Highlander: The Source
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Movie Reviews of Highlander: The Source
Movie Review: Highlander 5 - not the best one, an OK movie
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a Highlander Series fan, got all the seasons, love the saga. I like the movies, 1 & 4 the most. In Europe the movie is already available for several months. I also heard a lot of bad things about this release so when I bought it, I did not have very high expectations and maybe that's why I feel Highlander 5, which was certainly not a great movie, was an enjoyable movie. Good to see Macleod, Methos & Joe againMovie Review: Not too bad...
Summary: 3 Stars
The movie was not too bad. It has good special effects as any Highlander movie. It is good to rent the movie if you are a Highlander fan.Movie Review: Good if you are a fan.
Summary: 3 Stars
If you are a fan of the series, then this is a good wrap up. The effects are generally good with some areas that could use some work.Movie Review: Highlander - The Source - How To Kill A Franchise
Summary: 2 Stars
Highlander: The Source is probably going to be studied in film business master's degree programs eventually. Here they had a movie franchise of very loyal fans that would have watched almost anything with the name *Highlander* attached to it. Somehow, they managed to destroy that. This movie might very well be the guide to how to destroy a movie cash-cow.
Since most of the people who have watched the last quartet of Highlander sequels are hardcore fans, it's no surprise that that's mostly who sought out the latest sequel. And they decided, after a half dozen movies, to apparently target this movie towards people who know nothing about the Highlander story. I liked the first Highlander but I am more of a casual fan. Regardless, I can see where hard-core fans are coming from with their low ratings.
Recounting the plot is almost a complete waste of time. Like all Highlander movies, the various immortals are in factions battling it out to be *the one*. There are also some added story elements that involve the universe shifting for the ultimate showdown. The story attempts to weave all the sub-plots of the prior movies and tie them all into the conclusion of the movie.
Part of the intrigue with the original movie was the mystery and magic surrounding the premise. After all it is a fantasy movie, albeit one with a deeper premise than others. Explaining why and how there are immortals and why they battle each other for power is a hard sell. Leaving some of those things unsaid allowed fans to *fill in the blanks*.
Still, here not only have they decided to repeat lots of the back-story, to the point of nausea, they also decided that it was necessary to explain ALL the mysteries of the series and tie them in a neat little bow.
Overall they alienate core fans with this technique in two ways. First of all, many of the details of the series seem to be contradicted by some of what is done to conclude this movie. And second of all, all of the joy and mystery of the franchise has been eliminated by an oversimplified ending. But even still, getting there is not enjoyable because the dialogue and plot development are sub-par.
Another thing that makes this movie difficult to swallow are special effects that can only be described as lacking. In fact, some of the make-up and costumes make some of these characters look more comical than immortal. One of the characters (if you watch it, see if you can guess which one) looks as if he is wearing some kind of cheap wig.
Like I said, I liked the first Highlander, but wasn't a religious follower of all the sequels. The whole "There can be only one" theme seems to contradict the idea of six sequels to me. Still, some of those follow-up movies weren't bad, even with new actors and other changes. But this one almost feels like a completely different group of people were involved at every step of the process.
Conclusion
If you know nothing about Highlander or the back story and just want something to kill two hours with, this movie might satisfy your needs for mindless entertainment. Those who are looking for unintended humor might find something to like here too, though it's not universally bad start to finish.
If you are demanding and picky with sci-fi or fantasy movies and frequently notice when mistakes make it harder for you to accept the fantasy, you will probably want to avoid this. And if you are a die-hard fan of the Highlander series, you definitely want to avoid this one. Though it might be tempting to see it, it will only upset you.
Avoid.
Movie Review: Crying in my Popcorn
Summary: 2 Stars
I wanted so badly to like this film....but alas, I did not. I adore Adrian Paul, I really, truly do. I'm beginning to think he is actually immortal because the man doesn't age! I swear, he looks just as good now as he did during the series. Gorgeous, amazing, I never get tired of looking at him AND he's a good actor - love it! And if you think Peter Wingfield in leather is something to look at, you haven't lived until you've seen him strapped to a table in his tighty whities on the late night erotica TV show "Bliss" - you can even buy the DVD's here on [...]. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.....
But I digress....
First I have to say something about the music. I'm sorry to be cruel but it was awful! Who in their right mind would replace Queen with some bad (and I do mean B A D!) cover of "Princes of the Universe?" It's QUEEN for frak sake! I was screaming "NO! NO! NO!" at the screen. It was the beginning of the end unfortunately. I actually watched it to the end and despite a few glimmers of possibility, it did not get any better.
I think this film could have had some potential but it just didn't work for me at all. Maybe the editing is partially to blame but it seems to me they should have stuck closer to the mythology of the story they were trying to tell - namely, the hero's journey back to the "source" of the immortal's immortality. I feel like one of the problems centered around the fact that several events/scenes in the movie seemed staged primarily for the fx opportunity but had absolutely nothing to do with the mythology. So, while the fx were cool, from a story perspective such scenes were empty and felt contrived. Add some bad music and you have a recipe for disaster on your hands.
I guess the bottom line is this: If you feel you must see this film, rent it. If you think you might watch it again, then go ahead and buy it. I will say there is a very nice tribute to William Panzer (one of the original producers of the movies and the series who died in 2007) in the bonus features that I found very heartfelt and moving. If you are a fan of the show you may enjoy watching that. As others have said however, the original Highlander movie and the TV series were truly first rate. The TV series especially was always extremely well done. If you want "the goodness" of the Highlander mythology, that's where you will find it.
I am giving this DVD 2 stars because the bonus features were worth watching....and while you have it rented you may decide to watch the film as well but don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.