STARRING: Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown and sean Connery. Story by Gregory Widen. Screenplay by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson. Directed by Russell Mulcahy. Cinematography by Gerry Fisher. Music by Michael Kamen with incidental music by Queen. Budget $19 million. Running time 111 minutes. Box office $13 million. Originally released in 1986.
A bonafide boxoffice bomb when it was first released grossing less than $13 million during it's cinematic run and yet going on to spawn not one but two direct sequels, 1991's Highlander II: The Quickening and 1994's Highlander III: The Sorcerer aka The Final Dimension. Two film sequels based on the TV show - 2000's Highlander: Endgame and 2007's Highlander: The Source. And a 2007 anime movie Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, which is the only Highlander property to have garnered positive reviews. Not bad for a film that on its release received a 24% Rotten Tomato score.
Time has been kind to Highlander and no mistake. There's something about the idea that resonates with people, hence the desperate attempts to recapture the lighting-in-a-bottle with terrible remakes, reboots and sequels. And yet that first film is so raw, so pumped and so goddam satisfying, well apart from the plot-hole riddled script that it's almost impossible to hate. Opening with the sight of the Cannon Logo, which gave me a nice warm glow, and I eased into it, my brain reminding me seconds before what was about to happen. I'd forgotten the superb scene transitions and in particular that fish tank to Loc cut. It's such a child of its times and Russell Mulcany directs with a real verve and authority, bringing tricks and skills from his bringing days directing music videos and it really pays off, this is an action film that feels and looks fresh and dynamic.
This film is best when we see McConnor's journey through the centuries and is at it's most uninteresting when it's just grumpy of Christopher Lambert acting like a petulant school boy and rucking with Kurgan (Clancy Brown). The plot cleverly cuts back and forth in time for 14th Century Scotty land through to WWII and the present, or past as it is now, revealing McConnor's back story, which truly comes alive with the arrival of Sean Connery, a Scottish man playing a 2000 year old Spanish Egyptian, who just steals the whole film lock stock and barrel, well him and Clancy Brown, having the literal time of his life as the utterly insane immortal Kurgan. Special mention must be made of the cinematography by Gerry Fisher which is beautiful, capturing the majesty of the Highlands perfectly.
This is a magnificent rambunctious romp, just don't delve too deeply into details, because it's there where it comes apart. Just strap yourself in and marvel at what was achieved with a relatively low budget, for a short time Russell Mulcahy was a director of some skill and he produced some great films, this, The Shadow, Razorback and Richocet, and not forgetting the legendary Derek and Clive Get the Horn (one of my favourite films). This, well it's not perfect, but it's bloody good fun and it has a rough and ready feel about it that makes it hard to hate. It moves at a furious lick, it never lets up, it's never boring, it's just that it all becomes a bit too silly.
A bonafide boxoffice bomb when it was first released grossing less than $13 million during it's cinematic run and yet going on to spawn not one but two direct sequels, 1991's Highlander II: The Quickening and 1994's Highlander III: The Sorcerer aka The Final Dimension. Two film sequels based on the TV show - 2000's Highlander: Endgame and 2007's Highlander: The Source. And a 2007 anime movie Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, which is the only Highlander property to have garnered positive reviews. Not bad for a film that on its release received a 24% Rotten Tomato score.
Time has been kind to Highlander and no mistake. There's something about the idea that resonates with people, hence the desperate attempts to recapture the lighting-in-a-bottle with terrible remakes, reboots and sequels. And yet that first film is so raw, so pumped and so goddam satisfying, well apart from the plot-hole riddled script that it's almost impossible to hate. Opening with the sight of the Cannon Logo, which gave me a nice warm glow, and I eased into it, my brain reminding me seconds before what was about to happen. I'd forgotten the superb scene transitions and in particular that fish tank to Loc cut. It's such a child of its times and Russell Mulcany directs with a real verve and authority, bringing tricks and skills from his bringing days directing music videos and it really pays off, this is an action film that feels and looks fresh and dynamic.
This film is best when we see McConnor's journey through the centuries and is at it's most uninteresting when it's just grumpy of Christopher Lambert acting like a petulant school boy and rucking with Kurgan (Clancy Brown). The plot cleverly cuts back and forth in time for 14th Century Scotty land through to WWII and the present, or past as it is now, revealing McConnor's back story, which truly comes alive with the arrival of Sean Connery, a Scottish man playing a 2000 year old Spanish Egyptian, who just steals the whole film lock stock and barrel, well him and Clancy Brown, having the literal time of his life as the utterly insane immortal Kurgan. Special mention must be made of the cinematography by Gerry Fisher which is beautiful, capturing the majesty of the Highlands perfectly.
This is a magnificent rambunctious romp, just don't delve too deeply into details, because it's there where it comes apart. Just strap yourself in and marvel at what was achieved with a relatively low budget, for a short time Russell Mulcahy was a director of some skill and he produced some great films, this, The Shadow, Razorback and Richocet, and not forgetting the legendary Derek and Clive Get the Horn (one of my favourite films). This, well it's not perfect, but it's bloody good fun and it has a rough and ready feel about it that makes it hard to hate. It moves at a furious lick, it never lets up, it's never boring, it's just that it all becomes a bit too silly.
To watch this again 40 years after it was first released was an absolute treat, up on the big screen I was swept up in it all and loved every second, and the music all in all, it was a kinda magic.
8/10
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