Highlander 1986

A private user reviewed Highlander (1986)

There should have been only one!

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I say that after having just watched it for about the tenth time. I loved it when I first saw it in the early nineties and still enjoy watching it as much today. It is what I would describe as a 'popcorn' movie. It is not a real intellectual thriller which demands your full attention in order to keep up with the complex characters or complicated twisting plots.

What it does have though is great action, passable acting, intriguing story line and probably the best movie soundtrack ever! You cannot beat Queen, Freddie mercury had the best voice ever (in my opinion),

Firstly, I should point out that I am Scottish, so you could be forgiven for thinking that this may result in me being a bit bias and giving it an overly favourable review just because the main character is Scottish. Well I say Christopher Lamberts character Connor MacLeod is Scottish but you wouldn't think it to hear his accent. It wasn't too bad but you could tell he didn't have a totally scottish accent.

The movie starts off in the highlands of Scotland in the 1500's. Everyone (including Connor MacLeod) think that he is just a normal person until the day comes when he has to go and fight in a battle with another Scottish clan in the Highlands. He comes up against a giant in the form of a character known as 'the Kurgan', played superbly by Clancy Brown (Shawshank Redemption, Deadly Pursuit;UK title, think in the US it was called Shoot to Kill or something like that, but don't quote me).

The Kurgan gives him a wound that would have killed any normal person but Connor survives it. This makes his local village think that he is in league with the devil so they gather an angry mob and plan to kill him. His friend steps in and helps him though and he is instead banished.

He later meets a character called Ramirez (played by Sean Connery) who sort of takes him under his wing and teaches him all about who and what he is (well to the extent of what he knows, he doesn't know everything). Ramirez explains to Connor that Connor and himself are immortal and cannot die unless their head is chopped off, and that other immortals will fight them until only two are left to fight for The Prize.

Can you guess who the last two left end up being? I don't want to ruin it or give away any plots and spoil it for anyone, so if you don't want to know then stop reading now.

The last two left to fight it out for the Prize are Connor MacLeod and the Kurgan. If anyone reading this guessed Ramirez then you are wrong lol There is also a couple of small love plots running through the movie, that of MacLeod's first love Heather who he knew back in Scotland in the Highlands in the 1500's, and the modern day beauty in the form of antique sword expert Brenda (played by Roxanne Hart).

It is quite a unique movie in that there are not a lot of other movies that you colud compare it to in terms of story and content. It is quite a novel idea and one that is open to much speculation and debate which is a positive in my opinion. I have watched the other Highlander sequels in the form in Highlander 2 and Highlander 3 but would not recommend them. They are poorly made and their story lines are ridiculous. I think it is best just to watch the original and to extrapolate your own theories and ideas on how they got to be immortal?, why they are there?, when did the first immortals appear on earth?, are there any other ways to kill them? would it be cool if you could become immortal? and so on etc.

I know there have been more sequals after Highlander 3 but do not think I could put myself through them lol I am a big of the Highlander TV series with Adrian Paul who plays Duncan MacLeod. So if you watch this movie and like it then I would recommend that you check out the tv series with Adrian Paul.

If you like a good action packed movie which is entertaiing and enjoyable (other examples include movies like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon), where it is not exactly a complex storyline but very action orientated then check this movie out.