Review of Highlander

Introduction

Highlander is a cult film, made on a low budget, which has gained a big following over the years and has also spawned three sequels and a TV series. These however don`t sit to well with the plot of the first film and to be honest, I’m a fan of the first film and don’t care much for the others.

The film follows immortals, who are taking part in an age-old battle for the unimaginable power that will be inherited by the last one of them alive. Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert star in this fantasy tale, which switches between Scotland and America as the Highlander (Lambert) battles with Kurgan (Clancy Brown) for the ultimate power.

Video

Video comes in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and is good quality throughout (unlike the widely criticised Region 1 edition). The picture is crisp and blemish free, and displays plenty of detail and resolution with little dirt evident.

Visually, the film is very appealing, with the natural beauty of Scotland used to great effect during numerous scenes. Aside from glens, castles and lochs, Highlander is also set in New York, which is also well captured on film.

Audio

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, and despite the multi-channel remix, suffers from a noticeable lack of range, and importantly bass. So whilst the menu introduction music has real power, the film itself sounds a bit tinny.

The lack of bass is a real disappointment, as Highlander has a superb soundtrack, with music by Queen, and I was really looking forward to it blasting through my speakers.

Having said the above however, good use is made of the available channels for the music and effects and at least the dialogue is clear and understandable throughout, despite Lambert’s dubious Scottish accent.

Features

The extras are particularly uninteresting, with just the trailer, photos and filmographies on offer.

The menus are functional with the introductory montage set to music more exciting that the menus themselves (and sounding a great deal better than the film).

The DVD is packaged in a clear Amaray case with a single-page insert detailing the chapter breaks.

Conclusion

Highlander is a very entertaining movie that is still good fun after numerous viewings. It is of course difficult not to enjoy any film that stars Sean Connery and has a great soundtrack by Queen!

The Highlander series (of which this is easily the best) is littered with plot holes and inconsistencies, but if you overlook them, this gives a good blend of visuals, story and action. It’s a fantasy film, that brings hack ‘n’ slay to the present day with some stunning swordfights as the immortals strive to become “the one”.

The good picture and visuals are let down by the weak sounding audio, and some extras would have been nice, although given the very cheap retail price, the disc represents good value.