Highlander 1986 by AverageMansReviews

Highlander 1986 by AverageMansReviews

Review Time

Warning: there is flashing effects/colourful effects/homophobic reference/holocaust sequence/stabbing/impaling/cutting/be heading - it is a consistent theme/drowning/drugs/hit and run/vehicles crash/burning/shooting/animal cruelty/chopping/decapitation/medical

1985 Madison Square Garden is where we begin: birth name Connor MacLeod [Christopher Lambert;] in the 16th century Scotland/other names is watching some wrestling; Fabulous Freebirds; Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts & Terry Gordy vs. Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell & Sam Fatu: Six-Man Tag Team. More importantly it is time of The Gathering; it is where people like MacLeod [immortal] fight until there is only one for The Prize; there are only two rules; 1 issue ahead comes away from your neck, then that is it you die. 2 no fighting on holy ground it is tradition.

MacLeod had an excellent teacher in Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez [Sean Connery;] is a Egyptian immortal who goes to search for MacLeod, to educate him about his new life, but much more importantly prepare him for The Kurgan/other name [Clancy Brown;] a brutal and vicious immortal, that has already killed MacLeod once already on the battlefield on the year 1536, but as his head didn't come away from his neck, this does not count as immortals can regenerate.

Generally speaking: I am not being lazy here; just making things more coherent/readable, the framework and pacing of this 116 minutes film is clean and tidy as from the very beginning; we get worked on screen but voice-over from Ramírez, then now and again backing music from the legendary rock band Queen and besides that we get some complimentary background music to go with what is happening on screen at that time.

The reason why I began generally speaking from the very beginning is because from the very beginning this film is smoothly rotates back and forth throughout MacLeod's/other names life’s, it is so smooth that it doesn't break or interrupt the flow of the film to go here and back again. Yes this film may be grim, but it can be also beautifully grim, meaning okay you get a fair amount of people/characters losing their heads, but you also get beautiful landscapes, costumes, set designs and so on and so forth, also including comedy now and again; in a quick description we have Ramírez trying to teach MacLeod about balance or so we think first; Ramírez is rowing this boat and MacLeod is standing up holding this rowing oar, MacLeod is unstable and uncomfortable in this position, based on the fact he can't swim, so they get into an argument and Ramírez deliberately unstabilises the boat to toss McLeod into the water, MacLeod says he can't swim, Ramírez reminds him he can't die and leaves him to sink. So consequently the viewers get to see maybe a minute or slightly over of MacLeod sinking and coming to realise he can't die, well not this way anyway. MacLeod takes his sword out and slowly proceeds to find Ramírez relaxing over an open fire, so we see MacLeod slowly, yet quietly rise out of the water trying to surprisingly attack Ramírez, but Ramírez knows he is there, MacLeod lunges, but Ramírez isn't there, he has moved out of the way and drawn his sword to be on the back of MacLeod's neck, but Ramírez disarms MacLeod a moment later some fish drop from I'm going to keep this clean and just say clothing.

So as you can see; there is good action; training sequences including useful and enlightening dialogue exchanges between Ramírez and MacLeod. Now after someone has lost their edge the victor gathers all of what the other has learnt or/and strengths, this is also character developments; because these immortals when they are given this privilege to be immortal they go through something called the quickening and when they are victorious they experienced this again; it is a very powerful burst of power as the victor essentially as I have already indicated takes anything of value and trust me you will know when this happens and on a quick side note the last one looks fantastic besides this character developments we have this also excellent character developments as it relates to the consequences of being immortal;  Heather MacLeod [Beattie Edney/Beatie Edney;] is officially the first wife of Connor MacLeod and they were very happy together and then we have Rachel Ellenstein [Younger: Nicola Ramsey/Order: Sheila Gish;] she is adopted daughter of MacLeod's under a different name, she is a Holocaust survivor thanks to him and she is the receptionist, but to be fair it a high-ranking one of his antique business likewise under the same different name. The rest of the character developments are reliably good versions of what they are meant to be. Likewise the performances; well they are spearheaded by Lambert, Connery and Brown, complemented with a good cast behind them.

This film receives: 10/10, this film is top-notch entertainment; this is most definitely one of those films that you need to see at least once in your lifetime, that is if you have a strong enough stomach for it, but I was thinking by now this film would have some awards accredited to its name, yes in some cases you can get given awards even many years after a projects release in this case I am making reference to its artistic visions, they should be or should have been recognised by now, I'm not talking about a massive award, just a little something to go you have been recognised for your work here.