Highlander Movie Reviews

When it first came out on television on USA station, along with Le Femme Nikita, both shows I never missed an episode! I even taped it so I can watch it over and over again. But when I first purchased the DVD set few years ago, I was really disappointed it wasnt CLOSED CAPTIONES or not equipped with SUBTITLED feature like most DVDs out there! I gave it a 3 stars, a missing star for each feature! I hope they add those features for old and new fans alike!

The first season starts off a little rough with Christopher L. carrying the shows. As the series goes on you can see that the writers, directors, and actors really hit their stride and each episode is better and better. The 'extras' really explain what was going on behind the scenes, such as why a major character like Darius was suddenly 'not there'.

I really enjoyed this collection. The sound was great, the transfer was great, and for the price it was a great deal.

If you like the premise the series will not disappoint you. That said ever since I got a DVD player I find it hard to go back to the VHS tapes. I watched highlander for the first few seasons when it was on TV but eventually lost track of it. I had seen the video collections out in stores but did not like the price or the idea of pulling my old VHS player out of the closet. With the release of the DVD set for season one I decided to see if it was as good a series as I remember. Amazingly it was just as good - if not better. After the first season Duncan will forever be the real Highlander and Conner just a distant cousin. Adrian Paul takes over from the start and becomes "The Highlander". The supporting cast and guest stars are also great but it is Mr. Paul who keeps you coming back. My only gripe with the DVD's is that they did not have more interviews with the actors and the writers. For a show that has taken on such a cult following it would have been nice to hear some of the early history about the first season. My other complaint is not about the DVD set which I highly recommend but about the slow way the DVD's are hitting the market. Season 2 is slated to come out in July 03, and as of yet I have not heard when the other seasons will be released (if at all) on DVD. I guess I had better dust off the VHS player.

There are excellent episodes of Highlander, (Band of Brothers, The Darkness, Avatar,) there are good episodes of Highlander (Run For your Life, Bless the Child, Homeland,) and there are bad episodes of Highlander (The Stone of Scone, Revenge of the Sword and others). People say that "The Zone" (an episode in this DVD volume,) is the worst episode of the entire series. I disagree. The Zone, in my opinion, would go into the "normal" episode category. It's not good but it's not bad either. It has a cool scene at the very end that sets up some important Duncan/Charlie continuity that becomes really important later in the season. I have no idea what everyone was talking about when they said it was so awful. I saw this episode for the first time a couple of days ago and I didn't see anything wrong with it. I saw "Pharoh's Daughter" (another episode on this disc) for the first time the other night and it was MUCH worse than The Zone. The acting (which is normally excellent,) was bad, the villain's sword looked like a toy and the Ancient Egypt sets were cheap, phony and stereotypical looking. Talk about a stinker episode.

Highlander Season two, overall, is one of the best seasons of Highlander. I think seasons 1,2,4 and 6 are the best of the series. This is worth the price if you are a fan of the television series. The extras are really cool because you get to see new Interviews with Adrian Paul and Stan Kirsch and you get commentary on each episode from the producers. The commentary is full of insight into the series and you can learn a lot of secrets of the series if you listen to it. This volume also has video and audio commentary from Adrian Paul on a few episodes that is really cool. This is a must for all Highlander fans even if you hate "The Zone" and love "Pharoh's Daughter."

Anchor Bay has done a beautiful job packaging these DVD sets. Whereas the first season had an entire disk devoted to bloopers and such, this one has several cut scenes (not necessarily bloopers) right there on each disk with the corresponding episodes. The Darkness, of course is the most gut-wrenching episode of the entire series, in my humble opinion, making this season, in particular one of my favs. If you're a Highlander fan at all, these DVDs are "must haves".

Highlander Season Two, an 8-disc DVD Collection, collects the entire 22-episode second season (1993-1994) of the syndicated action series based on the cult-favorite film.

THE STORY

In Season 2 MacLeod and friends uncover a deadly plot against the Immortals in the form of a secret society who's recorded the Immortal game over the millennia. A renegade sect now seeks to destroy the Immortals at all costs. As the season progresses McLeod and company's lives change forever as a major character dies and revelations are made about another. Behind all this the Immortal's Game still continues...

THE DVDS:

Here are the contents of each DVD.

Disc 1:

Episode 1: "The Watchers" - Investigating Darius' murder, McLeod comes across the Watchers, a secret society that's observed and recorded the Immortal's Game for thousands of years.

Episode 2: "Studies in Light" - McLeod visits renowned photographer Linda Plager, an old flame from 50 years previous who is now terminally ill.

Episode 3: "Turnabout" - McLeod protects his friend, mild-mannered Immortal Michael Moore, from the Immortal psychopathic murderer Quentan Barnes. All is not what it seems though.

Disc 2:

Episode 4: "The Darkness" - LANDMARK EPISODE. McLeod and Richie's lives become changed forever!!! MacLeod saves Tessa from a renegade Watcher.

Episode 5: "An Eye for An Eye" - McLeod must train Richie in the Immortal arts after the Immortal terrorist whose husband he killed swears revenge.

Episode 6: "The Zone" - McLeod and Charlie take on Canaan, the ruthless OverLord of Charlie's boyhood neighborhood "The Zone."

Disc 3:

Episode 7: "The Return of Amanda" - Amanda and McLeod take on a corrupt FBI agent who's after Amanda.

Episode 8: "Revenge of the Sword" - McLeod and Charlie aid Jimmy Sang, the upcoming martial arts action star who's at odds with the Asian mob.

Episode 9: "Run For Your Life" - Carl Robinson, a former slave whom McLeod saved from the KKK 80 years ago, has written off the entire world as racist. McLeod helps him restore his faith in himself and the world while saving him from the Hunters.

Disc 4:

Episode 10: "Epitaph for Tommy" - When a bystander is killed during McLeod's battle against another Immortal, he sets out to find out more about the deceased man and discovers a high-level corporate scandal.

Episode 11: "The Fighter" - McLeod meets up with his old friend, Immortal boxing manager/fighter Tommy Sullivan. When Tommy's rivals start turning up dead Mac soon realizes his old friend is no longer the man he once knew.

Episode 12: "Under Color of Authority" - Against McLeod's advice Richie protects a woman on the run from an Immortal bounty hounter.

Disc 5:

Episode 13: "Bless The Child" - While camping in the mountains, McLeod and Charlie aid an Indian woman fleeing with a baby from a group of men.

Episode 14: "Unholy Alliance, Part I" - Xavier St. Cloud returns along with a group of mercenaries (led by Horton) who aid him in killing other Immortals. Their next target - Duncan McLeod.

Episode 15: "Unholy Alliance, Part II" - McLeod tracks Xavier back to Paris for a final showdown.

Disc 6:

Episode 16: "The Vampire" - McLeod takes on Nicholas Ward, an Immortal who once posed as a Vampire.

Episode 17: "The Warmonger" - Only McLeod can stop the Immortal Drakov, a political puppet master who ruthlessly runs an Eastern European country - but why does he choose not to?

Episode 18: "The Pharaoh's Daughter" - McLeod becomes caught in the middle of a 2000 year old grudge between Cleopatra's former handmaiden and the former Roman General who betrayed her.

Disc 7:

Episode 19 - "Legacy" - McLeod and Amanda avenge the death of her teacher Rebecca Horne and secure the mysterious stones she protected.

Episode 20 - "Prodigal Son" - Richie Ryan returns to McLeod for help after being pursued by an Immortal who refuses to face him.

Episode 21 - "Counterfeit, Part I" - Horton unleashes his master plot to kill McLeod once and for all. McLeod is wary of a motorcyclist who saves Richie from Horton's Hunters.

Episode 22 - "Counterfeit, Part II" - McLeod meets Lisa Millon, a woman who is a dead ringer for Tessa. Is it too good to be true?

THE DVD EXTRAS

Like the first season, this DVD set clearly has one of THE best DVD extras packages you'll ever see.

COMMENTARY, NOTES and BLOOPERS

ALL EPISODES include commentary from producers Bill Panzer and David Abramowitz and "Watcher" notes. The commentaries provide great insight into each episode's production. The "Watcher" notes give more insight into "Highlander" canon with reference to events and characters. In addition, several episodes also include deleted scenes/blooper footage.

ADRIAN PAUL COMMENTARY

Disc 3's episodes also include audio and video commentary by series' star Adrian Paul. Decent stuff.

COLLECTIBLES AND CONTESTS

This DVD set includes a collector's edition Highlander medallion. You can mail away for a medallion holder that comes with Season One's medallion. Also included are entry forms for the Highlander sweepstakes contest.

DISC 8: EXTRAS

Included on Disc 8 are:

Trivia Game: Test your Highlander knowledge (or pick up some).

Director and Actor Bios: Filmographies for ALL actors and directors who appeared in/worked on Season Two.

Scripts: Finalized shooting scripts for ALL 22 episodes in season two. A Highlander completist's dream as it includes all the lines and stage directions.

Shooting Schedules: Another nifty production document that details the shooting schedule for several episodes. More great insight to the film biz.

THE VERDICT

Lovers of action-adventure and romance are bound to fall in love with this series. The "historical" flashbacks to earlier time periods in the Immortal's lives are awe-inspiring. The martial arts and swashbuckling action will fix most people's action cravings and the countless romantic "love scenes" featured in the series will reel in the ladies too. If you've never been exposed to world of Highlander before check this series out and see what Highlander fans have known for years, "In The End, There Can Be Only One" -- and this series is it!!

Highest Recommendation

This is a great set of movies, but... I will have to say that the DVD transfer is one of the worst jobs I've ever seen. For a person to notice compression artifacts in the quality of the video, most noticably the crowds in the boxing ring in the first movie to start... I'm sorry, I can't recommend it. If you've never seen it before, watch it, but don't drop your money on this box set.

This is a great movie indeed. Since im a fan of Lambert I really like all of the Highlander movies. I think its a good story and worth to be seen.

You can read the other reviews for a synopsis of the story and the movie, I am reviewing the quality of the latest release that recently came out with DTS. The video quality is mediocre at best.
The graininess comes and goes and is mostly atributable to the quality of the source being used. This gets a 2-3 stars. The audio quality and use of DTS was nothing to write home about. The audio did seem to be at an awfully low level compared to other DTS discs that I have watched. I would give the audio 3-4 stars. For a gauge on my comparisons I would give the DTS version of Gladiator 5 stars all around.

Upon it's U.S. release, to hear that HIGHLANDER would become a classic was pure insanity. now, however, nearly twenty years later, HIGHLANDER is a classic, spawning three TV series, four sequels, and a made-for-video animated movie. Christopher Lambert stars as Connor MacLeod, a 1536 A.D. Scotsman who learns the truth about his "inner devil": Connor is one of a secret race of immortals, who can only be killed when they're head is seperated from the neck. These immortals must survive through the centuries to 1980's New York, where they shall compete for "The Prize" - a chance to rule the world. Sean Connery has about a ten-minute role as Connor's trainer; Clancy Brown (of TV's "Spongebob Squarepants") is Connor's evil nemesis; and Roxanne Hart is Connor's modern-day love interest. Russell Mulcahy, a former rock music video director, proves he is best just that; meanwhile there's an outstanding rock soundtrack from Queen and a very good score by Michael Kamen. The director's cut (or "Immortal Edition"), a fair-sized improvement over the original, runs 116 minutes.

There is enough written about the film, so I am just going to state my views of the technicalities of this version of the DVD since I couldn't find a review about the Immortal Edition.
I must say that the picture is much improved from the director's cut edition. However do not expect it to be state of the art. You can still see at times the grains but it is much more superior that the director's cut.
In terms of sound, the DVD boasts the DTS-ES system. Now that is state of the art. However, since this is an old film the sound cannot be compared to the Gladiator and Seven discs.
This is the best version of Highlander that is available. I should know I have the director's cut version. A bit pricey though. I think for that price they should at least include a "making" documentary. All in all, I would truly recommend it to my friends if the price within the region of USD 20. I think we can do away with the Queen CD!

You can read the other reviews for a synopsis of the story and the movie, I am reviewing the quality of the latest release that recently came out with DTS. The video quality is mediocre at best.
The graininess comes and goes and is mostly atributable to the quality of the source being used. This gets a 2-3 stars. The audio quality and use of DTS was nothing to write home about. The audio did seem to be at an awfully low level compared to other DTS discs that I have watched. I would give the audio 3-4 stars. For a gauge on my comparisons I would give the DTS version of Gladiator 5 stars all around.

Upon it's U.S. release, to hear that HIGHLANDER would become a classic was pure insanity. now, however, nearly twenty years later, HIGHLANDER is a classic, spawning three TV series, four sequels, and a made-for-video animated movie. Christopher Lambert stars as Connor MacLeod, a 1536 A.D. Scotsman who learns the truth about his "inner devil": Connor is one of a secret race of immortals, who can only be killed when they're head is seperated from the neck. These immortals must survive through the centuries to 1980's New York, where they shall compete for "The Prize" - a chance to rule the world. Sean Connery has about a ten-minute role as Connor's trainer; Clancy Brown (of TV's "Spongebob Squarepants") is Connor's evil nemesis; and Roxanne Hart is Connor's modern-day love interest. Russell Mulcahy, a former rock music video director, proves he is best just that; meanwhile there's an outstanding rock soundtrack from Queen and a very good score by Michael Kamen. The director's cut (or "Immortal Edition"), a fair-sized improvement over the original, runs 116 minutes.

There is enough written about the film, so I am just going to state my views of the technicalities of this version of the DVD since I couldn't find a review about the Immortal Edition.
I must say that the picture is much improved from the director's cut edition. However do not expect it to be state of the art. You can still see at times the grains but it is much more superior that the director's cut.
In terms of sound, the DVD boasts the DTS-ES system. Now that is state of the art. However, since this is an old film the sound cannot be compared to the Gladiator and Seven discs.
This is the best version of Highlander that is available. I should know I have the director's cut version. A bit pricey though. I think for that price they should at least include a "making" documentary. All in all, I would truly recommend it to my friends if the price within the region of USD 20. I think we can do away with the Queen CD!

You can read the other reviews for a synopsis of the story and the movie, I am reviewing the quality of the latest release that recently came out with DTS. The video quality is mediocre at best.
The graininess comes and goes and is mostly atributable to the quality of the source being used. This gets a 2-3 stars. The audio quality and use of DTS was nothing to write home about. The audio did seem to be at an awfully low level compared to other DTS discs that I have watched. I would give the audio 3-4 stars. For a gauge on my comparisons I would give the DTS version of Gladiator 5 stars all around.

Upon it's U.S. release, to hear that HIGHLANDER would become a classic was pure insanity. now, however, nearly twenty years later, HIGHLANDER is a classic, spawning three TV series, four sequels, and a made-for-video animated movie. Christopher Lambert stars as Connor MacLeod, a 1536 A.D. Scotsman who learns the truth about his "inner devil": Connor is one of a secret race of immortals, who can only be killed when they're head is seperated from the neck. These immortals must survive through the centuries to 1980's New York, where they shall compete for "The Prize" - a chance to rule the world. Sean Connery has about a ten-minute role as Connor's trainer; Clancy Brown (of TV's "Spongebob Squarepants") is Connor's evil nemesis; and Roxanne Hart is Connor's modern-day love interest. Russell Mulcahy, a former rock music video director, proves he is best just that; meanwhile there's an outstanding rock soundtrack from Queen and a very good score by Michael Kamen. The director's cut (or "Immortal Edition"), a fair-sized improvement over the original, runs 116 minutes.

There is enough written about the film, so I am just going to state my views of the technicalities of this version of the DVD since I couldn't find a review about the Immortal Edition.
I must say that the picture is much improved from the director's cut edition. However do not expect it to be state of the art. You can still see at times the grains but it is much more superior that the director's cut.
In terms of sound, the DVD boasts the DTS-ES system. Now that is state of the art. However, since this is an old film the sound cannot be compared to the Gladiator and Seven discs.
This is the best version of Highlander that is available. I should know I have the director's cut version. A bit pricey though. I think for that price they should at least include a "making" documentary. All in all, I would truly recommend it to my friends if the price within the region of USD 20. I think we can do away with the Queen CD!

My mom bought me the tape because she knew that I loved all things Highlander...well until I saw the tape that is. The basic idea is interesting, but I find five main problems with this story. 1. THEY KILLED OFF CONNER McCLEOD!!! How could they do that?! 2. If Quentin is the last of the McCleod's, where did Duncan from the series go? Did they kill him too without mentioning it? 3. What are the odds of there being two immortals named Ramirez that are about the same age. Well, in all fairness I guess Conner and Duncan come to mind. But Conner and Duncan don't act or sound alike, but this Ramirez is almost an exact carbon copy of the original. 4. This problem is not found in the tape but in later episodes: what exactly was "The Great Catastrophe"? In an episode about nuclear power, it is implied that it was a nuclear war. But a later episode says that it was a meteorite impact. Which one guys? 5. I do like how the immortals, or Jetadors, can give up their immortality and just give Quentin their knowledge. But how did they learn that? Did Conner teach them? If so, where did he learn it? Being a fan of both the movies and the series, I've learned to deal with certain inconsistencies between the two. But this series stretches it just a little bit too much for me. Hard-core fans should stay clear and not consider it part of the "official Highlander universe", but it makes for a good gift for younger viewers.

When you consider that over the course of the 4 Highlander films and 2 live-action series, the Highlander continuity has been thrown into complete disarry, can it hurt to add another storyline? Not when its as well crafted as this! Although abandoning all connections to previous Highlander incarnations, this beautifully designed show, with its wonderfully developed characters, is as appealing to adults as to kids, (I used to watch it with my Nan!). Of course, the film's notion of beheading is removed from this family show, (its a cartoon, after all!), and replaced with the clever idea of passing on each Immortals' power through the taking of a special oath. Perfect for kids (and adults who are too laid-back to nit-pick).The 3-D effect used in certain episodes is amazing, as is the emotive music. The characters have depth and look great, and so long as you enjoy the show for what it is and don't try to compare it to (or connect it with) the films or other shows, this makes for great viewing. Highly recommended!

I find this to be a very high quality video. The world created in this animated version of the Highlander is unique, with many character rivalries between both sides. Not just black and white (good vs. bad guys) this series offers many things to think about. Also I find the extensive use of steam/water power, in everything from tanks (uniqie concepts there too) to cities to be absolutely facinating. I very highly recomend it, not just for children, but for adults as well.

With a good series and a good movie (the first one...I don't touch the other two with a ten foot pole) behind them, you'd think they could have gotten this one right. Nope. This was just wrong. The villian was a total wanker and one dimensional at best and Christopher Lamber just looked old...he looked like he wasn't even trying this time around. At least Adrian Paul made it somewhat worthwhile. I have two other beefs with this movie: In the movies, it's obvious that Connor is supposed to be the last one standing. Since this point was made in the third movie, I really don't mind the fact that they ignored this. The second problem bothered me in the fact that if you watched the show, Duncan was never supposed to get married (thank the reruns on Spike TV for that bit of info) thanks to some sort of gypsy curse of some sort. What made it worse was the fact that I didn't even care for the storyline.

So why am I giving it one star if I didn't like it so much? Simple...three reasons. Methos, Joe and Donnie Yen. Ten minutes of joy in a film worth of crap.

The first Highlander film is still the best but considering how much of a disaster Highlander 2 and Highlander: The Final Dimension was, this one was a worthy successor to the first film.

This one is loosley based on Highlander: The Series with elements of the first film mixed in so I'd recommend seeing the series and the first movie before seeing this. That being said, Adrian Paul is a worthy successor to Christopher Lambert if there are any other Highlander films. While I hated seeing Connor MacLeod die (Lambert's character), it was a passing of the torch to Duncan, who is more than capable of handling it.

I have two big problems with this film. 1. Duncan being married! Why didn't this come up during the series? This would've made a great plot during the series and would've put a strain on any one of Duncan's relationships (Tessa, Ann, Amanda). 2. The MacLeod fight. Great dream match but I would've rather have seen it in a final film than right now.

Other than that, its not a bad film. Not great but superior to the other sequels.

better than Highlander3, way better. this one has Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert, both McClouds, teaming up to stop the evil Brucy Payne(the preist Jacob) and it tells of great storys with nice action scenes including scenes with Donnie Yen(from Blade2 and Iron Monkey). theres like one scene with sex and thats with Adrian Paul and his wife. though I hated seeing Lambert's head get chopped off but hey, thats the way it is and the ending where Paul thinks his wife is dead but shes not and she appears is a great ending.

If you are not a fan, STAY AWAY! This feels more like "The Scorpion King" than Highlander....YUCK!
But its on my shelf of DVD's, 'cause I am a fan!

I remember seeing the trailer for this film, absolutely certain that it couldn't be much worse than the second sequel.

Isn't it just like Hollywood to surprise at will?

Not only was it worse than "The Quickening", it insulted most die-hard fans by the blatant re-scripting of the first film, and the uninspired casting of Mario Van Peeples as the main villain. There's a difference between over-the-top and conducting a seminar on hammy acting, and his performance fits the latter in this case.

The high points, if any, are the ... uh... naughty scenes involving the incredibly beautiful Deboragh Kara Unger, but the rest of the film is a bore. You'd do better to skip this and check out "Highlander:Endgame" if you're in need of a Highlander fix.

While this is certainly not the best of the movies, it's not THAT bad. At least they didn't hack this one apart and screw up the storyline like they did with that awful space garbage. Any Highlander selection is worth watching again and again, even if "There Can Be Only One..."

This review is about "Highlander - 10th anniversary director's cut" only - I haven't seen "The Quickening" yet. You will not find a worse image quality on DVD even if you tried! First, it is appalling to sell a letterbox transfer as "state of the art", as it says on the box. Only an anamorphic transfer deserves to be called that.... The picture is so bad, I truely have seen better looking VHS-tapes. ...The noise in some scenes is so bad, it looks like snowflakes - this cannot be attributed solely to the high-speed film used for some parts of the movie. Diagonal lines are completely torn up by the lack of resolution. There are artifacts of all kinds throughout the movie. It is a shame! The sound quality is very disappointing, too - this is what you get when you try to squeeze a stereo master into the 5.1 format - very unnatural sounds with artificial, reverberated ambience and dialogues. Some very disturbing noise (hiss) is clearly audible, too. I have to use all my discipline not to resort to very personal, R-rated comments about the studio and producers who are responsible for this terrible DVD. Too bad, because this classic movie would have deserved much better.

I was a big fan of the Highlander TV series and finally got around to seeing the movie. Let's start with the movie itself:

The Movie:

The Highlander TV series often not only explored the wisdom that came with 400 years of life but also the heart break of seeing both mortal and immortal loved ones die. This story explored neither. The acting was only so, so -- except for Sean Connery who was excellent.

The DVD:

The 30 seconds of video showing the script edits, letters, etc. were useless on my computer but was sort of a bittersweet delight. I saw what Highlander was originally intended to be according to the writers.

The sound quality was horrible. Since this was actually one of the first DVD's I've actually watched on my TV (with full 5 speaker surround sound) as opposed to my computer I thought that the barely audible dialogue was being caused by my sound system. After reading the reviews, I found everyone had that problem.

Overall though if you are a Highlander fan, I guess it is worth the money I paid for it.

These discs look like re-packaged VCDs... the video quality is apalling. There's compression artifacts, color bleeding, ugly doses of aliasing.... you name it. It's like watching one of those dodgy pirate copies from the far east, where someone's gone into the cinema with a camcorder.

The sound aint nothing special, either - the 5.1 remix of Highlander, in particular, is very poor... it sounds like it was mixed by a deaf person working from their bedroom. I'm not kidding.

How'd they get the THX certification on this package? Remember when 'reference quality' actually meant something?