Highlander (1986)

Wonderful character development!

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I haven't watched 'Highlander' since it was on TV in the eighties. I loved it as a kid and was a little apprehensive regarding how well it would stand around thirty years later. And, despite being quite surprised at how much I didn't really appreciate back then, I'm pleased to say that it's worth a watch before the inevitable remake that will doubtless come soon.It's (mainly) set in what was 'modern day,' but now is way back in the eighties, where Christopher Lambert plays one of the few last immortals left alive. He's been around since, er, whenever Scotland was filled with bagpiping, claymore-wielding warriors (about 400 years I think he says at one point) and he's lived his long life never being able to love properly due to the obvious complications involving watching all his loved ones age naturally and die. And, if that wasn't bad enough, we - the audience - are repeatedly reminded that 'There can be only one.' That basically means that all remaining immortals must fight each other to the death (apparently you can actually kill an immortal with a well-placed decapitation) in order to win whatever prize awaits them.I say 'mainly' set in the eighties, because there's a fair amount of screen-time dedicated to flashbacks of when Lambert was the titular 'Highlander' in his native time. There he's guided as to what he really is by one Obi-wan Kenobi mentor-like figure, played (as effortlessly as you'd expect) by Sean Connery. Here we learn about everyone's backstory and the villain who's been stalking the immortals throughout the ages. The main surprise I found while re-watching 'Highlander' after all this time is that I didn't remember so much of the film being set in the past (it's almost 50/50 between past and present. I remember Connery being in it (he was Bond, after all!), but that's about all I could recall of the flashback scenes.I would say that there's plenty of action, watching one immortal take swing after swing of their sword at another immortal's neck. However, by today's standards, the action is probably a little tame. There's hardly much exciting camerawork or major special effects (again, by today's scale), so you get the odd swordfight every so often. It was great for the time and the sound effects used when the swords clash is really cool. Plus you have Queen's epic and totally overblown soundtrack to accompany the film (written specifically for the film, I believe).Highlander' is all good fun, but then I'm biased as I'm viewing it through nostalgic eyes (and I'm a fan of Queen). It's definitely worth a watch, but it may seem a little dull and old-fashioned to the cinema-goers of today who expect epic battles where entire cities are destroyed by intergalactic CGI armies. Oh and in keeping with the 'There can be only one' theme, if you do decide to watch 'Highlander' - stick to the original. I tried the sequels and realised that that tagline was more true than it ever intended!

I seem to recall a lot of hype surrounding this movie when it came out, enough to spawn a number of sequels and a television series. I was never intrigued enough to see it until the other day and I can't say that it struck me as anything special. The film's back and forth between different historical eras is a little confusing at first until you get into the rhythm of the story, and then it's not too difficult to follow. As the principal character, Christopher Lambert doesn't project a very heroic persona, even less so as a civilian in the present day. I just didn't see any charisma in his portrayal of Highlander Connor MacLeod. In some ways I think he was outdone by his mentor Ramirez (Sean Connery) and the story's principal villain Kurgan (Clancy Brown). Even the romantic involvements with Heather (Beatie Edney) in the past and Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart) in modern New York City seemed bland given the epic pretensions of the story. I don't know, maybe I saw this on a bad day, but given the picture's reputation, I found it nothing to lose your head over.

Before his turn as sadistic prison guard in Shawshank Redemption, Clancy Brown III gave us one of the most diabolical cartoon movie villains of the 1980s. You can only watch and hope he is going get what is coming to him. Some will say Highlander is like a feature length MTV video and there's some truth in that - Russell Mulcahy was a celebrated music video director. It also has the feel of an expensive film school project because of its pacing. It's ludicrous, extravagantly stylised, noisy, frivolous fantasy, but this is all to its credit. Brian May's song, "Who Wants to Live Forever" is pitch perfect, and the film is jam-packed with other hit songs and a great musical score. Lambert's accent is quirky and bizarre - a strange concoction of Euro-Scotto-French-American. But for all the hokum, Highlander has heart.

The original Highlander was a good movie, the kind of action movie that could only have been made in the 80's. It takes a novel premise, and explores it without taking itself too seriously.The movie follows the life of an immortal swordsman in a battle to the death with other immortals. So the movie cuts back and forth between two stories. One is a modern day tale about The Gathering, a final battle of immortals. The other is Connor's life story, beginning with the day he discovered he was immortal, and the events that shape him into the bitter and cynical loner he's become.I find the flashback parts to be more enjoyable, especially when Sean Connery shows up. He portrays Connor's best friend and mentor at a critical time in his life, and he manages to feel like he's in the entire movie when his screen time is actually quite small. His performance is a good fit for the movie, unlike the campy acting in the sequel, as he manages to be light-hearted and fun at the same time he's a fierce and capable warrior, who could easily win The Prize himself.The modern story follows three plot threads: a police investigation into the murdered immortals, The Gathering, and a love story that bridges the other modern two plots. The police are brutal, bigoted, corrupt and unsympathetic characters ,and there is a very isolated feel to Connor's world. It gives a dark seriousness to the movie.Mulcahy did a good job with this movie visually. This movie was his transition from music videos, and the influence of that medium is noticeable. Working in an artform without dialogue and having to tell a story in 3 minutes means knowing how to tell the story visually and keep the pace going. There are a lot of visuals that might be iconic, such as Connor walking down the street, Kurgen's tower duel, and the final battle. That video feel is helped by the soundtrack. The movie famously features Queen and Michael Kamen, and introduces the song Who Wants To Live Forever.It's a bit campy and ridiculous at times, often over-the-top, but one of my favorite movies. The sequels, however, ruin the film, as all of them retcon the ending and other details of this movie. Whatever kind of magic made this film work is not in the sequels at all, and this movie should stand by itself.