The military acts like no military anywhere. The military facility is unlike any anywhere. It is just bad.
The story line might, almost make sense. Some major (!) in the military is running a rogue experimental site where they are doing human experiments. All of his support staff are privates. What!?!? They keep around a failed experiment. But, there is a failsafe to destroy the building. Oh, the experiment enhances the adrenalin levels of the test subjects and it makes them horny. There is some intentional humor, and Michael Madsen deadpans some of the better throwaway lines.
Michael Madsen is the best-known actor in this movie. If he could act, then he might have been willing to try to breathe some life into this movie. But, he cannot. He was perfect for Kill Bill, Vol 2. But, that is the only character he, apparently, has the ability to portray.
The rest of the cast goes through the motions on this one. In particular, Erin Mackinnon, as Carrie, does a good job of changing from a shy runaway to a vicious predator.
Is there some book that helps directors find bad plots. In this movie, the military comes off as incompetent, immoral, illegal, and otherwise stupid.
There is a fair amount of violence. The actual violence occurs offscreen, but there is plenty of blood splatterage and special effects dead bodies (including a headless body and its head and a faceless body and its face.) Most of the violence is just there to lend credence to the monster being a threat. But, the monster is not scary. So, the only way to make him a threat is to have him leave a gross mess in the hallway.
There is one scene where sex is used to promote the story line. Thankfully, most of the graphic part is edited out. The viewer knows sex occurred. But, the only reason to make the four experimental subjects strip to their underwear is to tease the viewer.
This is a barely watchable movie. The viewer has a choice. Watch this mess til the end, or give up. Trust me, give up. The military acts like no military anywhere. The military facility is unlike any anywhere. It is just bad.
The story line might, almost make sense. Some major (!) in the military is running a rogue experimental site where they are doing human experiments. All of his support staff are privates. What!?!? They keep around a failed experiment. But, there is a failsafe to destroy the building. Oh, the experiment enhances the adrenalin levels of the test subjects and it makes them horny. There is some intentional humor, and Michael Madsen deadpans some of the better throwaway lines.
Michael Madsen is the best-known actor in this movie. If he could act, then he might have been willing to try to breathe some life into this movie. But, he cannot. He was perfect for Kill Bill, Vol 2. But, that is the only character he, apparently, has the ability to portray.
The rest of the cast goes through the motions on this one. In particular, Erin Mackinnon, as Carrie, does a good job of changing from a shy runaway to a vicious predator.
Is there some book that helps directors find bad plots. In this movie, the military comes off as incompetent, immoral, illegal, and otherwise stupid.
There is a fair amount of violence. The actual violence occurs offscreen, but there is plenty of blood splatterage and special effects dead bodies (including a headless body and its head and a faceless body and its face.) Most of the violence is just there to lend credence to the monster being a threat. But, the monster is not scary. So, the only way to make him a threat is to have him leave a gross mess in the hallway.
There is one scene where sex is used to promote the story line. Thankfully, most of the graphic part is edited out. The viewer knows sex occurred. But, the only reason to make the four experimental subjects strip to their underwear is to tease the viewer.
Good Plot, god awful execution
mammf22 January 2007
I have seen a lot of bad movies in my time, I Spit On Your Grave, Exorcist II, Ghostdog... This film makes them all look like blockbusters! The acting was comical, I wasn't sure if they were making an attempt at humour or they were just so perplexed by the script that it came out that way.
The film seemed to start in the middle and then end! There was no start or finish, I can't see anyone seriously enjoying this film, it's not even got the 'This film is so, bad watch it' catchphrase attached to it, it is THAT BAD.
This could have easily been a decent film, if:
A)They had written a proper script rather than putting one together in 3 minutes. B)Had a budget over £10 C)The actors could act
A suggestion.. Do not watch this film, and don't expect Mr Madsen to appear in anything worth watching again.
m00f
The film seemed to start in the middle and then end! There was no start or finish, I can't see anyone seriously enjoying this film, it's not even got the 'This film is so, bad watch it' catchphrase attached to it, it is THAT BAD.
This could have easily been a decent film, if:
A)They had written a proper script rather than putting one together in 3 minutes. B)Had a budget over £10 C)The actors could act
A suggestion.. Do not watch this film, and don't expect Mr Madsen to appear in anything worth watching again.
m00f
Not As Bad As It Is Made Out To Be
CMRKeyboadist10 December 2006
UKM is one of those movies that we have all seen before. An obvious storyline with obvious characters that are going to do obvious things. But, the movie does movie along at a nice pace, and, if you are into cheap thrills can be very fun.
The story has to do with the military performing crazy experiments on solders trying to create the "Ultimate Killing Machine". It starts out with a great solder being tortured and then being turned into a killer. The movie then goes on to a group of four outcasts that have been sent to the military to be reformed. They to are experimented on and accidentally let the first test subject out, who starts a wild killing spree.
That is basically the storyline. As I said before, it is nothing new. It reminds me of a horrible mix of Alien and Wes Cravens Brain Ripper. This really is not a very good movie as the acting is mediocre, the story is lame, and the gore isn't even all that great. Michael Madson pulls in another fabulous performance, that similar of his performance in BloodRayne. It is funny seeing an actor who was great in movies like Reservoir Dogs and other movies similar, fall into such a rut.
All around, this movie just doesn't cut it. But, if you have some time to kill, you might enjoy it. Just don't take it to seriously. 5/10
The story has to do with the military performing crazy experiments on solders trying to create the "Ultimate Killing Machine". It starts out with a great solder being tortured and then being turned into a killer. The movie then goes on to a group of four outcasts that have been sent to the military to be reformed. They to are experimented on and accidentally let the first test subject out, who starts a wild killing spree.
That is basically the storyline. As I said before, it is nothing new. It reminds me of a horrible mix of Alien and Wes Cravens Brain Ripper. This really is not a very good movie as the acting is mediocre, the story is lame, and the gore isn't even all that great. Michael Madson pulls in another fabulous performance, that similar of his performance in BloodRayne. It is funny seeing an actor who was great in movies like Reservoir Dogs and other movies similar, fall into such a rut.
All around, this movie just doesn't cut it. But, if you have some time to kill, you might enjoy it. Just don't take it to seriously. 5/10
Bad Horror, Bad Acting... Camp Gold Mine
gavin69425 January 2007
After being rejected from standard Army boot camp for being complete rejects (4-F), four young Americans join the secret project of Major Blevins (Michael Madsen) where they are to be transformed into the ultimate killing machines. But the laboratory still hasn't disposed of the previous test subject, who did not quite turn out as planned.
On the Internet Movie Database, this film comes in at 2.4 out of 10, which is just about the lowest you'll ever find a movie listed. The only things lower are "Gigli" and Bill Cosby's turd sandwich "Leonard 6". Sure, the film is bad, but not nearly that bad (these people should rent "Nine Lives"). Allow me to explain. The acting is not great and the dialogue is horrible (mostly just grunting and swearing over and over again). The plot may not be outstanding, but it's decent and is detailed enough to carry the film. But many good things are in here.
The film is comedy through and through. From the opening scenes that depict the candidates as morons (which reminded me of "Can't Hardly Wait") to their stereotypical interactions like "The Breakfast Club" (the criminal, the brain, the basket case... with the princess replaced by a crack addict). And the film relies on some horror clichés in such a way that I have to assume they were meant to be funny: the German scientist, for example.
But under the campiness was a decent film that had solid characters. Michael Madsen did not give his best performance, but he is always a joy to watch (even in such things as "Eye of the Beholder" or "Free Willy"). And the subplot about military recruitment being down and needing to make soldiers better was very timely and fit well. I suppose you could contrast this with "Return of the Livign Dead" in that way, with adrenaline-induced soldiers in this movie taking the place of the trioxin zombies.
Maybe it wasn't great... but did you really think "UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine" would be? I was actually heavily entertained. And maybe you didn't get the nudity you wanted (which is surprisingly with how much sexual activity is going on). But you got gore: faces ripped off, heads torn from necks, and a man slashed to pieces with blood flying all over the killer. Some of it -- the needles -- was done with the lowest quality of special effects, but I'd rather watch some film maker trying to save money with special effects than use cheesy computer stuff. (We can't all be the masters of gore that Peter Jackson was and Stuart Gordon is.) When you're at the video store and you're deciding between this and "Navy Seals", I actually liked this one better. But seriously, you know what you're getting yourself into. At least I hope so... don't be one of those people who doesn't know anything and picks up movies at random. If you are, you deserve to see every crappy film you rent. If you like camp, like the original "Batman" movie, you'll like this one.
On the Internet Movie Database, this film comes in at 2.4 out of 10, which is just about the lowest you'll ever find a movie listed. The only things lower are "Gigli" and Bill Cosby's turd sandwich "Leonard 6". Sure, the film is bad, but not nearly that bad (these people should rent "Nine Lives"). Allow me to explain. The acting is not great and the dialogue is horrible (mostly just grunting and swearing over and over again). The plot may not be outstanding, but it's decent and is detailed enough to carry the film. But many good things are in here.
The film is comedy through and through. From the opening scenes that depict the candidates as morons (which reminded me of "Can't Hardly Wait") to their stereotypical interactions like "The Breakfast Club" (the criminal, the brain, the basket case... with the princess replaced by a crack addict). And the film relies on some horror clichés in such a way that I have to assume they were meant to be funny: the German scientist, for example.
But under the campiness was a decent film that had solid characters. Michael Madsen did not give his best performance, but he is always a joy to watch (even in such things as "Eye of the Beholder" or "Free Willy"). And the subplot about military recruitment being down and needing to make soldiers better was very timely and fit well. I suppose you could contrast this with "Return of the Livign Dead" in that way, with adrenaline-induced soldiers in this movie taking the place of the trioxin zombies.
Maybe it wasn't great... but did you really think "UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine" would be? I was actually heavily entertained. And maybe you didn't get the nudity you wanted (which is surprisingly with how much sexual activity is going on). But you got gore: faces ripped off, heads torn from necks, and a man slashed to pieces with blood flying all over the killer. Some of it -- the needles -- was done with the lowest quality of special effects, but I'd rather watch some film maker trying to save money with special effects than use cheesy computer stuff. (We can't all be the masters of gore that Peter Jackson was and Stuart Gordon is.) When you're at the video store and you're deciding between this and "Navy Seals", I actually liked this one better. But seriously, you know what you're getting yourself into. At least I hope so... don't be one of those people who doesn't know anything and picks up movies at random. If you are, you deserve to see every crappy film you rent. If you like camp, like the original "Batman" movie, you'll like this one.
u.k.m.
kairingler13 April 2009
well hmm don't quite know where to start with this one,, well Michael Madsen you were just terrible in this one,, i mean i was a big fan of your's what have you done,, he play a Lieutenant Colonel or something in this movie,, an Army think tank,, creating soldiers,, because there recruitment is down,, and the soldiers that they have just aren't that good anymore,, so they go ahead and recruit the bottom of the bottom, and boy do i mean they scrape the bottom of the barrel for these losers,, a runaway,, crack addict,, those are just two to name a few,, there are i think like 4 or 5 guys and two girls. they discover that what they are in is not an actual boot camp,, and must survive the ultimate killing machine that the army has created,, an experient that has horribly gone wrong. not bad if you wanna see a bunch of dumb kids get killed,, but that's it here.
offensively terrible
chadd firchau10 December 2008
normally, plot holes and bad acting in a horror movie are easy to over-look, as long as the movie is cheesy, violent, and entertaining. the director of this film, David Mitchell, is absolutely clueless, not just about about how to make a decent film, but about everything. so these four rejects, two guys and two girlies, are accepted into the army, but are taken to a military research facility. the four kids don't think it's fishy that they're supposed to sleep in the same room together. one by one they're taken out of the room to be experimented on. so here's one of the worst plot holes: why would they take out one of the kids, experiment on him, then drop him off in the same room before they take another kid? there's a million rooms in that base where they could stash the experiment victim. literally no explanation is given for this. but that's not the worst of it. there's several blatantly sexual scenes in this movie, like when they have to all undress together, or when they go crazy and wanna screw... but there's no nudity. all they do is get down to their underwear and that's it. why? does this director think his film is too classy to show bare breasts? who knows. i have a laundry list of complaints about UKM but i try to keep my reviews short and sweet. please, don't ever see this movie.
You Can Stop This Killing Machine
tarbosh2200012 May 2010
"UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine" is a boring, and highly unthrilling movie. The plot: 5 reject teenagers are recruited by the government to test a new drug that makes supersoldiers, run by Major Blevins (Madsen). Unfortunately, one other test subject went insane and now is on the loose...
The whole movie was shot in a building to cut down costs. Apparently, Madsen is expensive. The cast, besides him, is awful. No line of dialogue is timed right, and everybody just yells. There's no motivation or personality for any of the characters. The best part of the movie is the beginning. But after that, it all goes downhill quickly. Madsen's there for a paycheck, but how much could it be? "UKM" is a mess that should be avoided. Unless you like cheap Canadian horror movies...? For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
The whole movie was shot in a building to cut down costs. Apparently, Madsen is expensive. The cast, besides him, is awful. No line of dialogue is timed right, and everybody just yells. There's no motivation or personality for any of the characters. The best part of the movie is the beginning. But after that, it all goes downhill quickly. Madsen's there for a paycheck, but how much could it be? "UKM" is a mess that should be avoided. Unless you like cheap Canadian horror movies...? For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
Terrible movie! Billy Parrot should have chosen DTNG instead!
reeves200225 August 2007
I can't believe how bad this movie was.It was so lame I ended up fast forwarding over most of it.The acting was bad enough but the story was worse.I should have known it would be a POS knowing Michael Madsen was in it.A lot of the movies he's in suck.The male characters were weak and wimpy, and the female characters did nothing but humiliate men.It was a b-rated comedy trying to be a horror movie.It had a bad score and was probably one of the most boring movies i've seen in awhile. I was surprised to see Bill Parrot in this movie.I haven't seen him since the late 80's in the TV show Degrassi junior high playing the Shane Mckay character.He should have reprised the Shane character on Degrassi TNG instead of doing a movie as horrible as this, but unfortunately for Bill they found another actor to play Shane which is too bad because I prefer Bill in the role.
Not bad, not good, cheap fun
i773108 May 2010
Seeing the reviews here, I expected a bad film but decided to watch it as Michael Madsen is in it, like him since Reservoir Dogs.
There is some violence but nothing gross, the usual language, not much plot(could have done better) as it has an OK setting; I don't really care for the characters but I like girl who plays Zoe the best. She's quite spunky and I like her attitude and is convincing as the heroine.
Madsen doesn't have a big role in it like I thought, since his name is right in the middle of the DVD cover.
It's not a bad film. Good rental but not a good buy. I'm glad I didn't buy it.
Still, I wasn't bored sitting through the whole film. Overall still feel it doesn't deserve a 3.2/10 rating, maybe just 5-6.
There is some violence but nothing gross, the usual language, not much plot(could have done better) as it has an OK setting; I don't really care for the characters but I like girl who plays Zoe the best. She's quite spunky and I like her attitude and is convincing as the heroine.
Madsen doesn't have a big role in it like I thought, since his name is right in the middle of the DVD cover.
It's not a bad film. Good rental but not a good buy. I'm glad I didn't buy it.
Still, I wasn't bored sitting through the whole film. Overall still feel it doesn't deserve a 3.2/10 rating, maybe just 5-6.
Unremarkable Krappy Movie
Bezenby6 December 2016
Michael Madsen mumbles his way to another giro check in this horror, where a bunch of annoying teens are pursued through some sort of complex by an unstoppable killer marine. You've seen this film dozens of times over the decades so why bother with this one? No really, I'm asking you. You've got your contemporary annoying teens (drug addict, geek, err
moody one etc) that'll be laughably dated in about ten years, all sent to 'participate' in some experiment to create super soldiers. Blah blah failed experiment escapes. Blah blah running around. Shouting etc. Slight gore even. Cold-hearted scientists. More running around. Sigh.
Honestly, I'm struggling to remember anything out of the ordinary about this one.
Honestly, I'm struggling to remember anything out of the ordinary about this one.
MHM: Mediocre Horror Movie
BA_Harrison14 October 2011
Four high-school losers—crack addict Zoe (Victoria Nestorowicz), wimp Buddy (Steve Arbuckle), rebel Waylon (Mac Fyfe) and runaway Carrie (Erin Mackinnon)—hope to turn their lives around by enlisting in the army, but wind up as guinea pigs in the Havoc project, a top-secret experiment designed to turn recruitment rejects into unstoppable super-soldiers. After receiving the treatment—delivered via a massive great needle rammed into the spine—they realise that something is seriously wrong and attempt to escape from the secure military base where they are being held; in doing so, they accidentally release an earlier test subject—war hero Sgt. Dodds—who has been turned into a bloodthirsty killer fuelled by rage and is out to even the score with those responsible for his miserable state.
UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine is a case of nice try, but no cigar. The basic plot has oodles of exploitative potential, but the film doesn't go anywhere near to living up to its awesome sounding title. First off, the character of failed test subject Dodds is a real let-down: my idea of an scientifically engineered 'ultimate killing machine' would preferably involve machine guns in the arms, laser eyes, and razor wire skin; clearly the budget couldn't stretch to that, but it would have been nice to have seen a little more effort to make this botched experiment more memorable than he was—barring a few facial scars, Dodds looks exactly like he did before the procedure.
Another plot element that seriously under-delivers is the unexpected side-effect of the treatment, a raging libido that gets stronger the more the patient gets agitated. With the characters getting progressively randier (and in the case of the girls, more attractive), one might reasonably expect at least one gratuitous sex scene, but every time a guy and gal show any sign of getting down to business, something occurs to cut the scene short. Dodds gets as far as stripping a sexy scientist down to her army regulation purple silk stockings, suspender belt and bra, but he accidentally breaks her neck before he can give her any serious attention. What a swizz!
Worse still is Michael Madsen's woeful performance as nasty Major Blevins, who oversees the Havoc project. Clearly going through the motions just to pay the bills, Madsen puts about as much effort into his acting as I have into ensuring that this reviw is free of speling mistaks. In the end, what narrowly prevents UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine from being a total waste of time is the occasional spot of decent splatter, which includes a cool decapitation, a squishy scene in which a soldier has his face torn off, and some poor soul being cut into a pile of bloody chunks. When all else fails, at least old-school gore can be relied upon to put some pep into proceedings.
UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine is a case of nice try, but no cigar. The basic plot has oodles of exploitative potential, but the film doesn't go anywhere near to living up to its awesome sounding title. First off, the character of failed test subject Dodds is a real let-down: my idea of an scientifically engineered 'ultimate killing machine' would preferably involve machine guns in the arms, laser eyes, and razor wire skin; clearly the budget couldn't stretch to that, but it would have been nice to have seen a little more effort to make this botched experiment more memorable than he was—barring a few facial scars, Dodds looks exactly like he did before the procedure.
Another plot element that seriously under-delivers is the unexpected side-effect of the treatment, a raging libido that gets stronger the more the patient gets agitated. With the characters getting progressively randier (and in the case of the girls, more attractive), one might reasonably expect at least one gratuitous sex scene, but every time a guy and gal show any sign of getting down to business, something occurs to cut the scene short. Dodds gets as far as stripping a sexy scientist down to her army regulation purple silk stockings, suspender belt and bra, but he accidentally breaks her neck before he can give her any serious attention. What a swizz!
Worse still is Michael Madsen's woeful performance as nasty Major Blevins, who oversees the Havoc project. Clearly going through the motions just to pay the bills, Madsen puts about as much effort into his acting as I have into ensuring that this reviw is free of speling mistaks. In the end, what narrowly prevents UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine from being a total waste of time is the occasional spot of decent splatter, which includes a cool decapitation, a squishy scene in which a soldier has his face torn off, and some poor soul being cut into a pile of bloody chunks. When all else fails, at least old-school gore can be relied upon to put some pep into proceedings.
Poor horror film.
poolandrews11 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine starts as four teenage misfits named Waylon (Mac Fyfe), Buddy (Steve Arbuckle), Zoe (Victoria Nestorowicz) & Carrie (Erin Mackinnon) enlist in the US Army. They are taken to Millhaven Research Facility where Major Blevins (Michael Madsen) runs the 'Havoc Project' where scientist Dr. Stroheim (John Evans) is trying to perfect a serum that when injected into a living subject will turn them into an almost unstoppable soldier, the ultimate killing machine if you were. Blevins & Stroheim plan to use the four new recruits as guinea pigs but things go wrong as one of their failed experiments is accidentally freed & goes on a killing rampage inside the locked down facility...
This American Canadian co-production was directed by David Mitchell & is yet another poor generic 'science gone wrong' horror flick that has very little going for it. The script by Tyler Levine & Tim McGregor takes itself extremely seriously & is pretty slow going & very dull, the majority of UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine is spent following annoying character's around incredibly dark corridors which look almost exactly identical. The film has no pace, the story about a US Military project to create the ultimate weapon through genetics & science is so old hat & clichéd it just feels so routine & predictable, there just isn't a single original idea or scene in the entire thing. The character's are pretty poor, you get the usual bonding scenes as they take it in turns to open their hearts to each other between being chased by a genetic mutant soldier, the Army official's are poorly defined & no-one has any real individuality or personality. At 90 odd minutes in length the film feels a lot longer as we get scene after scene of these character's running around dark corridors doing nothing in particular. It gets very boring very quickly. There isn't even any decent violence or exploitation to distract you from the snail's pace.
Director Mitchell films with competence but little else. One corridor looks pretty much identical to the next one & the whole film becomes very repetitive & bland to look at. One also has to comment on the fact that the military facility featured in UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine is maybe the darkest & most understaffed ever seen, could they not afford the electric bill? Was this place not fitted with lights? The gore levels are virtually zero, there's some blood splatter, a decapitated head, someone is shot in the head, there are a few injection scenes & a few dead bodies. Basically nothing memorable at all.
According to the IMDb this had a budget of about $5,000,000 which quite simply amazes me, I simply cannot believe a film as basic & sloppy as this cost that amount, I just can't. There's nothing here apart from a small cast & lots of dark corridors which look exactly the same. Filmed in Hamilton in Ontario in Canada. The acting is alright, this is the type of film Michael Madsen has openly admitted he makes to pay the bills & here he seems on autopilot.
UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine is a routine science gone bad for military reasons horror film where lots of bland character's run around identical almost pitch black corridors. One to forget & one to avoid.
This American Canadian co-production was directed by David Mitchell & is yet another poor generic 'science gone wrong' horror flick that has very little going for it. The script by Tyler Levine & Tim McGregor takes itself extremely seriously & is pretty slow going & very dull, the majority of UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine is spent following annoying character's around incredibly dark corridors which look almost exactly identical. The film has no pace, the story about a US Military project to create the ultimate weapon through genetics & science is so old hat & clichéd it just feels so routine & predictable, there just isn't a single original idea or scene in the entire thing. The character's are pretty poor, you get the usual bonding scenes as they take it in turns to open their hearts to each other between being chased by a genetic mutant soldier, the Army official's are poorly defined & no-one has any real individuality or personality. At 90 odd minutes in length the film feels a lot longer as we get scene after scene of these character's running around dark corridors doing nothing in particular. It gets very boring very quickly. There isn't even any decent violence or exploitation to distract you from the snail's pace.
Director Mitchell films with competence but little else. One corridor looks pretty much identical to the next one & the whole film becomes very repetitive & bland to look at. One also has to comment on the fact that the military facility featured in UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine is maybe the darkest & most understaffed ever seen, could they not afford the electric bill? Was this place not fitted with lights? The gore levels are virtually zero, there's some blood splatter, a decapitated head, someone is shot in the head, there are a few injection scenes & a few dead bodies. Basically nothing memorable at all.
According to the IMDb this had a budget of about $5,000,000 which quite simply amazes me, I simply cannot believe a film as basic & sloppy as this cost that amount, I just can't. There's nothing here apart from a small cast & lots of dark corridors which look exactly the same. Filmed in Hamilton in Ontario in Canada. The acting is alright, this is the type of film Michael Madsen has openly admitted he makes to pay the bills & here he seems on autopilot.
UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine is a routine science gone bad for military reasons horror film where lots of bland character's run around identical almost pitch black corridors. One to forget & one to avoid.
Weak entry, could've been better
slayrrr66627 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine" is a less-than-impressive slasher with a few good points.
**SPOILERS**
At the Milhaven Research Facility, Sgt. Harlan P. Dodds, (Simon Northrup) is selected by Maj. Blevins, (Michael Madsen) and Dr. Lena Segovic, (Deanna Dezmari) to participate in a special psychiatric experiment. When new recruits Waylon King, (Mac Fyfe) Buddy James, (Steve Arbuckle) Zoe Snow, (Victoria Nestorowicz) and Carrie Schenk, (Erin Mackinnon) arrive at the center, they are immediately sent to a secret program against their knowledge. As the team continues their experiments, they start to suspect something is wrong, and set out to find the truth about the experiment at the facility. Realizing that the purpose of the recruits was to test a radical drug that was supposed to enhance the military's personnel and a failed experiment that has now turned into a monstrous, psychotic soldier is now loose in the facility killing everyone in the facility. Forced to defend themselves against the killer, they try to get out of the facility alive before they all fall victim.
The Good News: This one here wasn't that bad, as it had some good stuff in it. The set here is really great here, with the long, winding corridors and darkened hallways makes for a great setting to conduct business in a slasher in. From the different rooms and other situations of the film, there's some nice scenes in here, and it at times can yield some suspense while it's at it as well. The initial encounter in the maze underground is pretty tense, and the chase through the corridors is something to be admired for it's great ability to be really creepy, as the dimly-lit layout, disorienting nature and off-screen noises all make for some great sequences. The killer here has a nice look, with the bloody scars and wounds, imposing figure and military intelligence gives it a strong advantage in the film, and it makes for a great villain. There's also the film's blood and gore, which here is quite nice. There's a brutal face ripped off, one has their head squeezed until the brain pops off, a power drill rammed into the forehead, stabbing repeatedly in the stomach with a knife and a couple of nice gunshot wounds that also get the job done. There's also the film's leisurely pace, normally a disadvantage but here something that works, since it unravels the mystery nicely and the action in here makes it come along rather nicely. All of these here make the film enjoyable.
The Bad News: This one here has a few problems that make this one feel really lower it down a little. The film's pace is something that works well for a time, but there's also a problem here when it stops the pace down and keeps it away from the killings to worry about the story more, and there's a large amount of time that goes by with nothing much of action that happens. This, in the beginning, is fine since it needs to introduce the story and plot, but later on when the truth is known to the characters, there's not much that could've been done to make them move along faster. There's even much longer periods here just because this one has no real point of using them here to slow it down in the later half, and as a result it feels really slow at parts. It's also not helped along by the really slow-going manner of the kills, which are spaced out quite leisurely in the film, and are at such points that there's not a whole lot which occur in the beginning of the film. It really needed to up the pace of the kills in here a little more evenly to make the film move along a little faster, get rid of the talking scenes and put more action in to the film. The last flaw in here is the fact that the killer has a really weak story here. It's been done to death, in having a person who has been undone by the military in a special experiment and becomes a monster, stalking those who are brought in as the rats in the tweaked experiment of the same kind. That's been a repeat offender of a tired cliché, which comes back again and takes another film with that cliché in it's list. These here are the film's weak points.
The Final Verdict: A less-than-impressive slasher that still has some good stuff in it to make it somewhat watchable, this here is mainly in the decent category. Give this one a shot if these kinds of films are entertaining or if nothing else is on TV, otherwise this one won't do much to distinguish itself from the pack.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language
**SPOILERS**
At the Milhaven Research Facility, Sgt. Harlan P. Dodds, (Simon Northrup) is selected by Maj. Blevins, (Michael Madsen) and Dr. Lena Segovic, (Deanna Dezmari) to participate in a special psychiatric experiment. When new recruits Waylon King, (Mac Fyfe) Buddy James, (Steve Arbuckle) Zoe Snow, (Victoria Nestorowicz) and Carrie Schenk, (Erin Mackinnon) arrive at the center, they are immediately sent to a secret program against their knowledge. As the team continues their experiments, they start to suspect something is wrong, and set out to find the truth about the experiment at the facility. Realizing that the purpose of the recruits was to test a radical drug that was supposed to enhance the military's personnel and a failed experiment that has now turned into a monstrous, psychotic soldier is now loose in the facility killing everyone in the facility. Forced to defend themselves against the killer, they try to get out of the facility alive before they all fall victim.
The Good News: This one here wasn't that bad, as it had some good stuff in it. The set here is really great here, with the long, winding corridors and darkened hallways makes for a great setting to conduct business in a slasher in. From the different rooms and other situations of the film, there's some nice scenes in here, and it at times can yield some suspense while it's at it as well. The initial encounter in the maze underground is pretty tense, and the chase through the corridors is something to be admired for it's great ability to be really creepy, as the dimly-lit layout, disorienting nature and off-screen noises all make for some great sequences. The killer here has a nice look, with the bloody scars and wounds, imposing figure and military intelligence gives it a strong advantage in the film, and it makes for a great villain. There's also the film's blood and gore, which here is quite nice. There's a brutal face ripped off, one has their head squeezed until the brain pops off, a power drill rammed into the forehead, stabbing repeatedly in the stomach with a knife and a couple of nice gunshot wounds that also get the job done. There's also the film's leisurely pace, normally a disadvantage but here something that works, since it unravels the mystery nicely and the action in here makes it come along rather nicely. All of these here make the film enjoyable.
The Bad News: This one here has a few problems that make this one feel really lower it down a little. The film's pace is something that works well for a time, but there's also a problem here when it stops the pace down and keeps it away from the killings to worry about the story more, and there's a large amount of time that goes by with nothing much of action that happens. This, in the beginning, is fine since it needs to introduce the story and plot, but later on when the truth is known to the characters, there's not much that could've been done to make them move along faster. There's even much longer periods here just because this one has no real point of using them here to slow it down in the later half, and as a result it feels really slow at parts. It's also not helped along by the really slow-going manner of the kills, which are spaced out quite leisurely in the film, and are at such points that there's not a whole lot which occur in the beginning of the film. It really needed to up the pace of the kills in here a little more evenly to make the film move along a little faster, get rid of the talking scenes and put more action in to the film. The last flaw in here is the fact that the killer has a really weak story here. It's been done to death, in having a person who has been undone by the military in a special experiment and becomes a monster, stalking those who are brought in as the rats in the tweaked experiment of the same kind. That's been a repeat offender of a tired cliché, which comes back again and takes another film with that cliché in it's list. These here are the film's weak points.
The Final Verdict: A less-than-impressive slasher that still has some good stuff in it to make it somewhat watchable, this here is mainly in the decent category. Give this one a shot if these kinds of films are entertaining or if nothing else is on TV, otherwise this one won't do much to distinguish itself from the pack.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language
Saved by the acting Just
dragonstar-2216623 August 2022
A fairly bog standard super solider gone wrong movie somewhat redeemed by some pretty good performances considering what they had to work with. Marsden does a good job of making his Major Elevins somewhat three dimensional character turning what could be a very standard evil military leader into someone who while willing to do what needs to be done actually cares about those he is in charge of.
Mac Fyfe turns in a good performance as Waylon taking his character from low level scumbag to believable hero plus he gets the best line in the movie. Stephen Arbuckle's Buddy gives a fun turn going from gung ho nerd to scenery chewing rage monster. Victoria Nestorowicz turns is good as Zoe going from street rat to strong but broken heroin. Erin Mackinnon does the best she can with what she is given but Carrie is maybe the least fleshed out.
The production is low budget and shows at time with some odd editing which I put down to not being able to do reshoots and having to work with what they had and the lack of gore effects with lots of people looking sickened and horrified but never doing more than showing some blood pools.
Good performances raise this from dull to ok not a cult classic but harmless fun.
Mac Fyfe turns in a good performance as Waylon taking his character from low level scumbag to believable hero plus he gets the best line in the movie. Stephen Arbuckle's Buddy gives a fun turn going from gung ho nerd to scenery chewing rage monster. Victoria Nestorowicz turns is good as Zoe going from street rat to strong but broken heroin. Erin Mackinnon does the best she can with what she is given but Carrie is maybe the least fleshed out.
The production is low budget and shows at time with some odd editing which I put down to not being able to do reshoots and having to work with what they had and the lack of gore effects with lots of people looking sickened and horrified but never doing more than showing some blood pools.
Good performances raise this from dull to ok not a cult classic but harmless fun.
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