The Ultimate Weapon is a 1998 Canadian action film directed by Jon Cassar, starring Hulk Hogan, Daniel Pilon, Carl Marotte, and Cynthia Preston.
Plot
Ben "Hardball" Cutter (Hulk Hogan), a traumatized former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier turned private consultant to the National Security Council, is called back into action to provide armed support to a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the fictional Serbian town of Trebor. Cutter discovers that the mission's leader, Colonel Dermot Roarke, is actually a gunrunner planning to turn over a cache of illegal weapons to the Irish Republican Army. Cutter destroys the weapons depot, making enemies of Roarke and Irish-American businessman Dylan McBride, an I.R.A. sympathizer. McBride targets Cutter's family to draw him out, leading to a violent confrontation.
Cast
- Hulk Hogan as Ben "Hardball" Cutter
- Daniel Pilon as Dylan McBride
- Carl Marotte as Vince "Cobra" Dean
- Cynthia Preston as Mary Kate
- Lynne Adams as Lorrie
- Michael D'Amico as Dermot Roarke
- David Nerman as Jamie Ryan
- Vlasta Vrána as "Top" Drummond
Production
The film was written by Paul Robert (Vincent Robert) and produced by Aziz Alaoui, Philippe Martinez, Murray Shostak, and Danny Rossner. It was shot in Quebec, Canada, despite being set in Serbia and the Eastern United States. Filming took place between July and August 1997. The film features a brief appearance by fellow wrestler Brutus Beefcake (credited as Edward Leslie). It is considered Hulk Hogan's only true foray into R-rated action cinema, as opposed to his usual family-friendly fare.
Release
The film was released on VHS in Canada in 1999 and in the United States on VHS and DVD on July 4, 2000, via Lionsgate's Avalanche Home Video sublabel. Running times vary by region: 95 minutes (Canadian cut), 110 minutes (U.S. cut), and approximately 90 minutes (U.K. cut). A Blu-ray re-release occurred in German-speaking territories in August 2021.
Reception
Jay Bobbin of Tribune Media Services rated the film two out of four stars. VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever rated it two out of four. According to Hulk Hogan's autobiography, the film was profitable.
