Russell Mulcahy's hugely popular fantasy epic is back in a digitally remastered offering that proves, beyond question, that you can't keep a cult legend down!
Often imitated, and regularly disgraced by an ever growing line of lesser sequels, "Highlander", for the few of you out there who are not in the know, follows a mysterious band of swordsmen, immortal save for a decapitation, who must battle down the ages from Sixteenth Century Scotland to New York in the (then) present day (1985) until only one remains, the victor receiving a power that transcends man's wildest dreams.
Based on an original screenplay by fireman cum film student Gregory Widen, the movie was quite limply released to cinemas in the latter half of 1986, going largely unnoticed until it's spectacular resurrection in the home video market some months later, where it garnered a heady (no pun intended!) combination of enthusiastic public reaction and soaring sell-thru figures!
Years pass, beauty fades, but pure genius endures, and this visceral treat is no exception! From the opening power chord of the unforgettable Queen soundtrack through to the very last frame, the movie hits you with a power that is as confident and exciting today as it ever was. Granted, this isn't ideal entertainment for the Merchant-Ivory demographic, but if it's a straight-to-the-heart shot of pure MTV-inspired adrenaline you're after, then you could do one heck of a lot worse! There's even an ultimately doomed love story in the mix for the lovely ladies and their handkerchiefs!
A bone of contention that will always damage the credibility of any art created in the 1980's is that of it's being a product of the decade that taste forgot, and "Highlander" does, I'm afraid, fall victim to an excessive inclusion of peroxide hairstyles and polished leather, but, in it's defence, the plot's more contemporary scenes are referred to as taking place in that very time, so overlook the flaw, and keep telling yourself: "It's historical!"
Loud, colourful, flashy and fun..."Highlander" is, to quote the late, great Freddie Mercury: "A Kind Of Magic!"