Highlander: The Source

Highlander: The Source

The Source is the fifth and the last version of the Highlander film series that are; the quickening, The Final dimension, the conflict, the Endgame and finally The Source. It was directed by Brett Leonard. Highlander:

Synopsis.

The location of the “source” of the immortal power is the agenda and the quest of the immortals. Zai Jie, who is a member of the immortal group, communicates to the other immortal associates after forcefully entering the communication tower located in Europe. He informed them about the specific location of the source. Then he was confronted and decapitated by the Guardian had a supernatural speed. Reggie, another immortal associate discovers some changes in that the planets had changed to move in cosmic alignment instead of their orbits.

Methos, a group member, calls Joe Dawson, a former immortal watcher to check on their common friend, Duncan Macleod and he found him fighting with the Guardian. Dawson shoots Duncan and then forces him into the truck and then drives away. They proceeded with the other associates at a monastery for them to meet with an ancient known as the Elder so they can fulfill their quest of finding the Source.

They meet visionary Anna Teshemka, who is Duncan’s mortal wife at the monastery. The all group meets with the Elder, who then tells them of how another group of immortal in ancient history sought the source. Two out of the three survivors are cursed with decay when the Guardian was slain. One of these survivors became the Guardian with the other becoming the Elder. The Elder instructs the group to follow Anna, who knows the route to the source. After that, the Elder give Anna a vision. At that instant, the Guardian arrives at the holy ground and attacks Joe Dawson and Reggie. While attempting to save Dawson, Duncan threw his sword(katana) at the Guardian’s neck and wounded him temporarily. The Guardian escaped after killing Joe using the broken blade he had broken after removing from his neck. Upon burying Joe, the group proceeded in finding the source. At the moment, they had known the source to be on an island in Baltic Sea off Lithuania coast.
On their way to the island, the captain of the boat informs them of the gang of cannibals called “maniacs” who rule that island. They did acquire a vehicle and drive to a vacated house that was believed to be at the source’s proximity. Reggie was slashed and killed by the Guardian at that night. Prior to Reggie’s death, the Elder had cautioned them that they would become weak as they advance closer to the source and, therefore, their immortality would be lost. At that time, Duncan had already used butterfly swords as a replacement of his broken katana. The group were carrying Reggie’s body until when they discovered that it would not revive.
They continued with their quest after burying Reggie’s body. On their way Methos and Duncan drew a conclusion that the phrase “there can be only one” did not mean that all the Immortals must have to fight and finally behead one another until only one of them remains. On the contrary, it means that the source can be claimed by one Immortal. The cannibals had blocked the road and captured them. As the cannibals were being distracted by the one of their drunken carousing. the Guardian forces Anna to go to the source with him after freeing her. Giovanni escapes later with the sword expecting to be “The One.” Duncan sets himself and Methos free, and they went to rescue Anna. Duncan goes to save Giovanni after being recaptured. In the last moment, Methos arrives to offer assistance to Duncan and reveals to him that he thinks Duncan is The One’ because of his nature of sobriety. Methos, riding on a horse distract the cannibals to enable Duncan to go after Anna. The Guardian decapitates Giovanni, who had ran away when Duncan had come to rescue him.
Anna was found by Duncan in a clearing beside a starlight illuminated sandy pit. There was an occurrence of a cosmic convergence directly over them. The Guardian arrives, and he challenges Duncan, who then discovers that he possesses the same supernatural power and speed as the Guardian. With this speed and power, he manages to outcompete the Guardian to reach Anna. He was however blocked by an energy barrier that shows on his way.
After a long continued fighting with Duncan, the Guardian is defeated after getting buried in the dirt chest deep. The Guardian then tells Duncan to behead him because he was bounded and defeated. Duncan refused to behead him, and the Guardian disappear immediately. Before the Guardian vanishes, he screamed “I am cursed forever.” After that, Duncan gets to the source because of his pure heart. While inside the source Anna told Duncan that she is pregnant with their child. Duncan says that the child is “The One.”

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Review of Highlander: Endgame

Review of Highlander: Endgame

Highlander: Endgame is the fourth of five movies of the Highlander film franchise. Released on September 1, 2000, it was the producers’ attempt to merge the characters and story lines from both the Highlander movie series and the TV series.

The movie starts with Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert)’s adopted daughter, Rachel Ellenstein, being killed when a bomb explodes in Connor’s apartment. The dastardly attack turns out to be the brainchild of his arch enemy, Jacob Kell (Bruce Payne) who has had it in for Connor for almost 450 years.

The trauma of losing Rachel causes Connor to give up on The Game. When we next see him, he is nearing the end of a decade in The Sanctuary, a compound for Immortals who have ‘retired’ from The Game, under the control of Watchers whose purpose is to prevent The Prize from being won. But, even here, there is no respite – Kell manages to track Connor down with his posse of 5 Immortals. Their bloody assault on the compound and try to kill everyone there; Connor is believed beheaded.

Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul of the TV series), Connor’s clansman, receives a vision of the carnage and promptly leaves for New York. Arriving at Connor’s bombed-out apartment, he senses an Immortal and turns to see Kate (Lisa Barbuscia), his wife from two centuries before and going by the name ‘Faith’. She somehow hates Duncan because she cannot have children as an Immortal, his fault being that he ‘killed’ her to tell her. The reunion is interrupted by Kell’s posse of Immortals who all attack him together in contradiction of the rules of The Game. Kell arrives but one of his henchmen shoots Duncan, causing him to be impaled on a pole and die. Kell decapitates the trigger-happy Immortal and absorbs the Quickening from his death. In the confusion, a van arrives and makes away with Duncan’s body.

Duncan awakens to find himself a captive of The Watchers, but is rescued by his Immortal friend, Methos, who was one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It is revealed that Kell wants to kill Duncan purely to torment Connor. Duncan realizes that Connor is too unfocused (and way behind in headcount – 662 to 262) to be a match for Kell and prevent him from winning The Prize. Duncan then has a semi-reconciliation with Kate/Faith. In a hotel room. Yaay for reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Kell is in full preparation to claim The Prize. He organizes a mock ‘Last Supper’ with his four remaining Immortal henchmen and Faith, at the culmination of which he beheads them all easily. Only one attempts to put up anything that could be called a fight. The four kills take Kell’s headcount (getit? getit?) to….. 666.

Meanwhile, Connor is attempting to convince Duncan of the only way they may stand a chance against Kell – since they honor the rules of The Game and will not engage Kell in two-on-one combat, one of them has to decapitate the other and absorb his Quickening. Connor convinces Duncan that he is not the Immortal to defeat Kell, that the weight of all the innocents he loved killed by Kell will weigh his shoulders down and defeat their cause. Before he sacrifices himself, Connor teaches Duncan a sword technique that has no known counter – the only way Duncan can defeat Kell. The two friends, companions and clansmen share an emotional goodbye before Duncan does what he was meant to and absorbs the Quickening from Connor’s decapitation.

Duncan and Kell meet to fight. The ‘unbeatable’ move Connor taught Duncan turns out to be of no utility – Kell has developed a counter for it. Kell toys with Duncan who has no answer for his far superior sword prowess and combat ability. Duncan is at the very end of his ability to defend himself from Kell when Connor’s spirit appears to give him the power to carry on. Duncan leaps over a confused Kell and lands behind him. As Kell turns, Duncan’s sword severs his neck. Duncan absorbs Kell’s Lightening, taking his tally to over 1100 (including Connor’s).

Duncan buries Connor next to Connor’s first wife in their homeland of Scotland and meets again with Kate/Faith for an eternity of reconciliation.

Overall, very bloody movie and not altogether that well put-together. However, the plot is reasonably engaging and the script does a good job of melding the film and TV series and tying up loose ends.

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Highlander III: The Sorcerer Review

Highlander III: The Sorcerer Review

Highlander was actually one of the more interesting science fiction television series during the 90s. It may not have enjoyed the popularity that other fantasy series of its time have enjoyed but it has its following. And who can blame these people. The series has a pretty decent plot and its action scenes are not to be overlooked as well. This is why when the series was made into a movie, not a few people expected great things. When the movie came out though, most of these people became disappointed. Highlander III: The Sorcerer, as you can tell from the title of the film, is the third movie installation of the franchise. Is it any better or worse than its predecessors? This review will try to answer that question.

If you are reading this review then you are probably familiar with the Highlander story. So no introduction is needed and this article will go straight to what I think about the film. First of all, I believe Christopher Lambert does a commendable job of portraying the lead character of the immortal Duncan MacLeod. He is particularly terrific in the action scenes. You can tell that Lambert prepared for his role well. With the way he handles his sword, you would think that he has been fighting with swords all his life. If you are a fan of movies with great sword fighting sequences then the action scenes from the Highlander III alone are probably sufficient for you to enjoy the movie. The only problem with Lambert is that he cannot seem to master the Scottish accent. This is quite understandable though because he is French.

The other actors did an OK job as well. Some may find Mario Van Peebles’ acting as exaggerated but it is probably what the director of the film wants anyway. Another thing that the movie – of the franchise for that matter – can improve on is to provide a better motivation for the villains to hate the main characters other than the fact that they have been trying to kill them for centuries. A better back story would have helped. But I guess the writers of the film just can’t wait for the fight scenes to commence. Hence, the seemingly hurried pace of the film. But to devoid the film of an engaging back story is to insult the minds of its followers. For sure, these people can appreciate fight as much as the next guy but the producers and directors must keep in mind that they are trying to attract people who are into sci-fi and fantasy books and films. These are the people who knows a good story when they see one.

In terms of the plot of the film, one does not have to be a genius to be able to predict what the ending would be. Yes, it is that predictable. This is your classic bad guy versus good guy kind of film and I’m sure you know who wins in those kinds of stories. This is not to say though that the movie is not enjoyable and engaging. Even if you know the outcome of the movie half-way through, you would still want to finish the movie if only to get the satisfaction of seeing the villain fall in the hands of the main character. Needless to say, this movie is not for people who give more weight to substance over form. If you are looking for a movie worthy of an Oscar, you will surely be disappointed.

Of course, Highlander fanatics should not miss this film. If you have seen parts 1 and 2 of the series, then don’t give up now. If you have lived through the first two films then there is no reason for you not to survive or even have fun with this one. Don’t mind the thin plot or even the inaccurate historical research in the flashbacks of the film. If you will keep your expectations low in this film then for sure, your time and money will be worth it. If the movie was a student trying to survive middles school then it deserves at least a passing grade for it to move on. And hopefully the franchise will move on. Needless to say, the critics and the fans probably will not be as generous next time around.

I’ll be moving Monday, so I might not post a new review for a few days. But I will give a shout out to the folks at this pool builders birmingham al – they did an awesome job with the pool at our new place!

Review of Highlander II: The Quickening

Review of Highlander II: The Quickening

It was not too long ago when Highlander II: The Quickening had people falling in line in the cinemas. It was also well received in the box office as it stayed in the top 10 for quite sometime. It is definitely not a movie date but something you can watch with your friends while munching on some popcorn and soda. A lot of people had high expectations for this movie after the original turned out to be good. However, it did not live up to the hype as everything seemed rushed. It seems like they just wanted to know if they will make money if they make a sequel to the highly successful The Highlander. It ended up being a bad movie and the sequels that came after this completely ignored this movie which turned out to to be a good idea. They ended up admitting they made a mistake with Highlander II: The Quickening. The only good thing that came out of this sequel is the presence of legend Sean Connery even though his character got killed off in the first movie. It was never really explained how he came back to life as that just adds to the confusion to one of the most confusing stories I have ever seen. The acting was horrible too and Michael Ironside playing the villain is a prime example of that. He should be ashamed to be a part of this movie as it also had weak special effects. It makes you want to scroll though the end credits and find out who provided them those effects as it was downright terrible. The story basically conflicted what happened with the first Highlander but it was not a prequel either. Of course, I am not going to spoil what the other things that went down in the Highlander in case you want to see that movie again. You might be better off watching that movie again than watching Highlander II: The Quickening.

The Highlander II: The Quickening had some bad camera work and it is not known whether or not the director Russell Mulcahy meant for that to happen or not. A lot of critics actually rank this movie as one of the worst movies ever made. That statement would put the people involved in making this movie to shame. They should realize what they did wrong so they would not have to repeat it. If you don’t have any idea about the Highlander franchise then this movie could be worth checking out just for the laughs about how director Russell Mulcahy fumbles in the fight scenes and it makes it look like comedy relief. The script is also lacking as the scriptwriter probably did not even see the first movie which is a huge mistake. Even the poster of the movie does not look appealing at all. The trailer was also poorly made and that would already tell you that you are not going to watch a good movie. You can tell the people behind this movie did not put much effort into Highlander II: The Quickening. It is like the only quickening thing that happened is the making of this movie because it felt like it was rushed. It seems like they had another movie to make so they rushed this one to get it over with. That won’t sit well with fans of the franchise as they will go in the cinemas expecting a good movie only to be let down. The sequel is the complete opposite of the original because the original was nicely made as it had some scenes that will make you jump out of your seat in excitement. This movie had none of that as you will get completely bored throughout the entire thing. Don’t blame yourself if you fall asleep about less than halfway into it. You will get so confused with the story that you will completely ignore it and just marvel at the fight scenes. It would be a great idea to go into this film not expecting much because that is exactly what it gives you, not much at all. In fact, you will have a mixed feelings of disappointment and happiness when it is over.

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Highlander Review

Highlander Review

Highlander, Russell Mulcahy’s 1986 action fantasy film based on Gregory Widen’s story, is an epic, fast-moving, visually-brilliant adventure. On the surface, Highlander does appear to be a standard action film from the 1980s. In fact, when Gregory Widen had written the story, it was merely his senior thesis, but he was eventually joined by a few other writers and the film was eventually directed by Mulcahy, who was a former music video director. The film itself has a self-contained plot revolving around the last remaining mortals on earth and the climactic battle that is destined to take place between them where only one immortal can survive.

Despite the fact that budget constraints held the film back, it still managed to make a distinct place in history, maybe because it also starred Sean Connery, and Queen contributed to its soundtrack. Even though the film was initially received poorly, it was leading in the video market and even today, it still has a massive following.

Highlander is a film that is split into two separate timelines. The present day timeline in the film takes place amidst the “Gathering,” a mysterious event where most of the immortals in New York City are gathering to battle until there is only one winner. According to the legend told in the film, the last remaining immortal will be awarded an ambiguous, fabled “prize.” Apparently, this is the reason they exist. The film’s antagonist is also revealed in the form of the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), a sadistic and strongest known immortal, who intends to kill the rest and claim the “prize.” The secondary timeline introduces viewers to Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), the protagonist of the film and another immortal, who discovers that he cannot die after actually suffering a violent death. In this past timeline, Connor is also eventually trained by Juan Ramirez (Sean Connery), an Egyptian immortal from Spain with a Scottish accent.

As mentioned, while Highlander may seem like a purely action film on the surface, complete with a rock soundtrack and training montages, but it is also much more than that. The plot is effectively emotional, with an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking depiction of love and loss, along with its fair share of foolishness and savagery.

Of course, Highlander is not exactly a perfect film, rather far from it. Viewers might not be able to emotionally connect with Connor or find motive behind his actions because of how jaded he is, so much so that he incapable of and refuses to love again. His character always appears to have a hollow look and his attitude makes it seem that he is going along with this only because he has to, and while it is obvious why he acts that way, it starts feeling odd.

However, the film is not merely a piece of bawdy entertainment. For instance, the montages are between Connor and Juan are filmed on the mountain tops of the lovely Scottish highlands using the most high-end crane/helicopter tracks imaginable. Not only do these montages reveal how skillful Connor eventually becomes when he begins using his sword effectively, they also provide viewers with a detailed, in-depth look at Scotland.

As far as action is concerned, viewers rarely find themselves disappointed when watching Highlander, from the moment Conner decapitates a fellow mortal to his climactic showdown with the Kurgan. Even though the film moves back and forth between the two eras, it is achieved in quite a charming manner, and while some elements in the film are dated, they still do not fail to impress. Even though the film has moments that have seemingly not been executed well enough, these will not take away from the experience.

Highlander is a film with flaws and many critics enjoy pointing them out, but in doing so, they end up missing out the good aspects and elements that were an intrinsic part of the 80’s filmmaking. Even the characters are equally flawed, but viewers will still not be able to forget them soon enough once they have watched the film. Similarly, the music and scenes are also impressive. Considering that Russell Mulcahy used to direct music videos, Highlander may even feel like one long music video, but it is an enjoyable and memorable film nonetheless.

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