Highlander - Endgame

Rating:
Summary: Movie and TV world's collide
Review: I'm a big Highlander fan but this movie just played out as a long TV episode. Hey at least it's better than HL 2 or 3.

Rating:
Summary: It misses mark, but Paul shows big screen promise
Review: As an avid Higlander fan, I found "Endgame" choppy and superficial. I feel most sorry for Adrian Paul who gets my vote for the next James Bond and the ebst thing in the film. I hope this wasn't the way he wanted to close out the Duncan Macleod character, because it left me unfulfilled and if more is like this, I'm not certain I would like the taste. Now some Highlander devotees may wish to crucify me, more worse yet cut off my head, but the film is shoddy and disjointed. It asks the viewers to actually believe that Christopher Lambert hasn't aged at all in almost twenty years since the original 1985 film Highlander. "Endgame" never really needed him. Another thing the filmmakers missed out on was a potentially exciting explosive sub-plot between Duncan's current lover, Amanda (from the series), and his ex-wife (where was she during the series)Faith/Kate. It doesn't explain how Jacob Kell (overly acted by Bruce Payne) creates his team of minions who break the rules in order to kill other immortals. The fight scenes are impressively choreographed by Donnie Yen, but I would have liked a fight scene between Yen's character and Kell. The last fight simply recycles the same footage over again which I found to be a real disappointment. Paul is a fine actor with rugged good looks and a potential Sean Connery/Cary Grant-type charm and HIS talent is the only reason to purchase "Endgame".

Rating:
Summary: There is actually only 2
Review: This is the best possibly the best of the Highlander series through performances and fight choreography. Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert put on there very best performoances of there careers. The two act off each other in this very underated cult favorite series. I'm glad that Highlander is more of a cult followed series because if it were overrated i believe people would put the movie's down even more. And i will also say respect Highlander 2 for being different think of it as the title says a Renagade Version

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly epic,amazingly cool!!!!!
Review: ATTENTION,SPOILER INCLUDED:
One of my favourite movies,no doubt.A well-skilled director(although some scenes are quite clumpsy directed),Christopher Lambert at his best,and an epic but also cool plot.The martial arts are great too,and so is the music.
Unfortuently,the movie lacks in the acting part-the main good guys are great,but I found the bad guy and the Wactcher too ''angry''.But who knows,maybe it's the director's fault,maybe he told them to act that way.
I would also like to correct a wrong essay about this film,which I believe it must be corrected if you want to make the right desicion to buy this film or not.
THIS IS THE SPOILING PART.
What is said by many about this movie is that the Game ends,leaving the character of Adrian Paul(don't remeber his name right now!) as the last Immortal.That is completely wrong.The movie gives you no such information.Adrian Paul's character's 6000 and more year old friend is still alive(or at least we don't learn anything about him dying).And aucorse,there is that new scene in the end,where we learn that Faith is still alive.
To my opinion,this part is called ''Endgame'' because the Game ends for the original Highlander(played by Christopher Lambert-the main character of the movies)when he dies.
Anyway,if you like epic,cool,and aucorse martial arts,buy this movie.NOW!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: a series revival
Review: It was good to see that the Highlander series was back on track. After Highlander 2, no one thought they could bring it back. Highlander 3 sorta got noticed but wasn't a great movie, it was more of a remake. But Endgame was brilliant, it has revived the series by setting up another sequel that sould be out in 2005 or 2006. But what's so great about the film you ask? Well the shots and direction were spectacular. The choreographing done by Donnie Yen, who also starred in it, was incredible. And the story for once was original and the acting quite good. Bruce Payne made a great villian and Adrian Paul was a great new lead role for the series.(sadly he won't be returning for number 5) I would recomend this film to any fantasy or Highlander fan.

Rating:
Summary: Best one since the first
Review: This is the closest in idea and feel to the first movie than all the others. It's not just action and adventure and sword fighting, it's also about the pain and toil that comes with all the good things you get when you're immortal.

To the critics that state the obvious - that this film ignores the events of the other Highlander films in large portion, well...there's a good reason for that. Highlander 2 is widely accepted amongst the Highlander fan base as "the movie that never should've been done". Consequently, everything that has come since that movie has largely pretended that the movie never existed.

This movie does focus as much on Duncan from the TV series as much as Connor, so at least some familiarity with the TV series is recommended, but I'm not sure how necessary it is.

Personally, I'm a bigger fan of the TV series than I am the movies. The only movie in the series I liked as much as this one was the first.

Without giving too much away, this film provides a nice endpiece to both the movie series (thus far) and the TV series, but at the same time positions the franchise to be able to make future films or expand the property in other mediums.

If you're a fan of the TV series, you're sure to enjoy this movie. If you're a fan of the original movie, I think you'll still enjoy it a good deal. If you're one of the 5 fans of the second Highlander film, you're a silly person.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible directing!
Review: This film is the 4th film in the highlander film franchise. It plays out more like the 1st film of the highlander tv franchise, being a expansion of the TV show in certain ways.

The movie is pretty good in certain aspects: The acting is pretty good (Although the villian was over the top), the fight scenes are pretty good (Donny Yen rocks!), and the music isnt too bad.

However, this movie suffers from TERRIBLE direction. Sometimes, you will catch scenes they put in here from the 1st movie(There is one part where a car is driving on a bridge taken from it)!! At other times, you will see Duncan use the same move in a fight twice.....because they just rewound the film and played it over again! The plot is muddled and inconsistant, hardcore fans will be able to point out this. Special effects are done poorly and look like something out of a 80s B movie. The whole "Conner vs. Duncan" fight scene did not stir my senses whatsoever. At that point, I was still trying to figure out if this film was made as a college film class project.

The DVD also comes with a special "early cut" of the film. After viewing it, I think there was some scenes that could have been put in the final cut, but others are quite poor and I could see why they cut them out. Oddly enough, "cut" scenes are also available on the dvd. Keeping track of all this will be like a homework assignment.

I love the Highlander TV show and the 1st movie, and I had issues with this film. Rent it first, then decide if you want to buy it.

Rating:
Summary: The best Higlander movie
Review: Being a big Highlander fan, needless to say I was excited when this movie came to theaters. Funny thing about it was that I saw this movie 3 times and each time some scenes were different! I later found out why when it came to DVD.

End Game follows immortals (and clansman)Connor and Duncan Mcleod's lives'adventures together and their challenege of facing what appears to be the most dangerous immortal of all (though that has been said in every Highlander movie... so I really cant say, but next to the Kurgan, yeah, you can say that), Jakob Kell. Kell is an evil immortal that is hell bent on destroying Connors life, because when Kell was mortal, Connor killed Kell's "father" out of anger... you'll see what I mean. Kell assembles a gang of immortal mercenaries that goes around killing other immortales so that Kell can become the most pwerful immortal (by cutting off their head and taking their quickiening a.k.a. their life power) and destroy Connor after he has tourtured his life enough. In the end, Connor and Duncan unite to battle Kell and try to rid the world of this evil immortal.

Chris Lambert and Adrian Paul do a great job action and acting wise, but the movie feels rushed towards the end and some scences tend to clash with others because the movie took so long to film that the producers and director just rushed and threw what they could together. Bruce Payne does a great job with Kell's character, but at times, the over the top acting and dialogue does get a bit tiring. Bottom line, this movie/dvd is a must have any highlander fan and a good movie for any sci-fi fan or fan of this genre.

The dvd itself is a good buy with the extras and even includes a early cut of the movie, which kinda leaves a bad taste in mouth as how bad the movie could have been if not for all the editors that worked on it and took out some of the really cheesie and unesscisary over the top scenes and acting.

All in all, this movie is a good buy and a worthy addition to any sci-fi or action/drama fans dvd collection.



Rating:
Summary: THE HIGHLANDER MOVIES- KEEPING TRACK OF IT ALL
Review: There are really multiple versions of each highlander movie. Here is a
guide.
#1 HIGHLANDER (1986) There are 2 versions of this film. The American version is much shorter and a lot of scenes and flashbacks have been removed. There is one added shot where the bald policeman spills coffee on himself. There is also one line of dialogue added and some slight differences in the soundtrack. The European version is longer and also available in America. A "SPECIAL VERSION" which will feature an altered ending and better continuity with the sequels/TV series is reportedly in the works.
#2 HIGHLANDER II (THE QUICKENING) (1990) There are 5 versions
of this film. The first is the theatrical version that played in USA. The
Second is European version which has one scene added and a longer
ending in which Connor and Louse are transformed into energy or
spirits or something and are transported off to Zeist.
The third version was the first cut of the "RENEGADE VERSION"
which added about 16 minutes of new scenes. Removed about 5 min.
and has a different origin for the immortals. It was only released on
home video in pan and scan.
The fourth version is the same as the third, but was in widescreen
video. It also had a few new sound effects added and a clip from
"Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster" inserted on a tv screen.
Version five is the new "SPECIAL EDITION" . It is also the same as
the renegade version but has new visual effects and an inhanced
soundtrack. I wonder what the sixth version will be like.
The European version (with the way out ending) is the one that was syndicated to television in the 90s.
HIGHLANDER 3 (1994) There are four versions of this one.
The original version was called HIGHLANDER III: THE SORCERER
and was released in Europe. The second version was released in US
by Miramax as HIGHLANDER: THE FINAL DIMENSION .They added some new optical effects and stock shots from the first movie and also changed some of the dialogue and music. It was also edited to get a PG 13 rating. The third version was an R rated version of the above.
Version four Is the same as the original European version but bears
the FINAL DIMENSION title and has some of the same music as the
American version. The third and fourth version alternately play on Cable TV. Lost yet?
HIGHLANDER: END GAME the original theatrical version is shorter
and has some neat morphing effects that are not in the video version.
Version two has at least 18 minutes of added footage and a slightly
altered plot. Some new visual effects have been added and the ending
is different. Both versions alternately play cable TV.
HIGHLANDER: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS is a video movie edited from
the first four episodes of the animated series.
HIGHLANDER: THE GATHERING is spliced together from episodes #1
and #8 of thelive action tv series and feature a slightly different ending.
HIGHLANDER: FINALE, HIGHLANDER: COUNTERFEIT and HIGHLANDER: UNHOLY ALLIANCE are also edited from the TV series
but have a lot of added footage, an upgraded soundtrack and are
Motion picture quallity. The five above "TV" movies played theatrically
in foreign markets like Europe and Asia. That's why they exist.



Rating:
Summary: Could have used an appearence by Sean Connery
Review: I know he was killed in Highlander 2 but this one really needed Connery in it and it shows. He brought a charm to the movies; and I am sure many will disagree with me, he made me want to watch more about his character. So much so he overshadowed the supposed main character. I like Adrain Paul. I don't think he carried the movie too well.

The film writers and producers couldn't decide who would take the lead. While not a total waste of time bear in mind it does have some good sword battles so it's not a total loss. It's 2004 and I doubt there will be another sequel unless a good script comes across the producers' desk. I do have to agree it was too predictable from the start. A good audience could tell what was going to happen from one scene to the next. It was more of an assembly line movie than Highlander 1 or 2. The villian didn't have so much depth like any of the others. If you look at any of the others and I can't comment on the third one because I never saw it...The villains weren't just one note. The first one had very good dialogue and so did the second one. There's less passion here and more by the numbers.