Highlander

Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown, Beatie Edney
Directed by: Russell Mulcahy
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: An immortal, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) must face his adversary (Clancy Brown), who took everything from him, hundreds of years ago.

Review:

Tim: I was a big fan of the "Highlander" television series featuring Duncan MacLeod, and that enjoyment translates to the 1986 film that started it all. More than anything else, I just love the whole idea of this movie. There are immortals in the world who can only be killed by chopping off their heads. When they kill another immortal, they consume their power, their energy. At some point, only one immortal will remain and the power that immortal has will be immense. That is an unbelievably cool concept and I give Gregory Widen so much credit for creating the idea. I have to say, I so much love the tagline- "There can be only one." Every time a character utters this, I get a chill. The whole concept is just so amazing.

It also helps that the film has a truly entertaining character in Connor MacLeod. First off, that's one of the coolest names I've ever heard. Secondly, I love the Scottish highlands as his homeland. "Highlander" is a great name for a movie. I know I'm geeking out a bit, but imagine there are immortals who can only be killed by decapitation, whom live for hundreds and thousands of years. Plus, the idea of "The Prize" is just so cool. I really loved watching the story unfold here.

Now, I do like Christopher Lambert, but the guy isn't a great actor. His performance is wooden and forced. That being said, I still enjoyed him as Connor. He might not be much of an actor, but there is still something likeable and strong about him. His performance is memorable, even when it's not great. The movie is helped by an incredibly strong supporting performance by Sean Connery. His Ramirez is such a memorable character. The energy Connery brings to the role is infectious and it elevates the entire film. The story is told jumping between the present day and the distant past. The flashbacks are oftentimes the most compelling aspects of the story and Connery is a big reason for that. I also give credit to Clancy Brown. His performance might have been way too over-the-top, but he looks formidable and intimidating and even though his performance badly needed more restraint, Kurgan works as a character regardless. Roxanne Hart was a bit too forgettable in her role.

I love how the film was structured- we learn about Connor MacLeod both in the present day, but we also watch his origin in the Scottish highlands. We see how he dies for the first time and inexplicably comes back to life as an immortal. The mentoring scenes with Connor and Ramirez are the highlights of the film. The movie really asks us to stop and understand these characters and consider the blessing and the curse of immortal life (unless someone cuts your head off). This movie is more than just an action/fantasy movie. Any movie that causes you to pause and reflect on mortality and immortality is a special one.

You can't talk about this movie without discussing the music of Queen. Their songs became synonymous with this franchise. The standouts are "Princes of the Universe" and " Who Wants to Live Forever", which is an incredible song. I can't hear it without thinking of this film and the television show. The movie was shot often using music video techniques, which I'm not a big fan of, but leveraging the soundtrack so effectively was a big plus for this film.

Now, as much as I really enjoy Highlander, it's not a perfect movie. I already mentioned my issues with the cast. Some of the scenes are just too frenetic and don't work. The visual effects were fine. The script suffers from some dialogue issues and the conclusion of the movie is a little confusing for first-time viewers. Still, this is a unique and memorable movie. It was a failure upon release, but it became a cult film and that's a cult of which I am certainly a member.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Highlander II: The Quickening