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Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
Lionsgate/Fox

Cert: R

Running time: 109 minutes

Cat.No: 14827

Year: 1990

Pressing: 2004

Region(s): 1, NTSC

Chapters: 24 plus extras

Sound: Dolby Digital 6.1 EX, DTS 6.1 ES

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Widescreen: 2.35:1 (J-D-C Scope)

16:9-Enhanced: Yes

Macrovision: Yes

Disc Format: 2 * DVD 9

Price: $18.00

Extras: The Deconstruction of Highlander 2, Highlander 2: Seduced by Argentina, The Redemption of Highlander 2, The Music of Highlander 2, The Fabric of Highlander 2, Shadow and Darkness: The Cinematography of Highlander 2, Original Cannes Film Festival Promotional Reel, Deleted Scenes, Theatrical trailer

---

Director:

Russell Mulcahy (Blue Ice, Derek and Clive Get the Horn, Highlander, Highlander II, Mortal Kombat: Domination, Razorback, Ricochet, The Shadow, Silent Trigger, Music: Duran Duran Arena, TV: The Hunger, Jeremiah, Queer as Folk USA)

Producers:

Peter S Davis, Jean-Luc Defait, Ziad El Khoury and William Panzer

Screenplay:

Peter Bellwood

Music:

Stewart Copeland

Cast:

Connor MacLeod: Christopher Lambert
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez: Sean Connery
Louise Marcus: Virginia Madsen
Katana: Michael Ironside
David Blake: John C McGinley
Allan Neyman: Allan Rich

Highlander II, now without a sub-title, is the sequel to the 1986 cult-hit Highlander, and whereas the original version began in 1999 with the shield being put in place, that's moved to halfway through the film in a flashback, and this new version starts with a piece of onscreen text about the basics, then cuts to the opera for the opening titles. This version is director Russell Mulcahy's vision, re-edited in a bid to make more sense, but I found the original version. quite an entertaining piece of nonsense anyway.

Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), now the last Highlander around and, hence, mortal, was hailed a hero for sparing the planet Earth from a dismal future by creating a shield which covers the globe, protecting it from the deteriorating ozone layer. However, 25 years on the shield has become the bane of everyone's life: gone is the sun and all that is left is heat and humidity, resulting in the lowest morale the planet's population has ever felt.

While trying to get on with his life until the time when he dies, Connor, now an old man in 2024, gets the feeling that things aren't going to go to plan as an old enemy, Katana (Michael Ironside), wants to finish him off once and for all, first by sending two of his henchmen and then, when they prove ineffective, he makes the trip to Earth himself. As he says, "It's so hard to get good help these days".

On his own and in desperate need of assistance, Connor knows that all he has to do is call on Ramirez for a helping hand, as can especially be seen in his final scene. They are brought together by the Quickening - the magical power, not named in this version, which unities Ramirez and MacLeod in a way that can never be broken. This "Quickening" is highlighted early on in a flashback to old times 500 years ago when the pair were exiled, not from the planet Zeist here, but from an unnamed part of the Earth.

The love interest is provided by Louise (Virginia Madsen), a young girl who is the leader of the Cobalt team, a bunch of latter-day eco-warriors who are out to destroy the shield and restore the planet to the way it was. One good reason for doing this is told when the information is revealed to Connor that the ozone layer is starting to repair itself. It seems strange that they had to wait until 2024 to discover that as a friend of mine from university, who did an undergraduate and a post-graduate degree in Chemisty, told me in 1995 that this is already happening. Still, the film doesn't like to concern itself with technicalities like that...

And, if it sounds like this film completely ignores the story told in the first outing, then you've read it correctly.

The laserdisc and DVD in the UK were only ever released in 4:3, and after investigations following the broadcast, only BBC1 seemed to have tracked down a 2.35:1 master of this film... after the twats butchered it to 16:9. Honestly, it's like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and then refusing to give the fucking location.

As well as shifting the opening, other changes made to the movie include a longer opening opera scene, re-done SFX shots (over 100 of them), such as when the rebel group attack the Shield Control, and the shield itself, outside and in the generator, a new look for the teleportation when Ramirez and MacLeod, at first, are directly teleported through the shield.

There's a new scene of Katana being appraised of MacLeod still being alive, before he sends in the clowns to kill him, the background colour for the shield is now blue instead of red, there's extra violence and death on the subway, a new fight scene between Connor and Katana on top of a car - shot four years later, it removes the shootout where MacLeod and Louise get into the reactor at the end, but puts back in a post-explosion kiss between Connor and Louise outside of Shield Control.

Since this film first came out, other than Connery, the most high-profile member of the cast is now John C. McGinley who I first saw in Platoon, and has worked his way up, including roles in Identity, Any Given Sunday, Office Space, The Rock, Nixon Se7en and the US sitcom, Scrubs.

The original Highlander took itself too seriously for my tastes, and the Queen soundtrack went to the back of the queue in terms of the quality of their output. I also only noticed this time round that Russell Mulcahy gives himself a cameo as the shield technician stating, as the shield is about to be launched, "Ok, boys, let's make this a good one - the world is watching."

The world didn't watch it with good impressions of the studio's cut, but I enjoyed it at least. And with lush shots and locations, I'm surprised this movie only cost $30m to make.

The film is presented in its original cinematic ratio of 2.35:1 and is anamorphic. The picture is also crystal clear except for a new part of a scene scene in chapter 32, between Drake and Katana, where MacLeod's just arriving at Shield Control, and just before Drake's ill-advised criticism of Katana's methods.

Both Dolby Digital 6.1 EX and DTS 6.1 ES sound formats are included. I always go for the DTS option, and only have the ability to play DTS 5.1, but even still, that absolutely rocks. There are a number of action sequences, particularly the Subway train, the fights, and even the opening opera.

The extras are as follows, and are all on disc two apart from the first one:

• The Deconstruction of Highlander II (22 mins): Eleven short behind-the-scenes segments that show such footage from the opera and Shield Control, to the tailor shop, the Subway, Katana's lair and MacLeod's home. These are shot in 4:3 and are accessibly either from the one menu, or throughout the film at the appropriate time when the icon flashes up onscreen (this is turn-offable, thankfully).

  Alas, they're quite short and you don't get to see nearly enough to make them massively worthwhile.

• Highlander 2: Seduced by Argentina (50 mins): An extensive behind-the-scenes look at the movie and it's locations. Taking it to Argentina, they could save a third from the budget, the scenery was exactly what they were after, it has good food and hot totty.

  Aside from that, we also get to see how the film was re-cut and a description of how it was originally butchered even more than we saw in 1991, by the studio's bond company. Lambert also gets credit for turning up to all the castings where the lead actress was cast.

  Like many of the making-of bits, this is filmed in 4:3 with film clips letterboxed at the original 2.35:1 ratio.

• The Redemption of Highlander II (14 mins): How the graphics team went to town in touching up the movie to improve the look considerably. Like most of the next individual pieces about the film, it really makes for fascinating viewing.

• The Music of Highlander II (9 mins): Comments and thoughts from ex-Police musician, Stewart Copeland.

• The Fabric of Highlander II (10 mins): Costume Designer Deborah Everton enthuses about 'what to wear' when creating clothes for the characters.

• Shadow and Darkness: The Cinematography of Highlander II (6 mins): This segment has a good premise, but is far too short. Then again, a lot of the same ground has been covered already.

• Original Cannes Film Festival Promotional Reel (9½ mins): Like an extended trailer. In 2.35:1 anamorphic, it captures the mood of the film very well.

• Deleted Scenes (6 mins): Katana meets the three silent and powerful blokes on the planet Zeist, Louise and Connor have an early chat, the two spiky-haired clowns of Katana set out their strategy on MacLeod, Louise tells Connor what she thinks of the shield, Katana 'avoids' a knife fight and, finally, there's a 'fairytale ending' that really doesn't work at all and looks complete bollocks.

• Theatrical trailer (45 seconds): In anamorphic 2.35:1.

The only subtitles come in English, there are 24 chapters to the movie and the menus contain music and animation in the form of short clips from the movie.

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2004.

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

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