Highlander (1986)

Director: Russell Mulcahy

Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown

An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled “Prize”.

It’s funny how I always believed ‘Highlander’ to have been a successful film due to its popularity, when in fact it flopped at the box office. Even more surprising is the fact that a failure managed to spawn four sequels, an animated film, and three television series.

I’ve seen ‘Highlander’ many years ago and thought it was time to refresh my memory. There’s hardly a film fanatic out there who has never heard of or seen ‘Highlander’, so it’s almost unnecessary going into the film’s details. I remember having mixed feelings when I first saw it, and even now I have mixed feelings.

Christopher Lambert – with his unique appearance – is perfectly cast as the immortal swordsman Connor MacLeod, while Clancy Brown was equally good – and memorable – as the villain, Kurgan. Sean Connery brought charm to the movie as a highly skilled, charismatic (immortal) swordsman, Ramirez, with a dry sense of humour – delivered in typical Connery style, which he does so brilliantly.

‘Highlander’ is a fantasy action adventure with a feast of special and practical effects. The film tells two stories: Connor’s past (through several decades) and his present where he lives an ordinary life as an antiques dealer. An Immortal can only be killed by being decapitated, and the ultimate goal for the immortals is to be the last one, and have all the power.

Connor’s life gets complicated when Brenda (Roxanne Hart), a forensic scientist, becomes suspicious of his identity, and Connor is being pursued by Kurgan. The non-linear storytelling might confuse some viewers and ultimately the film is a bit weird. The finale, however, is absolutely spectacular. The soundtrack by Queen is also awesome.

‘Highlander’ only earned $12.8 million on a $19 million budget. (Despite the film having flopped, a producer thought it a good idea to fork out $34 million for a sequel (!!!what???!!), which then also flopped, only recuperating $15 million. Oh, Hollywood…)

Would I watch it again? Not again.