Synopsis: Two police officers, one from Hong Kong and the other from the mainland, try to stop a deadly assassin from killing again.

​

Views: After a string of assassinations on triads, mainland cop Detective Wing follows the suspect killer to Hong Kong where he teams up with Chief Inspector Yip. Together, they set out to find the female sharpshooter in a bid to try and stop her. It all results in a deadly game of cat and mouse across the city, that leads to a showdown of bullets and bombs in a local hotel...

​

I have to say, Kant Leung isn't a director whose name would be at the top of any Hong Kong fans list of favourites. While I've only ever seen a bad English dub of the questionable Roaring Dragon, Bluffing Tiger starring Anthony Wong and Collin Chou, as well as the dreadful Big Boss Untouchable starring Dragon Sek, I've yet to see anything else the man has helmed such as The Demon's Baby, The Legendary, Sexy & Dangerous 2, or Violent Cop starring Patrick Tam. Before he got into directing, Leung spent a decade appearing in a small number of films including Curry & Pepper, Happy Ghost 4 & 5, The Final Judgement, Her Name In Cat, and Chinese Erotic Ghost Story – but I'd hardly say he's ever made a lasting impression. I'd also probably have the same opinion on him as a director, from his work on the two I mentioned that I had seen and this messy action thriller. And even though he had spent many years as an assistant director on many of the aforementioned titles he appeared in, it's clear that Kant Leung Wang Fat never really honed his skills enough to give Hong Kong film fans anything memorable. With cheap-looking artwork and lower production values, Ultimatum proved to be an incredible flop at the box office – even with the great Sunny Luk on-board as assistant director and Michael Wong as the star of the show.

​

While Michael Wong has always been a bit of a Marmite actor for many Hong Kong film fans, his good looks and cheeky charm have helped bag him over 100 roles since the mid-80s, launching his film career with City Hero alongside Dean Shek and Mark Cheng before jumping into classics like Royal Warriors, Legacy Of Rage, Fury, In The Line Of Duty 4, and many others. The mid-90s would see him appear more as the leading man in hits like First Option, Theft Under The Sun, and Beast Cops, but I've never really took to the guy if I'm being honest. In Ultimatum, Wong plays his role of Chief Inspector Yip with about as much over-acting and enthusiasm as he normally does, but isn't unwatchable. Popular Hong Kong actor William Duen Wai Lun stars as Detective Wing, the mainland cop who must partner with Wong to catch the killer. Hong Kong film fans will recognise this actor for his roles in films like City Hunter, Iron Monkey, Saint Of Gamblers, Future Cops, Police Story 3: Super Cop, Crime Story, A Taste Of Killing & Romance, and High Risk as well as many other Jackie Chan blockbusters. As Wing, he doesn't do too bad a job and holds his own against Wong's typical hero character. The lovely Yoyo Mung stars as May, the deadly assassin that gives both leading men a run for their money. Making her feature film debut in Wellson Chin's The Third Full Moon, Mung went on to star in a few hits such as Expect The Unexpected, A Hero Never Dies, and Running Out Of Time – but it wasn't to last. As the millennium crept in, Mung found herself appearing in more and more low-budget titles that didn't really leave much of an impression with audiences and critics alike. And finally, while directors Kant Leung and Sunny Luk pop-up throughout, I was more excited to see the incredible Yuen Wah co-star and, while brief, he gets to deliver yet another quirky performance as the asthmatic killer Ola. Although loved by fans for his martial arts abilities, Wah is all about the gun-play when it comes to the big finale – but still does a great job regardless. 2001 was hardly a great year for the man having only just starred in this and the so-so Vampire Controller, before leaving the film scene until 2004 when Chow Sing Chi cast him as the Landlord in the box office smash, Kung Fu Hustle – a decision that gave Wah's career a new lease of life, thankfully.

​

To be honest, the action here is probably the best thing about Ultimatum – from stylized shoot-outs to car chases – and is handled by the talented Lung Sang who crafted his skills while working with top action director Tsui Fat on films like Holy Virgin Vs The Evil Dead, Crystal Hunt, Cheetah On Fire, Devil Hunters, The Mighty Gambler, City On Fire, and more. Lung started out in film as a bit-player, although over the course of a decade only starred in 10 or 11 features including A Fiery Family, Killer Angels, Seven Warriors, A Punch To Revenge, and some of the aforementioned titles he helped choreograph. I actually quite enjoyed his work here which, aside from some dodgy CG bullets here and there, had some nice moments and offered up plenty of cool shots that save this generic turn-of-the-century action flick, from being a complete bore-fest with its abundance of dialogue-heavy scenes!

​

Overall: While it's definitely not the worst film ever made, it's hard to recommend Ultimatum when you know there's so much better out there!