Highlander: Endgame

December 10, 2004

Rated: R Runtime: 100 min Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The catch phrase for Highlander is “there can be only one”. They should’ve taken that phrase to heart when they thought about making the first sequel. The original Highlander movie was one of those really magical pictures that is loved by many people. It is in fact, one of my own alltime favorites. However, it had an ending that really didn’t lend itself well to a sequel.

Highlander: Endgame

Here we are, 15 years and two TV series after the release of the original Highlander and we’re up to sequel number three. The first sequel is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made. It is particularly despised by fans of the the original because it not only ignores, but totally contradicts, many key elements of the story in the first filml. Highlander III was only marginally better, but it at least made a weak attempt to not blasaphemy the original.

I can’t say alot about the storyline of Highlander: Endgame without spoiling it. However, let’s just say the tact they took with the storyline this time is they opted to ignore the first 3 films entirely and instead they opted to follow the storyline from the TV series. It’s typical Highlander stuff, the MacLeod boys must combine forces to defeat a positively evil immortal who ignores all of the rules of the game.

Adrian Paul gets the bulk of the screentime as Duncan MacLeod. Christopher Lambert is back as well as Connor and featured prominently, but Adrian is the star of the show this time out. It also seems apparent that if there are to be additional sequels they’re very likely to be based around Duncan. Indeed a couple of Duncan’s pals from the TV series also make brief appearances in Endgame. Dawson and the Watchers are there as is Mythos, the oldest of all of the immortals.

As has become tradition with Highlander sequels it contradicts the storylines from the prior movies. If that lack of continuity really bothers you, then I strongly recommend you skip this one. Endgame also assumes that you know the characters and basic storylines from the Highlander TV series. If you’re not familiar with Duncan and his buddies, you may have difficulty following parts of the story. And if those flaws weren’t enough, this one really goes overboard with the flashbacks to earlier time periods. These things combined make the plot a bit disjointed even for a true Highlander fan.

If you’re a big fan of Duncan Macleod and the Highlander TV series, you might enjoy this. If you’re more of a fan of the original movie and Connor, the contradictions will likely leave you babbling. You’ve been warned!

Posted by Billy Bob | Filed Under 2 Stars, Action, Adrian Paul, Christopher Lambert, Jim Byrnes, Lisa Barbuscia, R, SciFi, Theatrical