Rating: Summary: Thumbs Up Anyway... Review: Highlander's one of those movies where if you 'get it', you like it. It's more than obvious many people who have reviewed it didn't get it. The story was interesting, the cinematography was inspiring, and the Scotish landscapes were breathtaking. As far as the acting goes, yes they could have done better. But it didn't detract from the mood of the film. I have the original VHS, the director's cut VHS, and the widescreen director's cut DVD. In that I acquired each as they became available, I've never regreted their purchase. On picture and sound quality, yes the DVD could have been better. But, again, it's not enough to detract from the mood of the film. And let's make no mistake about it, this picture is about mood and feelings. As far as the Queen music goes -- well, let's just say I've never been a fan. But even so, "Who Wants to Live Forever" was quite appropriate for the sequence where it was played. And the Michael Kamen score (the orchestral pieces) is rousing and wonderful. I still don't care for the sequels or the series. But then, they are but shadows of what was attempted in the original movie. While the fight scenes weren't great (look at Crouching Tigar, Hidden Dragon for that), if you like a little swash and buckle, a little romance, some nice scenery, and an interesting story, I'd recommend this one.
Rating: Summary: Needs some touching up for 2001. Review: The director should put together a special edition style repolishing of this movie and gutting out Queen's spacey, cartoonish, synth laden, cheapy '80s soundtrack and instead put in a wide variety modern artists like Marilyn Manson, Destiny's Child, Little Bow Wow, Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie, Beck, Metallica, Cannibal Corpse, System of a Down, Paula Cole to name just a few. This is a teenage movie, so I suppose it made sense that they chose Queen instead of Brian Wilson or someone more adult oriented and ill-suited for a fantasy-swords and sorcery/sci-fi youth oriented film, but their annoying Dungeons and Dragons era music may have fit perfectly with the '80s teenage crowd but it needs an new facial guided by modern artists. Back in the day I guess, gifted, multidimensional, do-it-all bands like Queen were so diverse and talented (and unusually literate during their really old '70s cheez-o-rama glam rock period)that they could actually be counted on to score the entire film, like Prince who made all the music for his own films, and handle many types of styles and emotional states, but that's the best you can say about this. When I hear the final song in the movie "A Kind of Magic" I'm reminded of all these annoying '80s movies like Breakfast Club and Never Ending Story. Maybe Queen, because of their background, was perfectly suited to scoring a fantasy-mythology type story telling flick for young adults back then, but I think people like Marilyn Manson and Eminem are better suited to handle deep subject matter and rich, healthy, strong, youthful, passion and act as a guide for today's youth. Plus, I'd like to see some additions of alot of digitized creatures, giant lizards, furry teddy bares, squeeking mammals, cuddley aliens, cuter sound effects and various technical advancements and colorings and improvements that would give it an extra BANG and make kids want to see it again. Maybe some day they could switch the actors digitally and replace Christopher Lambert with Freddie Prinz Jr. and the female lead with Cameron Diaz's cheeky supermodel face. I mean, just use your imagination. But in the meantime, this flawed artifact, I suppose, was the genesis for a lot of superior sequals. If you want to see a great Highlander movie, rent the second one! This one needs work.
Rating: Summary: You need the extra minutes! Review: Okay, a few years ago a boyfriend of mine and I watched the Highlander on video. Then after I got married my husband and I watched all three of them back to back to back. (here's a hint, don't bother watching #2, it stinks and has very little to do with the others) Anyway, I was shocked that my FAVORITE SCENE wasn't in the movie that my husband and I rented. You see I'm kind of an anal person and I need to know all the back ground on things. (Kind of like watching "Planet of the Apes IV, V and VI). Anyway, in the Non-Directors cut you don't know why he is so attached to his secretary. In the Directors cut you find out that He rescued her from the Nazis in WWII and raised her like a daughter. Anyway, I am getting the Directors cut exclusively for this scene. Until one of my husbands friends at work told him that he has the directors cut and that scene was there, my husband thought that I dreamed it.
Rating: Summary: this movie is l33t! Review: <this is the goodest movie ever> I find that Russel Mulcahy is able to momentarily suspend our disbelief to the point where we say to ourselves, "there can be only one...and the show must go on." <i liked it so much that i had to eat my leg to survive.> Especially notable is the authentic QUEEN soundtrack, it really is a kind of magic. You can feel the emotion of Freddie Mercury as he belts out such memorable tunes such as "Here We Are, Born to be Kings," and "Who Wants to Live Forever." <Khan... Whut? I'm laughing at the superior intellect.>
Rating: Summary: very disapointed Review: Usually when you see "directors cut" one thinks a "better" or with deleated scenes etc. In this case, I think they had a good reason for deleating the scenes they did. In some DVD releases you get a choice of seeing it in the "original" theatrical version or "directors cut" with the new added portions, but in this case they didnt and I wish they had. I started to watch the movie and was disapointed with the first "duel" in the parking lot. I dont remember the dozens of "backflips" that Connors opponent makes, over and over again. One moment hes flipping without his sword, the next the sword is amazingly there? Oh well, for 6.99 I guess if I had rented it, it would have cost me about the same. I'm hoping they bring out a special "ultra" collectors (blah, blah blah) like they do with some of the oddest titles, with a choice of versions.
Rating: Summary: Crank the lousy sound on this, please! Review: Like most of the folks writing these reviews, I enjoyed this movie immensely, especially considering the added footage that explained some of the dangling subplots. The picture quality is even better than the VHS, whose print I found to be dark and muddy. I would prefer to give the movie 5 stars, but there are some serious problems with the DVD format in this instance. WHAT ABOUT THE SOUND, THOUGH? Most of the dialogue was next to impossible to hear, unless the characters were shouting. Fiddling with the volume constantly is not only distracting but downright aggravating. The special features are also in need of serious adjustment. I wanted to see stills from the production, and they went by so fast they were impossible to view. And the scene selector, wherein you are SUPPOSED to be able to skip to your favorite scene is difficult to navigate. All in all, the movie itself is a delight. The DVD technology, however, needs to be handled by someone with a technical clue.
Rating: Summary: The first and best of the series Review: Christopher Lambert plays Connor MacLeod, a man who seems to be your normal, everyday guy, and he is, except he's over 400 years old and can only die when decapitated. That is basically the whole premise of the original Highlander and it's sequels, and amazingly, the story seems to stay fresh throughout this first installment of the classic series. Sean Connery is fantastic as Ramirez and in my view Highlander would not be as good as it is without his presence. Clancy Brown is also good as the villian Kurgan who stalks Connor throughout the years in the movie, leading up to the final battle between the two culminating in the claiming of the prize the Immortals fight for. This is the best Highlander movie, but my only gripe is that the DVD picture quality is nowhere to be seen and if you watch this next to the video version of Highlander you'll see no difference. Despite that minor gripe, this is a classic plus its on DVD, and no Highlander fan should be without it....
Rating: Summary: Wonderful Film! Review: I have always loved this film, but the director's cut is even more beautiful than the American version. Just the right combination of romance, action, & humor--Sean Connery & Christophe Lambert are the perfect team....
Rating: Summary: one of the best films ever made Review: One of the best films ever made
Rating: Summary: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! Review: Lets face it, ---- all other Highlander spin offs, including the sequals, were nothing compared to the origional. Ramirez, the Curgan, Conner MacCleod, all the right elements were in place, even Queen doing the sound track---it is the best and the only movie from this entire generation of films that rates in my collection. Thats all I have to say is "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE."
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