Highlander: The Animated Series - "The Adventure Begins"

Rating:
Summary: Kids May Enjoy . . . Any Real Highlander Fan Steer Clear
Review: 1st 4 episodes of the kids' cartoon edited into a feature length video that kids may enjoy but any real Highlander fan should have nothing to do with. Story hardly worth mentioning, just Quentin MacLeod, the last MacLeod destined to be the one to rid the land of the tyranny of the evil Kortan. Of course contradicts its predecessors (and eventually its succesors as well) but who really cares this is just a silly kiddie show anyway. It would've been a lot better to see a Highlander animated series more along the lines of anime or the HBO Spawn series, or atleast the Batman animated series, but this drivel? I mean there's more action in Teletubies (OK I'm exaggerating a little--but only a little). Oh well what do you expect from the movie that has a long history of horrible sequels. However the later episodes in the series weren't nearly as bad, to say the least.

Rating:
Summary: Deserves Season Sets
Review: Highlander: The Animated Series was what got me into Highlander. After catching a few episodes back in 1994, I later sought out the live-action movies and enjoyed them. Yet even though this version contradicts the films (which is nothing new, since the films contradict themselves as well) I still find myself enjoying it just as much now, at twenty, as I did when I was fourteen.

The story is that Quentin MacLeod, decendant of Conner, is a chosen Highlander who is on a quest for training and knowledge so he may eventually defeat Cortan, the ruler of a post-apocalyptic world. Leading him on this mission is Ramirez, virtually the same Ramirez who trained Conner (in fact, some scenes from this cartoon are direct throwbacks to scenes from the movie). Also along is his little sister Clyde and their pet... furry thing named Gaul.

What makes this series stand out, besides the excellent music, is the fantastic writing. The series handles the characters in interesting ways, most especially Quentin. Rather than being a reluctant hero, he becomes all too eager to accept his destiny, sometimes dangerously eager, and at least twice he nearly goes mad. Cortan, too, is an interesting villain--instead of being over-confident and gloating like most villains, one gets the idea that Cortan is all-too-aware he could lose and even fears Quentin at points, despite being his superior in skill. The episodes are written in a thoughtful and intelligent manner, rarely ever degenerating into corniness.

This series highly deserves DVD Season Sets, and it's hardly too much to ask--the show only lasted two seasons, with thirteen episodes in the first season and twenty-seven episodes in the second, for a total of forty episodes.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent show, quality animation.
Review: I find this to be a very high quality video. The world created in this animated version of the Highlander is unique, with many character rivalries between both sides. Not just black and white (good vs. bad guys) this series offers many things to think about. Also I find the extensive use of steam/water power, in everything from tanks (uniqie concepts there too) to cities to be absolutely facinating. I very highly recomend it, not just for children, but for adults as well.

Rating:
Summary: the music and the ideas!!!
Review: I love the soundtrack, it just keeps the pace for someone like me who's so affected by it. Whoever did the theme song is SOOOOO cool! ^_^ the ideas are also very cool, i've never seen any other Highlanders, but although it verges on corny, Clyde and Quentin are SOOO nice to each other, even though theyre brother and sister, the futuristic apocalyptic fresh new ideas are so thought provoking!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Better left for kids, not hard-core Highlander fans
Review: My mom bought me the tape because she knew that I loved all things Highlander...well until I saw the tape that is. The basic idea is interesting, but I find five main problems with this story. 1. THEY KILLED OFF CONNER McCLEOD!!! How could they do that?! 2. If Quentin is the last of the McCleod's, where did Duncan from the series go? Did they kill him too without mentioning it? 3. What are the odds of there being two immortals named Ramirez that are about the same age. Well, in all fairness I guess Conner and Duncan come to mind. But Conner and Duncan don't act or sound alike, but this Ramirez is almost an exact carbon copy of the original. 4. This problem is not found in the tape but in later episodes: what exactly was "The Great Catastrophe"? In an episode about nuclear power, it is implied that it was a nuclear war. But a later episode says that it was a meteorite impact. Which one guys? 5. I do like how the immortals, or Jetadors, can give up their immortality and just give Quentin their knowledge. But how did they learn that? Did Conner teach them? If so, where did he learn it? Being a fan of both the movies and the series, I've learned to deal with certain inconsistencies between the two. But this series stretches it just a little bit too much for me. Hard-core fans should stay clear and not consider it part of the "official Highlander universe", but it makes for a good gift for younger viewers.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and a Captivating storyline
Review: This was actually what got me first interested in HIGHLANDER. The absorbing theme was original, and its vibrant cast of characters keep the story alive. I find how Quentin MacLeod started out as a pretty dense, unaware "child", who eventually grasps both the wonder, and the responsibilty of being the chosen Highlander, simply fascinating. Clyde gives the audience a good view of Quentin's sensitive side, and Ramirez is a constant reminder of how much impatient Quentin is, and how much this adolescent has to learn before challenging Kortan. The gradual conflict between the Bureacrats and the Hunters show that even the most cooperative people can have different points of view. The way that the Jettator acts when he first sees Quentin appears in a very understanding way, which forces Quentin to work harder in his role as the Highlander, to make up for his lack of experince and his young age. The theme is what bascially absorbs your attention. The storyline is often predictable, but unexpected details are added. This gives the Highlander storyline (the movies and the TV series) a whole new twist of what happens in the future of the Immortals. This episode is definitely not perfect, especially since the story is a bit shallow and not in depth and also the happenings and situations should be better elaborated, but this story's theme is at its very best; it very well makes up for its weaker areas. END

Rating:
Summary: Teenager Johnny Quest meets Luke Skywalker
Review: Typical Saturday morning cartoon only it is 77 min.long. Any similarity between this story and Highlander, the series, has been almost eliminated completely. Quentin McLeod is the "last of the McLeods" [At least we won't see "Son of Quentin".] He becomes an immortal when a teen-ager. The events take place "after the Great Catastrophy" (as in "Planet of the Apes"). The animals mutated but the humans did not. Ramirez is Quentin's mentor. Quentin has the additional charge of taking care of his small sister and her pet while fighting off the baddies. She is, naturally, as smart as the adults. Since the story line is more about the bad guys against the good guys, there is very little spent on any immortality details. The entire cartoon story could have been done with characters unconnected to the Highlander series. ( It almost was.) Kids will like the action as it is typical, but may be disappointed if they expect the story line to be based on the principles established by the Highlander stories. Why do people buy the rights to film a cartoon based on a certain established patterns, then re-write the entire story-line

Rating:
Summary: Better Than You'd Expect!
Review: When you consider that over the course of the 4 Highlander films and 2 live-action series, the Highlander continuity has been thrown into complete disarry, can it hurt to add another storyline? Not when its as well crafted as this! Although abandoning all connections to previous Highlander incarnations, this beautifully designed show, with its wonderfully developed characters, is as appealing to adults as to kids, (I used to watch it with my Nan!). Of course, the film's notion of beheading is removed from this family show, (its a cartoon, after all!), and replaced with the clever idea of passing on each Immortals' power through the taking of a special oath. Perfect for kids (and adults who are too laid-back to nit-pick).The 3-D effect used in certain episodes is amazing, as is the emotive music. The characters have depth and look great, and so long as you enjoy the show for what it is and don't try to compare it to (or connect it with) the films or other shows, this makes for great viewing. Highly recommended!