Highlander II: The Quickening

Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)

Runtime: I saw the Special Edition, which is 109 minutes

Directed by: Russell Mulcahy

Starring: Christopher Lambert, Virginia Madsen, Michael Ironside, Sean Connery, John C. McKinley

From: Several companies that I am sure were embarrassed w/ the finished production

I am glad that late 80's hair & fashion will make a comeback in 2024.

It is important to note here which version of the movie I experienced last night; don't worry it is not the theatrical cut that I've known for literally decades was a real disaster. Instead this is the 2004 Special Edition which is in essence the 1995 Renegade Edition (meaning the Director's Cut) of the movie which has added CG-that doesn't look great-and the shield is blue instead of red.

Of course this is hindsight but it was not the wisest idea to try and film the movie for cheap in Argentina. The country's economy went down the toilet so hard that the economy experienced hyperinflation, the film ran out of cash, and the company that provided the completion bond (which guarantees that a motion picture is able to be finished) got involved hardcore with the movie... if they were the ones who came up with the baffling idea to make the Immortals aliens from a planet called Zeist-which totally craps on the OG film's continuity-then yikes.

But that theatrical version is now hard to track down and it'd be best to not punish myself that way. Regrettably, this “improved” version is still not that good. Our hero and Ramirez having an enemy from “the ancient past” instead of “some random alien planet” isn't that much better, after all. The dumb humor hasn't changed and Old Man MacLeod acting & sounding like he's approximately 94 years old is funnier than any of the comedy they were trying to elicit laughter. It's a shame as the general idea is something that should have worked. I am old enough to remember the late 80's and early 90's even if I was a kid then-fears of the ozone layer depleting was a huge deal and a threat many took seriously. Thankfully the banning of the chemicals that caused this damage helped stop the problem but the idea of a futuristic world where a high-tech solution was enacted to save the ozone layer but a corporation continuing the solution even if the atmosphere has returned to normal... it is an idea w/ a lot of potential, although perhaps not in the Highlander universe.

While I don't quite get why most of the cars in this universe are vintage 1960's automobiles, the dark dreary world was brought to life rather well. It's always nice seeing Virginia Madsen and it was hilarious hearing John C. McKinley pulling an Elizabeth Holmes with his voice but it was definitely Michael Ironside who was the highlight. Even if some of his dialogue doesn't make sense for someone who is either an alien or a person from the ancient past and some of his moments are over the top stupid, that performance is loud and outre to the max... amazingly unrestrained, practically frothing at the mouth due to the fact that he realized what a fiasco this motion picture was going to be so he might as well have fun.

I am sure I wouldn't have fun if I continued on in the Highlander universe; something else (hopefully better) will be discussed tomorrow.