X
- 1986
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 56 m
- 1986
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 56 m
Summary Connor Macleod, an immortal Scottish swordsman, must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
Written By: Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson
- 1986
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 56 m
- 1986
- R
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 56 m
Highlander
24
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary Connor Macleod, an immortal Scottish swordsman, must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
Written By: Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally unfavorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
24
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
14% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
86% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
Metascore
Generally unfavorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
24
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
14% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
86% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
Director Russell Mulcahy can’t seem to decide from one scene to the next whether he’s making a sci-fi, thriller, horror, music video or romance – end result is a mishmash.
Highlander's flashy style is the cinematic equivalent of a Las Vegas chorus line: always kicking. Without Lambert, who displays an unexpected comic talent along with intensely photogenic passive-aggressive eyes, and Roxanne Hart, whose knowledgeable portrayal of a New York detective is undercut by the symphony of screams extracted from her toward the end, and Connery, who wears a pearl-drop earring and is supposed to be Spanish but still has the burr and brio of James Bond, Highlander would be little more than an everlasting video; it's not much more than that, as it is. [10 Mar 1986, p.C9]
User Score
Generally favorable
Based on 121 User Ratings
7.8
69% Positive
84 Ratings
84 Ratings
26% Mixed
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
4% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Generally favorable
Based on 121 User Ratings
7.8
69% Positive
84 Ratings
84 Ratings
26% Mixed
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
4% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
The best movie soundtrack ever and although some aspects don't age well, others do. It's fun, exciting and addictive the action and story keep you entertained throughout. A good once a year watch film, excited for the Henry Cavill remake. production 2022.
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About halfway through the violent, fantasy adventure Highlander, one character talks about how it was the custom during ancient times to throw babies into a pit of hungry dogs. Well, there were more than a few times during this hyperviolent film in which I felt as if I were a baby being thrown to a dog of a movie.
Since none of the characters makes sense even on the movie's own terms, Highlander keeps on exploding for almost two hours, with nothing at stake.
The camera style is grotesquely overwrought, a relentless exercise in technique for technique's sake. It's all here, folks: fancy wipes, expressionistic angles, quick-cut close-ups, stylized backlighting, camera moving in endless illogic. It's as if a 15-minute history of film technique had been compiled by a psychotic. [19 Mar 1986, p.B9]
Mulcahy has style to burn, but he may well have used the script to light it, for Highlander almost never makes any sense. [11 Mar 1986, p.B4]
In spite of a sturdy cast and dazzling production design, Highlander is stultifyingly, jaw-droppingly, achingly awful.[11 Mar 1986, p.5]
The classic movie from the eighties. It is hated by many critiques, loved by fans and has an awesome soundtrack with some of the best songs from Queen. It is the story of Connor MacLeod an immortal who was born in the Scottish Highlands 400 years ago. He is in a never-ending battle with other immortals. The winner beheads the other and takes their power. At the end there will be only one and get a reward only know as the price. He is in a personal struggle against his nemesis Kurgan. Kurgan is the one you don't want to have the price because he is an amoral maniac. So far the premise of the movie. It is an interesting concept and unlike every other fantasy movie of its time (or the others are unknown). The movie shows the strengths of this concept as cutbacks to the past are here a powerful tool. You learn about his past life and the struggles of immortality while always being in a fight for survival. The visuals and costumes are excellent but the visuals are even better. The Scottish setting and landscapes are breathtaking and were used in many movies. There are even today guided tours for tourist to movie locations. Together with the memorable characters and fitting story the movie creates an enjoyable setting with great lore. It spawned a franchise with sadly many bad movies. Highlander 2 and Highlander The Source are frequently on the worst films of all time list. For the actors: All are good. Cant go wrong with Sean Connery. Christopher Lambert has his signature role. Clancy Brown is an enjoyable evil villain. Beatie Edney and Roxanne Hart are excellent choices. Then there is the Queen soundtrack. You have the phenomenal good tracks “Princes of the Universe”, “A Kind of Magic”, “Don't lose your Head” and of cause “Who wants to live forever”. I must admit that Queen and Freddie Mercury are in my favorite music list. Overall a really good movie but I must admit this is not for everyone. I could also write a pretty solid negative review instead of all the praise. Watch the movie for yourself to find out. Special Warning: Much of the Highlander franchise is really bad. As fan I can only recommend the TV-Series and The Search for Vengeance. Highlander 3 and Endgame are O.K. for me but no masterpieces.
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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The story is interesting and gives the opportunity to show many world from different times. But on the other side, some of the visual effects were cheap. The duels were a bit to weak, although you can expect sword masters with experience of hundred years.
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Bottom-line: I am baffled as to why this movie is so famous let alone why it started a franchise.
We learn The Highlander's story from Sean Connery who plays, I kid you not, a 2000 year old Egyptian/Spaniard named Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez. That right there should give you an indication of the caliber The Highlander. Anyway, the story is that there exist “Immortals” who roam the Earth hunting each other. They can’t be killed unless they are beheaded. At some arbitrary time in history (which turns out to be 1984), they will be drawn to a far off country to partake in what’s called “The Gathering” where they will fight for “The Prize” which only one can have hence the famous line “There can only be one.”
I found the bizarre transitions somewhat entertaining. That is, they are entertaining in the way a car crash is entertaining; it is more of a morbid curiosity than joy. A shot of the bottom of a lake in Scotland circa 1500, for example, wipes to the bottom of a fish tank. To signal a flashback to WWII the image on the screen **** with the sound of cannon fire.
In terms of acting, we have three main characters, The Highlander (Lambert), Sean Connery, and Victor Kruger (Brown). I've never been a big Christopher Lambert fan particularly because of his laugh. It makes me feel like kind of a bad person if I dislike the guy because of his laugh, but have you heard it?! It always sounds forced and what is more unfortunate is that he laughs at inappropriate times throughout the movie. It reminded me of Tommy Wassau's laughing in The Room.
I included Sean Connery as a character instead of his ludicrous character name because he's just being Sean Connery in a fluffy red suit. I have a soft spot in my heart for Sean Connery so I'm down for his role as The Highlander's instructor. I never grew emotionally attached to his character, but I could say that about everything in this film.
Victor Kruger is “the Ultimate Warrior,” according to Sean Connery. He is a Russian who has traveled across the world hunting Immortals. Clancy Brown's baritone voice fits the character of Kruger perfectly. I believe one of my favorite scenes in the movie is Kruger's modern day entrance. He is listening to the radio while driving in a 1975 Cadillac Coup DeVille. A reporter is commenting on a series of recent decapitations saying, “Police currently have no suspects.” “I know who it is,” Kruger bellows. He proceeds turn on a cassette of Queen's “Gimme the Prize.” If ever there was a scene in a movie that characterized the 80's. Now, even though he fits the role, there isn't much Brown can do to salvage the movie. His dialog, much like the rest of the dialog, is lacking.
Now, I found Kruger and Connery entertaining but they aren't enough to save this movie. Cheesy special effects are all fine and dandy, in moderation, but there has to be something to balance it out; The Highlander's choreography is on par with some of Star Trek's fight scenes. The cinematography isn't very appealing either. Most of the odd camera angles seem unnecessary and, without any sort of justification, they are more distracting than anything.
Overall, The Highlander is a very 80's fantasy action movie. Would I recommend it? No, not really. The cinematography is blah, as is the acting and dialog. When it comes down to your Friday night movie, there can only be **** don't let it be The Highlander.
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Gros nanar des familles dans lequel s’est égaré -mais pas très longtemps- Sean Connery (qu’on ne voit d’ailleurs qu’au bout de trois quarts d’heure) et dans lequel végète Christophe Lambert dont le regard habituel nous rappelle sans cesse que l’homme de Cro-Magnon n’a pas encore disparu.
Cette espèce d’histoire d’immortels à la mords-moi-le-noeud est aussi ridicule qu’elle sonne creux et fait très rapidement pschiiit (c’est le « drôle » de scénar qui s’évapore…) entre les allers-retours du présent au passé et inversement. Quand Connery est là, il cabotine plus que de raison et la star donne à peine le minimum syndical : il faut dire que ce téléfilm qui ne dit pas son nom ne mérite pas vraiment davantage…
Quant à Lambert, c’est… Lambert, c’est-à-dire… euh… rien pour ainsi dire. Ou alors une pointe d’énervement quand même dans une mare d’indifférence. Même s’il n’énerve certes pas autant que bien d’autres cadors -français ou étrangers- de son espèce, à savoir les acteurs totalement incompétents, tellement nombreux !…
Entre l’ennui et la totale incrédulité (et l’indifférence) que nous inflige (et nous afflige par la même occasion) ce « Highlander », l’avance rapide est notre planche de salut, puis l’arrêt et l’effacement pur et simple : c’est pas le tout d’enregistrer des merdes à la télé parce que l’air de rien, ça prend de la place (ces merdes) !
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Production Company
Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment,
Davis-Panzer Productions,
Highlander Productions Limited
Release Date Mar 7, 1986
Duration 1 h 56 m
Rating R
Tagline From another time comes a man of incredible power. He is immortal. Now he is about to face the ultimate challenge. At stake is the greatest prize imaginable.
