Highlander (1986) User Reviews (453)

Largely panned by the critics, but surprisingly a good, ingenious sci-fi offering.

[barnabyrudge · 7/10 · 5 January 2005]

Highlander is an ingenious and very entertaining science fiction film which has come in for rather a lot of (unwarranted) scathing criticism. Although the plot jumps around with reckless abandon, the scripters Gregory Widen, Larry Ferguson and Peter Bellwood manage to pull in all the loose ends by the climax. The word "confusing" has been used to describe the film quite often as well, but if you stick with it the confusing moments are explained quite cleverly towards the closing reels. This is, in fact, not a bad film at all. I'd venture to say it's a pretty good one.

The opening sequence has Russell Nash (Christopher Lambert) at a wrestling match in New York's Madison Square Gardens. He leaves early, and while walking through the underground car park is confronted by a man with a sword. Nash is not perturbed by this - he merely brandishes a sword of his own, and the pair of them fight to the death, resulting in the decapitation of Nash's opponent. Slowly, we learn (via flashbacks) that Nash is an immortal swordsman who has spent centuries duelling with like immortals. The only way they can die is by decapitation at the hands of one of their counterparts. Each swordsman has spent the whole of history pursuing the others, hoping to be the last one alive whereupon he will gain mortality, virility and vast knowledge.

The film is very energetic (what would you expect from a former music video director?) with dazzling camera work and a pounding, Flash Gordon-style soundtrack by Queen. Sean Connery has a pleasant supporting role as an immortal who teaches Lambert the art of swordplay, and Alan North has a funny part as a bewildered cop who can't figure out why headless corpses keep turning up in his city. The film's intentionally muddled structure is slightly irritating on the first viewing, but with repeated viewings it becomes more comprehensible, even clever. Highlander is a good, inventive piece of hokum.... and it's a real shame that those very same critics who are always grumbling about the lack of cinematic imagination these days didn't give it some merit when it was first released.

A Good Film Whose Reputation Has Been Dragged Down By Poor Sequels

[CTS-1 · 8/10 · 9 March 2005]

When I first saw this film, I thought it was great. Connery is good, Lambert does passably well, the effects are good, the idea of a bunch of special individuals who had known about each other (and in some cases, liked each other) for centuries being drawn together, knowing that only one could come out alive. The effects were, at the time, good and had not been flogged to death. I even enjoyed the introductory clan-on-clan warfare.

Then came Highlander 2, a film which deserved its place on the Bottom 100 and the nadir of Sean Connery's career. As someone else said about that film: "don't break every rule you set up in the first film." Even the series didn't do that. And the reputation of the first good film suffered.

Separating the first film from the bad sequels, and a series that a lot of people can take or leave, it is still a good film. Unfortunately, a good idea was taken and flogged to death afterward.

"I have something to say... it's better to burn out than fade away".

[dworldeater · 8/10 · 14 March 2022]

I think if this came out in the earlier half of the decade it would have been more successful financially. However, in Europe the film was a hit and it cemented it's cult status. Highlander has an original concept that immortals have been fighting each other for an eternity for "the prize", when only a few remain. The film looks great and was slickly shot with the triumphant music of Queen in the background. There is a good amount of action and Christopher Lambert has a good presence as the lead. He also had excellent chemistry with Sean Connery (who gave one of his most memorable performances). The best performance comes from Clancy Brown who is terrifying as barbarian immortal "The Kurgan". There is a whole lot of good swordfighting action to be had here, as well as quotable dialogue and occasional humor. Highlander was really well written and original fantasy action film. The sequels don't measure up to this at all. But this is a really unique and very good film that holds up well.

There is only one!

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 12 January 2007]

In 16th century Scotland, immortals fought against each other, in a quest for the prize of being the one remaining at the end of the centuries of fighting. Conner Macleod (Christophe Lambert) is trained in the art of sword fighting by Ramirez (Sean Connery) in hope that one day one of them will fight and defeat the Kurgen (Clancy Brown) The story is set over 4 centuries and stretches from the highlands of Scotland to the streets of New York.

Firstly the cinematography in the highlands captures the breath taking scenery beautifully, the story is captivating fantasy, with dialogue and direction to suit the theme, and the cast all perform well enough to entice you into the story and hold your attention, without ever really excelling. Finally the soundtrack is provided by Queen, and it genuinely adds to the emotional feel of the film in quite dramatic style.

Highlander is a very good movie, that has its flaws; but in fantasy, does it really matter? However the sequels are far too contradictory and contrived to be given the same forgiveness. This film really is the only one; and its stands alone without the need for its inferior sequels.

7/10

I Love It. Always Have. Always Will.

[slightlymad22 · 9/10 · 27 May 2017]

Continuing my plan to watch every Sean Connery movie in order, I come to Highlander (1986)

Plot In A Paragraph: A group of immortals, who can only die via decapitation, duel through the centuries.

I love Highlander. Always have. Always will. It will always be a disappointment to me none of the sequels or the TV Shows lived up to the potential this universe offered.

Playing the Egyptian Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (with his normal accent of course) Connery Looks to be having a blast in his second mentor role in a row. He was only on set for 7 days (he had a bet, which he lost, with director Russell Mulcahy he would not finish his scenes in time and had a lucrative clause in place if he didn't) and his screen time is likely to be under twenty minutes, but his presence looms large in the movie

Considering he could barely speak English, Christopher Lambert (one of the nicest celebs I've ever met) is great, Clancy Brown's Kurgan is one of my favourite movie bad guys and Beatrice Edney is gorgeous. Oh and the soundtrack is by my favourite band of all time Queen.

Amazingly Highlander tanked at the domestic box office grossing only $5 million dollars. Highlander found its audience on video, and the rest is history. As for Connery, after his the time away from the screen, it would seem like his luck had not improved with his reinvention as the older, wiser mentor. Despite two great performances, the movies still did little business. That would all change with his next movie though.

A Classic of the 80's

[Gislef · 14 August 1998]

Highlander is perhaps the definitive modern-day, non-horror fantasy adventure. The use of flashbacks within the story is perhaps not unique, but the concept sees its full fruition here. Such integral "flashback storytelling" would later be borrowed by many movies and TV shows (the Highlander series itself, Forever Knight, and Outlaws among the latter). Everyone is well cast, from the major roles (Lambert, Brown, Connery, Hart, and North) to the minor roles (Peter Diamond, Hugh Quarshie, Sheila Gish, and Christopher Malcolm, among others). Of necessity, must be seen in the Director's Cut version. Various web sites also have the further "missing scenes," including the Kurgan's battle with Immortal Yung Dol Kim, and Kastagir and MacLeod actually having that party they mention.

This is still an enjoyable movie.

[philip_vanderveken · 7/10 · 1 March 2005]

I saw this movie for the very first time in the late eighties and, for as far as I still can remember of course, I know that I was very impressed by the special effects used in this movie. Of course, when it comes to special effects, much has changed since this movie was created 20 years ago, but it was still nice to watch.

Connor Macleod is the Highlander, an immortal who was born in 1518 and who fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. When he gets mortally wounded, but doesn't die, he is banned by his clan because they fear the Devil's work has made him survive. Five years later he meets Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, who explains him why he didn't die and what it means to be an immortal. He finds out that he can only die when decapitated by another immortal and that, in the future, he will have to compete in some kind of contest. Only the best will survive and win "The Prize". The contest takes place in 1985, in New York City and he'll have to face Victor Kruger / The Kurgan, a murderously brutal barbarian.

Despite the fact that it sometimes may look a bit dated because of the special effects, this movie is still enjoyable. The story is interesting and the acting was good (personally I loved Clancy Brown the most as The Kurgan). And of course the soundtrack is very good as well, at least when you can appreciate the music by Queen. If not, than this may well be the soundtrack from hell for you, because the only music in it is from Queen. Overall I can say that, despite some minor defects, I had a good time watching this movie. That's why I give it a 7/10.

Magical - Don't Miss!

[imprator · 10/10 · 12 January 2004]

When I first saw this movie, I loved it. Having recently seen it again after several years, I found it to be every bit as good as I remembered – in fact, better. So I thought I would visit IMDB and see what others had to say. I learned four things;

1/ This movie was a flop at the box office. Funny, I had always assumed it was a hit – it was so good, and spawned three (soon to be four) sequels and a television series.

2/ I expected some to be less than entranced with Highlander, but was interested to learn that there are those who think it complete rubbish.

3/ Some people think the sequels are good movies. How could they?

4/ Some people don't like the Queen soundtrack. How could they not?



It is always interesting to see different viewpoints, especially when they are completely contrary to your own. But for me, this movie was perfect. The premise was intriguing, the story was beautifully told, the joy and pathos of an immortal amongst mortals revealed with great skill. There was great action, romance, the tragedy of love lost – and the baddest of bad guys to overcome.

The casting was excellent, as was the acting. Sean Connery's contribution was exactly as it should have been, and no more. Clancy Brown's performance as The Kurgan was joyfully terrifying, Christopher Lambert was spot-on.

The screenplay was excellent, as was the script. I was especially impressed with the way that flashbacks were interwoven with the ongoing story. In fact, this is the only flashback movie I have ever liked.

I was also thoroughly impressed with the action sequences. Unlike so many recent movies, none of the action involved the physically impossible (with the obvious exception of the fact that the immortals were immortal, of course). This added enormously to the appeal, in direct contrast to so many movies made in the last decade. I despair when I watch movies where people perform the impossible. Even the classic scene `Oh, I'm falling – but it's OK, I can just grab this rope/branch/flagpole/whatever, and even though I have fallen 30 feet and am travelling at 20 mph, I can just stretch out my hand and arrest my fall as though I was no heavier than a feather' destroys all credibility in the action. I know, this is a fantasy movie anyway, so what does it matter? Well, realistic action is even more important in fantasy movies; it helps the audience to willingly suspend disbelief. This is very difficult to do when you are busy giggling at the latest fantastical feat you have witnessed. No such concerns in this movie – the action was perfectly judged to reflect the prowess gained from centuries of experience, whilst avoiding the impossible and the ridiculous.

I was intrigued to find one user comment on IMDB criticising the use of `unnecessarily large and heavy weapons'. Anyone who has used (or even picked up) any edged weapon will be aware that they are very heavy. Moving that kind of mass means lots of momentum, and involves very distinctive body movements to counterbalance the weight. Most movies use toy weapons – plastic, fibreglass or wood – and the lack of mass shows in the actor's movements. For the uninitiated, this may make for flashier and faster action – but for those who know, it looks like children playing pretend. The use of weapons with real weight in Highlander adds tremendously to the realism. It was particularly impressive that the actors could use the weapons properly (at least to the extent demanded by the choreographed scenes – and that is all that is required for movies). Clancy Brown (as The Kurgan) deserves special praise here – he had the largest and heaviest weapon, yet wielded it like a veteran. One can only imagine the endless hours he spent perfecting his movements and balance.

I do understand why some would find the soundtrack intrusive, but for me this was another area that was perfectly judged. Queen's songs enhanced the mood of the moment whenever they played. One related fact that some might find interesting – a few years ago I saw a list of the top ten best movies for music as voted for by students. Highlander made the list – the only non-musical to do so. (In fact, I think it came in the top five.) So I would guess that the soundtrack works for most people..

I also understand why the accents in the movie (Christopher Lambert's and Sean Connery's) are a problem for some. However, I was happy with Lambert's accent; it was Scottish enough for the Highland scenes, and suitably indefinable for the modern settings. Sean Connery was, of course, Sean Connery – he never adopts any accent other than his own. But that's OK – it doesn't detract from the film, any more than it detracts from any of his films (such as Red October). I tend to agree with his point that accents don't matter – emotions are the same, regardless of nationality.

Just a quick word about the sequels – disappointing. I am not one to decry all sequels as inferior. In fact, many sequels are very good, and some are better than their progenitors. However, the Highlander sequels were without exception very poor. The original film was obviously conceived as a one-off, and was all the better for it. The story was complete with Highlander, and the sequels were necessarily contrived. However, Highlander II exceeded all expectations in this regard. The plot changed the story of the immortals beyond all recognition. Egregious just isn't a big enough word to describe it.

The sequels are best viewed as being entirely separate from the original. If you haven't already seen them, be prepared for a decidedly tepid experience.

But Highlander itself – ah, there's a real movie. Sit back and enjoy!

9.5/10

Unintentional comedy

[Bored_Dragon · 6/10 · 21 October 2018]

As a child, in the late eighties, I loved this movie and I was able to watch it over and over again countless times. Three decades later I spent two hours in nostalgic boredom. This movie can be good only to a child, and ironically, it's R rated and not intended for children. It is based on an interesting idea about the existence of a small number of immortals scattered around the globe and destined to wait for a certain time when they'll meet and fight each other until there's only one left. Unfortunately, this premise is not well-developed and it's full of holes and illogicalities. The wooden acting of Christopher Lambert is plain boring, while the brilliant Sean Connery is totally underutilized and Clancy Brown is at the same time the main villain and a comic relief, a combination that could work well only in comedies and which has no place in this movie. Duels are probably the weakest point of the film, as the swordsmen who have had centuries to perfect their skill seem like five-year-olds fighting with sticks. As far as the effects are concerned, I am aware that they could not have been much better in 1986, but they are largely unnecessary and without them the film would be much more convincing. Not everything has to be explicitly shown to the viewer, and a good director would find a way to replace more difficult effects with the imagination of the viewer. Objectively, the only real quality here is Queen's music that stretches through the entire movie. Subjectively - I do not like Queen. The main reason why I did not give a lower rating is a few really hilarious scenes that I was fairly laughing about, primarily a duel for insulting honor where drunk Highlander persistently refuses to die, as well as Kurgan's crazy driving and making faces behind the wheel. I also have to mention the scene of death of Highlander's first wife that, although less and less with every watching because it's poorly done, still shakes me every time and even induce a tear.

6/10

Great story told with heart

[LordBlacklist · 10/10 · 15 February 2006]

I can honestly say that Highlander is one of the most original and affecting stories I have ever had the pleasure of viewing, although sadly not in the cinema. The film has its flaws but the cumulative effect of all the various elements make this a film that is really like no other, and often imitated. There are many elements in the film that were experimental at the time, especially for a genre film. The editing style is much more painterly and nonlinear than what one normally expects. The integration of modern songs in a period setting was handled brilliantly, with the crowning achievement of the film being the "who wants to live forever?" montage, which is an absolutely heartbreaking scene. Anyone who has ever truly loved someone will understand when you see it. One of the refreshing aspects of Highlander is that the movie is not just set up with an interesting concept and becomes a mindless action film from there, but that it actually comments on the questions posed by immortality. With Connor Macleod we are given a fantastic character who is brilliantly realized through Chrisopher Lambert's complex performance. The change he goes through from young, innocent Scotsman to a sad, world weary antiques dealer is a wonderful achievement. I actually feel through his performance how lonely the life of an immortal must be, and how he keeps people at a distance whereas to not get too deeply involved. This film has it's heart in the right place because it comments on the fact that when people lose everything they hold dear, in this case because Macleod will outlive everyone he cares about, they travel inward, cutting themselves off from the world in hopes that they will be spared the pain of seeing the ones they love die. From a story standpoint alone, this is a truly magnificent film, which isn't to say it is lacking in other areas. The camera angles are very inventive and some of the transitions between time frames are jaw-dropping. The musical score by Michael Kamen is lush and romantic, while at the same time allowing for an integration with the songs by Queen that is a tremendously successful idea that in theory you'd never think would work right, but strangely it does so extremely well. There is a wide range of performance in the film ranging from Lambert's subtle, understated interpretation of Connor, to Clancy Brown's flamboyantly theatrical portrayal of the main Villain. Sean Connery also makes quite an impression as Connor's mentor. He is both hilarious and charming, powerful and poignant. The female character's are also handled very well with Conner's first wife Heather being the standout. Highlander has a very odd sense of humor that seems to have come from improvisation from the actors. The entire film has a spontaneous energy that works very well because you never quite know what is going to happen next. This is not a perfect film, and sometimes it tends to fall back on genre stereotypes but the overall effect of the film more than makes up for it. Highlander is one of the more original films ever made, and sadly none of the sequels ever built on that. As far as the Highlander series goes; There can be only one, and this is it.

Entertaining

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 23 May 2011]

Highlander isn't a perfect movie by all means, at least in my opinion, the film is a little too long, Christopher Lambert tries hard but comes across as rather bland and the effects towards the end are a little cheesy. However, cinematography, costumes, sets and scenery-wise Highlander is great, and most of the effects are decent. The soundtrack is killer, the storyline is acceptably paced and basically a fun standard sword-and-sorcery sort of tale, the script may have some toshy moments but boy did it entertain me, the action is well choreographed and the direction is very good. Also Sean Connery is as charismatic and memorable as ever, and Clancy Brown's character is written even better and he too is great. Overall, a fun and entertaining film, shame its sequel was such an abomination but that's another story. 7/10 Bethany Cox

critically panned but brilliant

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 9 May 2016]

Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) decapitates Iman Fasil in a sword fight in the underground parking of Madison Square Garden. A flood of energy leaves Iman and enters Connor. He is taken in by the police who knows him as antique shop owner Russell Edwin Nash. They don't have the evidence and he is released. Forensics expert Brenda J. Wyatt (Roxanne Hart) investigates the case. She is drawn into a romance with him and the secret world of immortals battling to be the last survivor. In flashbacks, Connor's origin is revealed. It's 1536 Scotland. Connor is mortally wounded by the Kurgan (Clancy Brown) in a battle against the clan Fraser. He miraculously survives and is banished for being in league with the devil. He finds his love Heather. They are joined by Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (Sean Connery) who teaches him sword fighting. Eventually, the Kurgan catches up to them.

This was critically panned in its day. The music video editing and big camera moves probably threw off the critics. It might be too much to take in on the big screen. I saw it on home video and it rocked. The music video editing works for me. The rocking Queen music is awesome. It's a great idea and I love the execution. For a while, Lambert seems to be an interesting actor but he never expanded his acting range. This is one of my favorites of his movies.

One of the best movie soundtrack ever

[claudia-41539 · 7/10 · 3 February 2020]

Full of 80s cliché but... One of the best movie soundtrack ever!

Fun, cool, but unremarkable

[matt-begg · 5/10 · 19 November 2005]

Ah, Highlander! An epic tale of immortals locked in a vast struggle, slowly decapitating each other over the centuries until there is only one, who shall win the mysterious Prize. Things don't get much cooler! My first experience of Highlander was through the Queen soundtrack, which is, to say the least, amazing. I had a brief encounter with the TV series during my youth, but I was far too young to understand it while it was still on the air. Still, the concept and the soundtrack (which pretty much tells the story by itself) left me with high expectations.

To be honest though, I felt very disappointed. It's painful to think that someone could take all this good stuff, throw in some brilliant actors, have some (for the day) stunning special effects, and churn out something so average.

Christopher Lambert does his best as Connor MacLeod, The Highlander, who we are lead to believe is suffering constant anguish from his immortal life, seeing everyone he cares about die one by one while he lives on. Sadly the script doesn't explore this in a particularly creative way. As we all know, all 80's movies - even really good ones - must have a pointless and poorly explained love interest, and in this movie she comes in the form of Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart). The idea is that she resurfaces the pain of Connor's wife's death centuries ago, but more time is dedicated to cliché "romance" scenes than to Connor's development as a character, and Brenda just comes over as annoyingly superfluous.

By far the best character in the movie is Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, played by Sean Connery, who as well as bringing a lot of good humour to the movie, also gives a good sense of what being an immortal is all about; his Scottish accent, claim of Spanish nationality and long deceased Japanese wife really give a feeling that he's lived long enough to really see the world, and at a time when travel was slow and dangerous. Connery is lively and exciting in his role, in stark contrast to the awkward character development of MacLeod, or the boring two-dimensional nature of...

The Kurgan (Clancy Brown). Now, immortals, by nature, go around slicing each other's heads off purely in pursuit of a Prize that they don't know the value of. They're killers - not nice people. Even McLeod, a "good" immortal, is a cold, ruthless serial killer. So it would make sense that his greatest enemy would be truly vile. Sadly, Victor Kruger comes over as laughably fake. He looks evil, sounds evil... he goes into churches and extinguishes prayer candles with an evil laugh and threatens mortals just because they irritate him. You half expect to see him beating up eight year old kids for their lunch money. In all fairness, he comes across as truly terrifying, but just not realistic - and there's certainly no explanation for his evilness, nor any character development.

For all of these things I would still rate Highlander as a great movie based on this. I can do without strong character development for a story this cool. However, what drives the movie down is that the filmmakers succeeded in then ruining its main virtues! Firstly, the Queen soundtrack... If you haven't watched this movie yet, I suggest you purchase a copy of "A Kind of Magic" by Queen and try to build up the story in your head from that. When I did this, I got the idea of a sort of explosive rock-opera - an all-action musical. This may sound a bit cheesy, but at least it would be a good use of great music, and probably a hell of a lot of fun too. Instead, Highlander throws in the occasional minute and a half of Queen as and when the producers felt like it, interspersed with more boring yet appropriate music in between. This just makes the Queen music seem obnoxiously abused and out of place, in the same way that a bunch of Film Studies students today would think Linkin Park is an appropriate choice of music for the tense moments in a murder mystery. Yes, I've seen that done, so I have a good idea of what they were thinking when they made Highlander: "omg kewl!!1"

Also, I didn't feel that the scale of the plot was being used to its full extent. We have a plot covering centuries, and you'd expect new immortals to be coming about all the time. So why did we only see half a dozen immortals in the whole movie? The whole Gathering - the time when all immortals are drawn to one place to fight to the death - was so low-brow, in fact, that I didn't even realise it WAS the Gathering until near the end! I expected the whole thing to be immense, with New York in chaos and the whole thing finally being exposed to the world. In fact, when the movie finally gets to the climatic battle between McLeod and the Kurgan seems to occur without a single ounce of cinematic ceremony. The battle ends, however, in a way that screws up something awesome even more spectacularly boringly than before. The Highlander wins the Prize by besting the Kurgan in single combat. There is nothing else to say about that. He simply wins the fight by fighting better. Nothing clever, meaningful, or that has anything to do with the rest of the plot. Worse yet, it turns out that the Prize is that McLeod can have kids and grow old and die. And apparently he gets universal knowledge, which he promises to use to end poverty and cure cancer in an aggravating Miss Universe-like speech.

I'm probably being too harsh. Highlander is a good fun to watch, and has a lot of good material in it. But quite simply, don't expect anything out of the ordinary.

Battle of Immortals

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 29 March 2015]

In New York, the owner of a sophisticated antique shop Russell Edwin Nash (Christopher Lambert) is challenged to a sword fight in the parking lot of the Madison Square Garden by a man called Iman Fasil that is beheaded by Russell. He hides his sword and is arrested by the police while leaving the stadium. Russell recalls his life in the Sixteenth Century in Scotland, when he is Connor MacLeod and is deadly wounded in a battle against another Clan. However he surprisingly survives and his Clan believes he has a pact with the devil and expels him from their lands. Then he meets Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery) that explains that he is immortal unless he is beheaded. Further, the immortals dispute a game killing each other and in the end only one survives receiving a price with the power of the other immortals.

Russell is released by the police, but the snoopy forensic agent Brenda J. Wyatt (Roxanne Hart) is attracted by the case since she founds fragments of an ancient Katana and follows Russell. But the also immortal Kurgan (Clancy Brown) is hunting down MacLeod and Brenda is in the middle of their battle.

"Highlander" is a cult-movie with an excellent soundtrack with songs of "Queen". The full of action story is still great after all these years and the DVD has THX audio. Unfortunately commercial sequels have been released and the producers have forgotten that "there can be only one". My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Highlander - O Guerreiro Imortal" ("Highlander - The Immortal Warrior")

Note: On 23 October 2021, I saw this film again.

Didn't get it at first

[timzp · 10/10 · 10 December 2004]

I didn't get this film at first audition. I thought the acting wasn't great. But something about the film kept pulling me in. When I watched it again I fell in love with the movie. Its full of romance, heroism and over all loss. A very involving and emotional film. The Queen song "Who wants to live forever" never fails to stir emotions. The battle scenes are also very good. What also makes the film work is the casting. The Highlanders all look very brave and fearless not to mention scarred. Also the costumes are fantastic. I'm mo expert on the exact clothing for Highlanders in the 16th century, but they looked pretty good to me. I had no real feelings about Scotland before I watched this film, But after the film got under my skin it was the next place I visited. I was amazed to find that there really is a Glen Finnan on the shore of Loch Sheil. And I can say first hand that it is a truly historicaly magical place.

Flashy direction for an enjoyable but average movie

[bob the moo · 11 January 2004]

When he is fatally wounded in a battle but yet survives with no visible marks, Connor MacLeod is expelled from his village. When he is visited by Rameriz he learns that he is immortal and together they train for the eventual day when the immortals will battle to find the only one. Centuries later, beheadings are the top crime of the day in New York as the final gathering approaches with the evil Kurgan looking to destroy all before him. Meanwhile journalist Brenda Wyatt begins looking into the story around an ancient sword that was used in one of the beheadings.

Beginning a series that really should have stuck with it's own catchphrase and only made one, this film is easily the best of the lot. The plot sees the film jumping around between times without too much in the way of structure - some scenes allowing comedy, others drama. It doesn't all totally work but it is still quite a fun film to watch anyway. While the plot fails to really engage, the film moves fast enough to be enjoyable - with the first half having the better structure as a learning experience for Connor and, hence, for the audience. It is fun if a little silly. It is the skips forward in time that are the problem.

They demand a little more structure and a greater degree of character development - neither of which really are forthcoming. In fairness it still manages to look good and be entertaining nonetheless. The sword fights are pretty basic but still stylishly directed and have a slick music video feel to them. It's the romantic interest that is the biggest difference between the times: in Scotland the aging of Connor's wife is emotional, in New York the love interest is just an excuse for a bit of blue-lit rumpy-pumpy!

A big reason for the first half being good is the hamming of Connery as Rameriz. He is lively and amusing and it's a shame his involvement was cut short. Lambert is pretty good - although now his trademark laugh is more annoying than endearing! He doesn't manage to bring out the loss and suffering of his character very well at all to be honest. Brown is a much better character - it doesn't require a lot of acting skill but he is enjoying himself playing it up and he really looks the part; where Lambert is a bit dry Brown is like a real spice for the film. Hart is just a bit dippy and not that good in the role.

Overall this is a pretty enjoyable, yet average, fantasy movie. I don't see how this one film managed to spawn as much as it did, and in a way I wish it hadn't, but it is worth seeing once. The soundtrack by Queen and fun performances from Connery and Brown are possible highlights.

'What's a haggis?'

[Red-Barracuda · 7/10 · 8 November 2021]

Pretty much everybody knows the synopsis for this film, so I won't bother with that. But what it is far less celebrated for is being the movie where Sean Connery doesn't know what a haggis is and has to be educated on the subject by a French bloke in a kilt.

A bit dated now, but still fun

[bowmanblue · 8/10 · 31 July 2018]

I haven't watched 'Highlander' since it was on TV in the eighties. I loved it as a kid and was a little apprehensive regarding how well it would stand around thirty years later. And, despite being quite surprised at how much I didn't really appreciate back then, I'm pleased to say that it's worth a watch before the inevitable remake that will doubtless come soon.

It's (mainly) set in what was 'modern day,' but now is way back in the eighties, where Christopher Lambert plays one of the few last immortals left alive. He's been around since, er, whenever Scotland was filled with bagpiping, claymore-wielding warriors (about 400 years I think he says at one point) and he's lived his long life never being able to love properly due to the obvious complications involving watching all his loved ones age naturally and die. And, if that wasn't bad enough, we - the audience - are repeatedly reminded that 'There can be only one.' That basically means that all remaining immortals must fight each other to the death (apparently you can actually kill an immortal with a well-placed decapitation) in order to win whatever prize awaits them.

I say 'mainly' set in the eighties, because there's a fair amount of screen-time dedicated to flashbacks of when Lambert was the titular 'Highlander' in his native time. There he's guided as to what he really is by one Obi-wan Kenobi mentor-like figure, played (as effortlessly as you'd expect) by Sean Connery. Here we learn about everyone's backstory and the villain who's been stalking the immortals throughout the ages. The main surprise I found while re-watching 'Highlander' after all this time is that I didn't remember so much of the film being set in the past (it's almost 50/50 between past and present. I remember Connery being in it (he was Bond, after all!), but that's about all I could recall of the flashback scenes.

I would say that there's plenty of action, watching one immortal take swing after swing of their sword at another immortal's neck. However, by today's standards, the action is probably a little tame. There's hardly much exciting camerawork or major special effects (again, by today's scale), so you get the odd swordfight every so often. It was great for the time and the sound effects used when the swords clash is really cool. Plus you have Queen's epic and totally overblown soundtrack to accompany the film (written specifically for the film, I believe).

Highlander' is all good fun, but then I'm biased as I'm viewing it through nostalgic eyes (and I'm a fan of Queen). It's definitely worth a watch, but it may seem a little dull and old-fashioned to the cinema-goers of today who expect epic battles where entire cities are destroyed by intergalactic CGI armies. Oh and in keeping with the 'There can be only one' theme, if you do decide to watch 'Highlander' - stick to the original. I tried the sequels and realised that that tagline was more true than it ever intended!

Sensational and spectacular movie with overwhelming duels and colorful scenarios

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 2 January 2007]

From dawn of times they came moving silently down through the centuries . Connor McCloud (Christopher Lambert) is a sixteenth century Scottish clansman , he was born in 1518 , he's an immortal , a member of a limited group struggling each other throughout the times , but only can live ¨the one¨ . He's a fighter from four centuries ago with an eternal confrontation since 1536 against his fellow headhunter immortal (an extremely hammy Clancy Brown) and arch-enemy seeking an incredible power ; they nowadays are battling in N. Y. streets . Ramírez (Sean Connery) is his preceptor , he's a medieval cavalier, a tough warrior under command of emperor Charles I . Besides , a sword expert (Roxanne Hart) investigates the events and discovers the secrets .

The picture displays noisy action , derring-do adventure , spectacular combats and breathtaking outdoors which are a treat for the sight . Connery as the sympathetic knight Ramirez is terrific though he has a smallish role . All of Sean Connery's scenes had to be filmed in a week due to Connery's schedule ; in fact , he had a bet with director Russell Mulcahy that they would not finish in seven days , but Mulcahy won it . Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert got along so well during filming that they called each other by their characters' names even when they were not filming and it was at Lambert's insistence that Connery and his character returned for the failed Highlander II (1991) that was a real flop. Christopher Lambert had just barely learned to speak English when he took this role , the only other English-speaking film he had been in at that point was "Greystoke" , (1984), in which he spoke only a few words . Notorious secondary Clancy Brown plays magnificently a shameless villainous . The film contains exciting musical score by composer Michael Kamen and known songs by the famous band Queen . Mesmerizing and wonderful landscapes well photographed by cameraman Gerry Fisher . Previous video musical director Russell Mulcahy realizes this sweeping movie including numerous scenes in video-clip style . It's followed by three inferior sequels with similar players and a TV series such as : ¨Highlander II : The quickening¨(1991) by Mulcahy ; ¨Highlander 3 : Final dimension¨ by Andy Morahan with Mario Van Peebles and ¨Endgame¨ (2000) with Adrian Paul , the latter starring of the TV series.

I absolutely loved this movie!!!

[dbrigley · 10/10 · 14 April 2005]

It does exactly what a movie is supposed to do! It lets your imagination run away with you. It lets you forget all your worries for a time. The music is Fantastic!!! It is haunting and relaxing at the same time. Sean Connery is of course, wonderful in his part. Christopher Lambert has a way of making you feel what he feels. The scenery is utterly gorgeous. The special effects are very well done.Makes you want to live forever and at the same time glad that you don't! Worrying about getting your head cut off sure makes our bills seem like such tiny little problems! Great entertainment!! A must see for the fiction fan.

Good Movie! I was around and watched it when it was new!

[collectorofsorts · 7/10 · 3 October 2021]

I enjoyed this movie when it first came out back in 1986. I was in high school then and remember watching it with friends. And, I still enjoy it. It's really held up over time. I will admit that it's a lame premise. A group of semi-immortals who chase each other down just to try and kill them. But, the action is good and the music is Great! I've seen all of the movies (some better than others) and the TV series. And, I've enjoyed them all, to some degree. This is the movie that started it all. Give it a watch!

Guilty pleasure #1

[andglasgo · 10/10 · 25 May 2006]

Still, one of my favorite movies of all time, especially if I watch the director's cut. Forget the sequel. Forget everything but the first movie. This was Gregory Widen's first screenplay about a world of darkness. It's great fun, but if you're looking for a FILM, just watch the scene cuts. Please, please ignore any of the franchise movies. Highlander succeeds because it's an '80s movie. The special effects, while not novel, were solid. The swords alone are why I watched this movie in my young years. The writing and the acting are why I've come back. As an aside, I know three people who can quote Highlander in its entirety. That's solid, too. It's an epic movie, plowing through the years. Epic battles, and an epic storyline.

Really good fun

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 14 May 2021]

Highlander is really good fun with an interesting premise that's well explored however, it's brought down by some filmmaking blunders (very visible wires) and plot holes. Christopher Lambert gives an incredible and extremely charismatic lead performance and Sean Connery and Clancy Brown are both great. Russell Mulcahy's direction is fantastic, its extremely well filmed and its well paced. The music by Queen is amazing.

Didn't age well.

[JWJanneck · 3/10 · 9 August 2013]

After many years I watched again Highlander. I didn't remember much of it, except that the last time I saw it I came away with a so-so kind of impression. Well, this time it was worse. The movie, or I, didn't age well. Probably both.

Obviously, it's an action flick, so the plot is paper thin, something to do with immortals trying to chop each other's heads off for reasons the writers had the good grace to mostly leave in the dark, and at some point the central conflict gets a little more personal anyway. The plot isn't the problem, by the standards of the genre it's as good as any.

And, of course, being made in the 80ies there is only so much one can expect in terms of technical perfection. The fight scenes are a bit tedious, and the special effects funny, but that, too, isn't really the problem.

One problem is that the acting is uniformly bad. In fact, it's been a while since I saw a cast that failed at their jobs in almost perfect harmony. To be fair, the script doesn't provide a awful lot of opportunity for great acting, but all major actors even fail at the most basic emotions, much less the few instances where some complexity might have been nice. In part that is also the fault of script, direction, and photography; a good example is a very emotional moment between our hero and his wife, which is filled with stilted monologue, quick glances at Lambert's expressionless face, and then sweeping landscape shots to illustrate the enormity of the emotion that the actor didn't.

The story itself is confused, and the characters are difficult to care for, and cartoonish. A few immortals pop into (and often quickly out of, in ways that make a mockery of the concept of "immortal") the storyline, but we never really learn much about them (with the exception of a little bit of background on Connery's character). The modern love story is contrived and ludicrous, and as much just a pretext for a little bit of mild nudity and humping as the rest is for the fight scenes. It's a carelessly strung together collection of stuff that is best not taken too seriously.

Another small annoyance is the music --- good pieces by Queen, but as a soundtrack to a movie too intrusive.

I guess it might still work for fans, but I doubt a modern viewer will get much pleasure from this movie. The premise is good enough for an action flick, but the execution just isn't very good.