HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING
A film review by Chris Thornborrow
Copyright 1991 Chris Thornborrow
Plot Summary: The year is 2024. The ozone layer has long since gone and the earth is now protected from radiation by a shield invented by Connor McCleod. The shield, although saving lives, has made the atmosphere hot and humid. Connor is a mortal and a tired old man who has given up hope. On returning from the opera one night Connor is accosted by the leader of a "terrorist" organisation. They have tried to find out what the Company that now runs the shield unit are covering up. Connor is then attacked by two assassins sent by Katana from the planet Zeist (like Zeit--get it?). They fail and Connor becomes immortal again by chopping their heads off. He then brings Ramirez back to life in Glencoe in Scotland. Both Ramirez and Connor are rebel leaders back on Zeist and have been sent to earth as punishment. Connor now has the option to return being the last one but opts to stay with his new found immortality and fight to find out about the Company and the shield. Katana meanwhile, fearing Connor would return, sets out himself to kill the Highlander.
Rating :
2/10 if you liked Highlander
4/10 if you have never seen it.
Being a fan of Highlander and Mr. Connery, I was in the cinema as soon as I could to see HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING. I wish it had been quicker. I feel whatever else you can say about a film (bad script bad music, etc.) if you sit just plain bored through most of it then nothing much else needs to be said. The film was short but in my opinion only twelve minutes or so (the time Mr. Connery is on the screen for) is worth watching.
The plot sounds a little ridiculous but I was willing to give it a chance. Maybe they could pull it off. Instead, I find that the characters have completely changed from those in the first film. It's as if they are different people with the same names. Witness Connor jumping into bed with the leader of the resistance -- where is the attitude of "who wants to live forever, when love must die" gone to? The love sub-plot *must* have had footage cut out. The highlander and Ramirez both seemed aware of powers they had never mentioned before. Putting our heroes in deadly situations and then having them walk away because of some new power is very annoying. I still want to know why Connor's coat becomes flame proof when he is immortal! We are not given enough time on Zeist to believe in it, nor are we told why advanced aliens still use swords to kill. Why not dynamite or laser saws or just plain bullets followed by a quick chop to the neck? I know the head needs to come off but you could at least immobilise your opponent with laser rifles first. To be fair one assassin tried this but he must be the world's worst shot. Meanwhile Connor develops Luke-Skywalker-like powers of laser beam deflection.
As for "bad guys," we see a rebellion on Zeist, crushed easier than a grape and then the rest of the plot depends on Katana being obsessed with killing McCleod in case he returns to Zeist. Two assassins are sent, presumably they are meant to be good at killing but an aged Connor kills them both with no problems. No more assassins are sent. Katana, supposedly a very powerful man goes himself to kill Connor. Has he no more assassins? Has he no better? Why was the rebellion crushed so easily then? Michael Ironside is totally unconvincing (bring back the Kurgan). He seems like a cartoon character and really isn't that evil, just stupid and violent. We see the Hollywood trick of the chief nasty threatening a child again and killing lots of innocents. Yet he still seems like no threat -- perhaps because he seems too stupid to threaten Connor, or maybe because his two best assassins wouldn't have been amiss with Larry, Curly and Mo.
So much for plot and characters. The music is atrocious. It is at best intrusive and at worst annoying. Bring back Queen. There was an audible sigh (of relief?) when Connor played a Queen track in a juke box. I believe this at least is to be corrected for the American release.
The acting is at best flat, except for Mr. Connery. Lambert is uninteresting and when he delivered "There can be only one" this time around it just made me wish there had only been one -- HIGHLANDER. Michael Ironside is unconvincing; sorry, Michael, I usually like you and everyone else was incredibly forgetable.
So why 2/10? Visually the film is interesting at all times. It has a BLADE RUNNER feel to it and some of the special effects are quite stunning. Add to this an irrepressible Sean Connery who smiles throughout the whole film -- or is he smirking to himself? His lines and delivery might make the film worthwhile had it not been so obvious that he cannot take the whole thing seriously at all but hey -- *I'd* have done it for 12 million.
Oh, and I agree with a previous reviewer, she *does* look like Sharon Stone but I believe it is her first film. Incidentally there is a line producer credited and I hear rumours of HIGHLANDER III: THE WIZARD.
Save your money. It stinks.
"There should have been only one."
Chris Thornborrow
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Chris Thornborrow : JCMB Room 2410, Edinburgh University, West Mains Rd.
Tel : 031 650 5120 Email : ct@uk.ac.ed.lfcs
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