Highlander (5 Stars)

Highlander! It was one of the best films of the 1980's! That makes me all the more amazed that it's been so long since I last watched it.

Maybe the reason is the feeling I had after watching "Highlander: The Source", the fifth and hopefully the last film in the Highlander series. The second and third films were awful. The fourth film was a pleasant surprise, a lot better than I expected it to be. Then came the fifth film, and I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut. It was the worst film I'd ever seen, and I wish I could somehow un-see it.

I admit that "Highlander" (the first film) has a few faults, in particular the cheesy special effects. It's not that the money was lacking for better effects. Technically the special effects were adequate, but they were poorly conceived. Just look at the film's first Quickening, when the parked cars roll forwards in unison. Ridiculous! That's enough to make first time viewers want to stop watching.

But the film improves as it continues. The powerful story and the overwhelming imagery are enough to make me turn a blind eye to the poor special effects.

Watching the film progress from the beauty of the Scottish Highlands in the 16th Century to the grubby alleys of New York in 1986, it's easy to believe that immortality is a curse. The Scottish scenery is so lavish that the Fort William Tourist Information Centre showed the film every day non-stop in its office for years.

I gave a brief overview of the Highlander in one of my first blog posts. Please click here to read it. All I'll say now is that the Highlander TV series (1992 to 1998) was one of the best TV series ever made. I have it on DVD, but it's unbelievable that it's never been remastered for Blu-ray. Has it been forgotten already?

I'll have to watch the fourth film again soon. I might even take time to rewatch some episodes from the TV series. But I shall never, never, NEVER watch the other three films again!

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