|
Highlander: Endgame review
:. Director: Douglas Aarniokoski
:. Starring: Adrian Paul, Christopher Lambert
:. Running Time: 1:27
:. Year: 2000
:. Country: USA
|
Highlander: Endgame is a strange hybrid. The film is mainly a spin-off of the Highlander TV series that are themselves a spin-off of the Highlander movies. If this new installment of the franchise aims to satisfy the followers of these immortals, it is also undoubtedly a way to resurrect the interest in the series and an official transition from Christopher Lambert (from the big screen) to Adrian Paul (from the small screen). The result is a big budget extension of a TV show episode or a low-budget B-movie.
Highlander: Endgame was produced by Davis-Panzer, producers of the TV series, for a budget of $15 million. $15 million is a very low budget for any movie involving special effects and one shouldn't be surprised by some very cheap-looking scenes. And the fact that this is the work of first-time director Douglas Aarniokoski (a second unit director or assistant director on movies such as From Dusk Till Dawn, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, The Crow 2 and Austin Powers) and different writers explains the awkward look of the ensemble. What makes it even more awkward is the difficult positioning of this film. While the producers' main goal was to satisfy the fans of the show and film, its big screen release forced them to try to appeal to the box office and therefore spectators who are not familiar with Higlander. Therefore the film abounds with flashbacks to explain its plot—an excessive repeat for the fans—while including cameos from the TV show characters that won't really make sense to the neophytes and will be too short for the afficionados. While trying to satisfy everybody, the film does not succeed in fulfilling anybody.
Highlander: Endgame is rather an extension of the show than of the movie. Fortunately, the plot does not acknowledge neither the unbearable Highlander II nor the popcorn Highlander III, The Final Dimension. Instead it borrows from the far more interesting themes and plot of the TV series, that have developed more profoundly than the original movie premise. Duncan MacLeod takes the lead here and the importance of the Watchers—this secret society documenting the history of the Immortals is an interesting creation of the TV series—is emphasized as Methos and Joe Dawson have a quick cameo. The evil character of the film—the immortal Kell—is also a direct adaptation of one of the show's interesting nemesis. The only real coup here is to bring Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) and Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) back together and have them fight each other as an ultimate sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will bring a certain strength to this flick and save it from total chaos, and bring some excitement to the fans of the immortals.
Since the film spends most of its time explaining itself with flashbacks, there is hardly any character development. Only Duncan MacLeod seems to have a certain depth, though he deserved more coverage as the show built him as a complex character, while Connor MacLeod is a shadow of himself.
Adrian Paul is the main asset here, and is the only one bringing conviction to his role as Duncan. Christopher Lambert looks like he has respect for the role that made him famous and makes an effort to provide some decent acting, contrary to his usual Z-movies. But worse than the bad special effects is certainly Bruce Payne's acting (Kell). His performance seems to be inspired from every Disney evil character and his overacting almost makes you lose your head.
The cinematography is dark, granular and quite edgy. The swordsplay is quite impressive and the fight sequences are visual. Unfortunately, the special effects are so cheap they make Godzilla look like a masterpiece. Some sequences such as the arrival of the Clockwork Orange posse on motorcycles are also ridiculous, what confirms this impression, while some others have a good gothic feeling, as in the Sanctuary of Immortals. Some sequences have also been cut in the final editing stage: the 98mn running time and the disappearance of some scenes included in the preview are the obvious results of marketing scissors. With a bigger budget and a better editing as well as a unique focus on the fans, the film would certainly have had more of a chance. The film only works as a B or TV movie. So don't expect more or you won't be able to enjoy this guilty pleasure.
Highlander: Endgame lacks the freshness and the efficient direction of the original Highlander. This Endgame is a game of missed opportunities.
Ed Dantes
 Movie Reviews: from 1998 to 2011
Reviews since 2012
|
|
