Directed by:
Russell MulcahyCinematography:
Gerry FisherComposer:
Michael KamenCast:
Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown, Sean Connery, Beatie Edney, Alan North, Jon Polito, Sheila Gish, Hugh Quarshie, James Cosmo, Celia Imrie (more)Plots(1)
He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York city in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod. He is immortal. After surviving a wound that should have killed him during a clan battle in the Scottish Highlands in 1536, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) is banished from his village. Years later, he is met by Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery), a swordsman who teaches MacLeod the truth about himself, he is immortal; one of a race of many who can only die when the head is cut from the body. He must fight his way through the centuries until the time of The Gathering, when the few immortals who have survived the ages will come together to fight until only one remains. In New York City the final fight is about to begin, and in the end, there can be only one. (StudioCanal UK)
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Reviews (11)
To be honest, 2 stars are perhaps too luxurious a gift for a B-movie with a terrible screenplay and clumsy acting performances, but I will be accommodating today and will appreciate primarily the atmospheric music of my favorite Queen, led by Mercury, and a few impressive flashbacks to medieval Scotland. Nothing else holds up today, even though it is evident that this title greatly elevates the nostalgia of older users and the conformism of younger ones. Overall impression: 40%.
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A classic mainstream adventure with a perfect cast, impressive production design and a great premise, which, however, also became a stumbling block. It’s one thing to play with ideas of immortality and jump from the 16th century to the present day with a snap of the fingers, and something else is to tell a story detached from emotions, with clumsy effects and highlights in the form of static sword fights. Lambert is excellent in one of his few major roles, the music of Queen is fantastic and Connery is downright iconic. With a more elaborate and imaginative script, a remake should be a safe bet. 3.5*
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It has its good moments, but none of them are actually happening at the moment. Yet Scotland is absolutely ideal - the filmmakers managed to find a compromise between an adventure atmosphere, an emotional romance, action and humor. The short insert with the Boston fight is also perfect, and it made me laugh unexpectedly (the complete opposite of the WWII scene, where I didn't understand whether the ending was supposed to be funny or not). As for the rest, see what I wrote. The present is weak, and unless the music by Queen is playing (the soundtrack is basically the A Kind of Magic album), many scenes look like something out of a B-movie (i.e., awkward, ridiculous, cheap) and the final drawn-out fight... That's really the "peak". Two and a half.
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Two star actors, Queen’s music and beautiful Scottish scenery make for a dated – from today’s point of view – but still nice adventure. The datedness is caused mainly by the trashy script, which works only with hints and symbols, but doesn’t use the subject matter in depth. Highlander is very attractively made brainless entertainment for the 1980s mainstream audience.
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With Christopher Lambert coming to Comic-Con in 2022, I wanted to revisit his most iconic role. The last time I watched it was as a kid, and I remember finding it pretty complex back then. The plot does start off a bit confusing, but it picks up, and the 80s vibe is charmingly naive and a joy to watch. Yes, it's very much a product of its time, but if you love films from that era, you won't be disappointed. Highlander is a legend—maybe a slightly dated one, but still legendary — with the neon-lit atmosphere of 80s New York that only that decade could deliver.
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