Highlander, the Source

Well, we waited an awfully long time for this one. I had high hopes for it because AP had an Executive Producer spot with at least a little control. Unfortunately, his contribution was limited to the pre-production aspects of the Film.

It wasn't enough. David Abromowitz had come on board to do dialogue at Adrian's request, but nothing of David's work remains in the "finished" product(s).

As, unfortunately seems to be the usual thing with "Highlander" films, there are several cuts floating around with the addition of an "official" North American cut as of February, 2008. Depending on which one you have, there's an opening narration which tells us that the "world has fallen into chaos". OK, except that a few minutes later we see Methos and his friends video conferencing about the mysterious Source, on better than current state of the art electronic equipment. Hummmm.

In the Russian Version (TM) the narration is spoken by Peter Wingfield. To me, it sounds slightly rushed. In the version run on the SciFi channel, "Anna" does it. She also does a complete recap of the film at the end. The logic of that escapes me.

As we hear the narration, there are scenes of as Immortal entering a communications building. These shots are intercut with shots of Duncan MacLeod perched on the roof of a building a la "Batman" brooding on the missing wife, Anna (another wife?). He's following her around, so he can protect her. She left him because he can't give her children.

The actress as a very pretty woman with wonderful eyes, but her dialogue sounds like a comic book. The "Planetary Alignment" thing is completely bogus. Planets do not move out of their orbits and if they did, there would be a lot more to worry about than Duncan not being able to give her a child.

Then we see Duncan coming to the rescue of another woman, and this is cut with scenes of the other Immortal, a member of Methos' group, Zai Jei trying to get the information he has found to Methos and Company before he is attacked by a mysterious figure called, "The Guardian".

There have been a number of Villains in the various incarnations of "Highlander" who didn't exactly thrill me. Movie villains, in particular always seem to be reaching a new height in idiocy. It may not be possible to top this one. We see more of him in the Russian Cut than in the one that ran on the SciFi Channel, a minor improvement.

Jai dies and the only quickening the movie take place `(awful special effects) releases the Guardian from the ridiculous Gladiator's helmet/throat guard, he has been wearing.

Meanwhile, Joe has connected with Duncan, shooting him to get him to come along. Now I yield to no one in my affection and appreciation of Jim Byrnes, but I'd really like to know how a man with two prosthetic legs managed to get a dead six foot tall body into the passenger side of the SUV (and where did they get the gas to fuel it?).

The Methos group arrives at the mysterious abby (way too many "mysterious" things/situations here) slightly ahead of Joe and a recovered Duncan. They are refused admittance until, suddenly, Anna shows up turning into Spider woman and going up the wall.

Finally, now that Anna is here, the whole gang is admitted to the presence of "the Elder". This blob looks like a blue version of Jaba the Hut and the pompous pronouncements he makes are supposed to help us understand what the story is all about. They don't. He does explain to them that the nearer "The Source" they are, the more of their immortality they will lose.

So now we have Duncan and Methos sniping at each other, Giovanni and Methos sniping.. well, it isn't a sweet natured group. Now Reggie, the Richie clone, accesses his computer to find the mysterious island where they are supposed to find the Source. Again, how are they doing that?

I know, I should probably just relax and appreciate the fact that we even HAVE the movie. Nope, can't do it. The plot is so convoluted that Sherlock Holmes couldn't straighten it out.