Rating: 
Summary: A Good Movie With Problems
Review: Highlander Endgame was great. The acting was good, effects excellent, and it is very entertaining. The only flaw is the storyline. The storyline doesn't follow the original plot, and is somewhat hard to learn. In the first highlander we learned there could only be 1 immortal left to win the prize. 2 and 3 both explained a way for there to be more immortals. This one didn't. The plot didn't follow the original story, and it was a little hard to follow at sometimes. The movie is great, and I recommend it to everyone if your a highlander fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun movie
Review: I first bought the original Highlander because it had the most special features I could get for 10 bucks. Then I rented Highlander 2 and Endgame a little later (I skipped the third one because of.............. horrible review). After the stupid but fun Renegade, I watched this expecting the worst. My huge beef with this DVD is that it doesn't include the film's theatrical trailer. But overall, I'd say this was a pretty cool movie. I've never seen an episode of the TV show, but I caught on right away. I thought the murder of Rachel in the beginning was a great way of starting the story. But I also was very angry at the emphasis of Adrian Paul's Duncan instead of the career-less Christopher Lambert, especially in the second half. That is when he is turned into a Spock-in-Star Trek III type character. As in every Highlander, this has it's random, pointless sex scene with no addition to the plot except for showing off............................................ But this time it has some artistic value going for it when it compares her affair with Duncan now to when they got married 300 years ago. Bruce Payne scared the hell out of me as the villan, Jacob Kell, who Connor thought he killed in Glenfinnan 400 years ago. And with the surprising cameo by prof. wrestler, Edge, this is a fun if melodramatic movie for anyone who liked the first Highlander. Note that the abcence of Sean Connery, although unavoidable, is a real loss to this movie which has no strong comic relief.
Rating:
Summary: More Good Than Bad - 3 and 1/2 stars
Review: This is the 4th Highlander movie and the best one, next to the first one. It stars Christopher Lambert (Conor MacCloud from the first movie) and Adrian Paul (Duncan MacCloud from the TV show) who get together to chop up a real bad dude named Kell and his cronies. What makes a good Highlander story? A good plot? Yes, this one has a good plot, Kell is a villian from long ago (they're immortals, remember?) who shows up to mess with Duncan's ex-wife and Conor's head. What about the swordfighting? Ahhh, there we have a problem. There simply was'nt enough for me; the scene in New York was good but there was a little too much "Boo-hoo, I'm an 400 year old immortal and I'm so lonely" type stuff going on in the film (reminds me of Crouching T.H.D.). Sheesh! But don't despair, there is some good swordplay and head-chopping towards the end. Don't get me wrong, this film is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than Highlander 2 & 3.
Rating: 
Summary: Endgame brings back the spirit of the Original.
Review: Ever since The Quickening and Final Dimension, I thought nothing could rival the Original Highlander. I bought the DVD and was prepared for the worst. I was surprised on how good the film actually turned out to be! Endgame answers questions never before asked and sets out a new path of plot for the Highlander series without adding any useless garbage we don't need. Endgame does to Highlander what no one would have ever expected. A must Buy. Watch the opening sequece with Connor and Duncan and you'll see what kind of a movie this is....watch a little bit longer, and you'll experience it at a whole new level. The tragic twist in the climax of the film is unforgettable. "There Can Be Only One". /thybart/
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying
Review: If you are a fan of the first movie, don't bother with this one. This is not just full of plot holes, it has plot craters. The WWII orphan Conner raises, is killed in this movie, when in the first movie we last see her as he says goodbye to her as he goes to the last fight before winning the prize. His place is destroyed, and the biggest crater of all is Conner is killed. Hold on there, he was the last one, he won the prize. The plot problems are so big the movie becomes annoying, and the total disregard for the stories that have gone before borders on insulting. This was a hack job of milking more money out of a beaten franchise.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a sequel that does the original Justice¿
Review: I watched this merely to be entertained, having long ago abandoned any expectations of this series. What I saw was a beautiful film which valiantly compensates for the damage wrought by Highlander 2 and 3. The film opens with the now obligatory voice over from Conner Macleod, who this time describes "their" origins as "unknown"- that they "simply are". the full passage cleverly if not audaciously seems to dismisses 2 and 3 in a sense making this the first Highlander sequel. This is supported by the absence of the number 4 in the title, having simply named it Endgame. What we have here is a film that from the outset inspires the same emotions of wonder and tragedy that this tale of immortality was always about. Included now are Duncan Macleod from the Tv series and once again key characters from the original such as Rachael and Heather combined with relevant flash backs and sweeping panoramas of the Scottish highlands. The refreshing depth of this new story is compatible with the first film, developing what we know without introducing anything silly that we don't need to know (such as Aliens, Zeist, etc.). The new Nemesis unlike Katana and Kane from 2 and 3 doesn't attempt to be another Kurgan. He is instead a darker more intellectual opponent than we've seen before, who surrounds himself with a posse of immortals each from different time and place. The music and visuals are also very impressive and so are the fight scenes, which in places, have clear Matrix style, Eastern influences. Be warned though, this has a genuinely sad twist (There can be only One). It is also incompatible with Highlander 2, so the few remaining fans of number 2 may wish to avoid it. Otherwise I would unreservedly recommend this episode to all those who love the original. I will watch this many times. geodesics@hotmail.com
Rating:
Summary: There Can Be only One
Review: From The Monitor Highlander: Endgame is simply marvelous. Three reasons make Highlander: Endgame worth the purchase. One: the sword fighting is phenomenal. Two: the casting is bullseye. Three: the plot is fierce, epic, and eternal. What makes for good sword fighting? It doesn't take much to satisfy me: shiny swords, dexterous movements, precise sound, and battles ending in decapitation. All of these qualities glow throughout each delicately choreographed fight scene. Christopher Lambert (relic from previous Highlander films) who plays Connor MacLeod, Adrian Paul who plays Duncan MacLeod, and Bruce Payne who performs the role of the odious Jacob Kell fit their parts like snug socks. Lambert and Paul, being familiar with the Highlander theme, (as Paul played on the television series), bring experience and familiarity to the silver screen. Also, for longtime Highlander followers, seeing the two MacLeods together for the first time is sure to be enchanting. The plot is thick. Connor and Duncan are highlanders; that is, they are from the highlands of Scotland. As well as being highlanders, they are immortals. Kell is also an immortal. Immortals cannot die unless they are decapitated. Once an immortal lops off another's head, the "quickening" takes place. A quickening is a transfer of one's power to their slayer. For this reason, most existing immortals are in a rat race for power, and thus the credo, "there can be only one." Their intention is to go about killing until none remain. Kell forms a cadre of immortals to destroy all immortals, as well as anybody close to or loved by Connor MacLeod. Kell's reason is a revenge that dates back to the 16th century when Connor killed Kell's unarmed father during a mad attempt to free his own mother-who was being prosecuted by Kell's father-from burning at the stake. Knowing he cannot fight the most mighty Kell alone, Connor confronts Duncan, a long time friend to decide a course of action to eliminate Kell. It sounds confusing, but it all comes together rather nicely, like a finished patchwork quilt. If you're looking to get away from the hassles of your everyday life, the sweltering outside heat, or need a vacation from your jejune office job, take a 2hour sabbatical at your nearest movie theatre and get lost in Highlander: Endgame. It's a science-fiction/fantasy and serves as a nice break from reality. Bon appetite.
Rating:
Summary: The "Experience" is better than the film!
Review: I'm only giving this DVD four stars because I can't give it four and a half. The movie itself, unfortunately, rates no more than two and a half. But this two-disc set is a treasure trove. We have a new Producers' Cut of the film (*not* a Directors' Cut!), and an earlier Rough Cut for comparison. Plus a running Audio Commentary that can be played with the Producers' Cut, a Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, a feature on Special Effects, and three deleted scenes. Especially for those of us who saw the theatrical version and remember the differences, it's a delight to evaluate all this and decide how *we* would have pieced it together. And as to the plot holes that inevitably still exist, that's what fan fiction is for. This film not only inspires it--it can become an obsession!
Rating:
Summary: REALLY BAD
Review: the worst episode of Highlander saga ..
Rating:
Summary: Getting the movies back on track
Review: This was a great movie (it's not a cinematic masterpiece or anything, but I enjoyed it). The theatrical version wasn't bad I guess, but the changes they made to it for the DVD version make it much better, in my opinion. The story is a lot deeper in Endgame than the previous two movies (maybe even the first movie, its story was pretty straightforward), the fight scenes were great and the special effects were also pretty darn good. Now, Endgame isn't a perfect movie, it has its flaws. The main things I had a problem with were the pacing, the movie was way too fast and very short; but the added scenes somewhat make up for that. Some of the series continuity (I'm not even gonna mention the previous movies, this takes place in the series universe alone) is kind of messed up though: Duncan said he hadn't seen Connor in 10 years (since 1990), but Connor was in the first episode of the series (1992). Now, I'm not one to nitpick, they could easily say that the series started in 1990 or something, so I don't really think this is a big deal. Also, I noticed some dubbing at the beginning of the movie. Duncan asked Connor if he would be all right, that was obviously a totally different voice, and the words didn't even match his mouth movements. I wish I could figure out why they dubbed that line (unless it's explained in the commentary, which I didn't listen to). But that's no biggy either. The thing that *really* got to me was what they did to the JVC sign at the rooftop scene. They tried to digitally wipe that sign out of the scene, but most of the time it was either a nasty-looking red/white blur or a hazy gray blur, and it really took away from some of the emotion of that scene. I personally think they fix that someday, that's one of my favorite parts of the movie. Now, on to the good stuff. I already mentioned the story was much deeper and more focused than previous movies (something the series was usually good at). The fight scenes were really great, fast and action-packed. The performances were also good; Kell's four henchmen (minus Kate/Faith) weren't bad considering the screentime and lack of lines they had, Lisa Barbuscia (Kate/Faith) also did well in my opinion, her character is interesting and I'd like to see her in a future Highlander movie; Christopher Lambert did pretty good, he did a good job displaying the emotional torment Connor was going through, but I thought his performance was kind of lacking for some reason; Bruce Payne (Kell)...well, Bruce Payne didn't do too bad, he kinda overplayed his role in a lot of scenes I think, and he didn't seem as menacing as he should have (to me anyway); and finally, Adrian Paul. Adrian Paul is, in my humble opinion, great. I know lots of purists think that Lambert is the only Highlander and nothing will ever change that, but Adrian Paul is a much better actor and, let's face it, a far superior swordsman compared to Lambert. Paul makes the fight scenes even more exciting and he is a lot better at portraying the emotional core that Highlander has always been about. The DVD is pretty loaded with extras, but it's not really bursting at the seams with 'em. That's okay though, DVDs are more about the movies than the extra features. The picture quality is good (except for that intentionally blurred JVC sign I mentioned), and the sound is good as well. All in all, this is a pretty cool DVD to add to your collection, and the movie is a worthy addition to the Highlander saga.
|
