Highlander

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“Most people are afraid to die, but you are afraid to live.”  --Brenda

Over the years, “Highlander” (1986) has been elevated to cult status, which I could never fully understand. The influence of the original “Highlander” movie has been so remarkable that there are now six “Highlander” movies. In between the “Highlander” sequels, a TV series chronicling the life of “Highlander” also premiered that spawned six more full seasons. Of course, the “Highlander” saga does not end here. We also have animation artists adding their own flavor to the “Highlander” saga in the form of an animated series called “Highlander: The Complete Animated Series,” and an anime movie, “Highlander: The Search for Vengeance.” After all, how many times do you want to narrate the same tale of “Highlander”?

“Highlander” is the story of an immortal soul, Connor MacLeod / Russell Nash (Christopher Lambert), who has lived through the medieval period and is now living in present time, set in 1985. Through flashbacks, we know about his clan and how they were attacked by the Kurgan (Clancy Brown). In an ensuing battle, the Kurgan seriously injured MacLeod with his sword. Seeing MacLeod‘s deadly wounds, the villagers assumed that he would die soon, so they began preparing his last rites. But to their surprise, MacLeod fully recovered. The clan thinks he is possessed by the devil and banish him. Later, MacLeod meets Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery), who trains him for the battle ahead. Back to the present, Russell Nash is the subject of a murder investigation, and he comes under close scrutiny by a forensic expert, Brenda (Roxanne Hart). Meanwhile, the Kurgan is back and looking to kill MacLeod so that he can become the most-powerful person known to mankind.

Agreed, the film has a unique concept with the immortals and the swordplay, but it never gains any traction, primarily owing to the lack of details. The script does not describe how these immortals originated nor any of their story. In addition, after seeing the ageless characters of MacLeod and the Kurgan, Ramirez’s aging figure appears rather odd. However, on the bright side, MacLeod’s journey through the world and Ramirez’s explanation about the quickening and why there can be only one Highlander--adds a mildly satisfying dimension to the story.

The performances are below average, with the character of Sean Connery instilling the necessary impetus to the story line. Connery’s entry is dramatic, and his exhibition on-screen is noteworthy. He is in the film for roughly fourteen minutes, and during this time, the story moves rapidly when he describes the world of the Highlanders. He mentors MacLeod and prepares him for the quickening before fighting his last battle with the Kurgan. Even though his character sheds some light on the life of the immortals, it still leaves a lot of questions unanswered: Why did he pick MacLeod? How did Ramirez and the Kurgan know McLeod’s whereabouts? How many immortals are alive?

Sean Connery’s performance is the most captivating and deeply satisfying of the entire lot. On the other hand, Clancy Brown’s depiction of the Kurgan is extremely annoying and over-the-top. With long hair, tight clothing, a stitched neck, and pierced ears, he gives the impression of a punk rocker rather than a warrior who has lived for centuries. For all the buffoonery he exhibits in various scenes, his character is never menacing or evil; instead, he appears to be a pushover. Christopher Lambert, on the other hand, seems confused and dreary, as if he is caught in a reverie at all times. Being the principal character, the script never presents his conflicted state of mind after he is made aware of his immortality. Even so, McLeod’s emotional predicament at the loss of his loved ones is never fully articulated in the story line.

Certainly, “Highlander” is a throwback to the old Japanese samurai movies like “Sword of Doom” and “Samurai Rebellion,” since MacLeod uses a Japanese Katana given by Ramirez in the fights. Through the course of the investigation, there are several references made by Brenda that the sword is from medieval Japan. Furthermore, the idea of “there can be only one” through a flashy sword fight clearly belongs to the samurai domain. More so, the concept of immortals reminds one of the indestructible, regenerating machines from “The Terminator” (1984). But even when “Highlander” is paying tribute to Japanese samurai flicks, its swordplay is inept, just like its characters.

Video:
Before this Lionsgate release, the “Highlander” Blu-ray was only available in the U.K. in a collectible steel book case. Early this year, the U.K. edition was discontinued, and fans eagerly hoped for the film’s release on Blu-ray in the U.S.  Lionsgate launched this cult classic in a 1080p transfer, framed in an aspect ratio of 1:78.1, and encoded in an AVC/ MPEG-4 codec. “Highlander” has been released on DVD a number of times, and in the original DVD edition it had a grainy look that showed signs of substantial print damage throughout. Then, years later, “Highlander” was again released, but this time with a newly minted transfer. So, how does this Blu-ray release perform in the video department?   My guess is Lionsgate is probably using the same transfer used for the “Highlander” Immortal edition.

The opening segment in a wrestling arena at Madison Square Garden is sharp, with superior detail. The sequence shows a fair amount of grain, especially in the parking lot. After the opening moments, the transfer smoothes out and settles down with an occasional trace of grain that is acceptable. However, it is only in dark, nighttime scenes that the excessive grain, coupled with softness, becomes problematic; also in these scenes, the depth of the image suffers. Apart from this, the landscapes are quite pleasing, usually, but never stunning; the transfer lacks vibrancy and is generally dull-looking. On the positive side, the close-ups reveal enough detail, while skin tones retain their true lifelike form. Finally, I did not notice any sign of damage, dirt specs, or blemishes on the print, and the 1080p transfer looks clean.

Audio:
Lionsgate presents this film with a lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master track. The film’s soundtrack by today’s standards is a bit dated. The track is flat, but it still works. The dialogue is clear and remains audible for the majority of the film’s running time. Mostly, the film is driven by the front channels and the surround channels are rarely activated.

Extras:
For this release, we get don’t get a companion Queen music CD, which the studio included as part of the “Highlander” Immortal DVD edition. In addition, the three music videos by Queen are also dropped, along with the original theatrical trailers. This means you should hold on to your copy of the Immortal edition. Now, on to what is included for this Blu-ray release.

First, we get an audio commentary track with director Russell Mulcahy. This seems a newly recorded track, as the commentary track in the previous release included the producer as well. In this track, Mulcahy talks about the locations and the local residents. He also discusses the sets and the challenges for the design team. He provides his thoughts on the concept of immortals and other story elements. It’s a fairly dry track at the start but gets interesting as it progresses.

Following this, we get a set of five deleted scenes. Before the start of the deleted scenes, we are told of the missing audio track on these scenes. To fill in for the missing audio tracks, the deleted scenes have background music. The scenes are mostly in the black and white, too, and a 16x9 format.

Parting thoughts:
There is no denying that “Highlander” has a very big fan base, and I am not going to argue that. It’s just that the movie hasn’t aged well, and there are certain elements that appear dated. “Highlander” has a promising plot, but it falls frustratingly short of its goals due to an underwhelming script. The screenplay is highly predictable, especially in the final act. More so, the script never fully develops the world of the Highlanders, and we are left with more questions. Despite the flaws, “Highlander” has some entertaining parts, an intriguing concept, and the presence of a charismatic actor, Sean Connery. This Blu-ray version offers a definite upgrade in the video department.

Quote:  “Highlander” is an underwhelming throwback at classic Japanese samurai movies.

http://www.dvdtown.com/review/highlander/blu-ray/8533

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