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HIGHLANDER:
ENDGAME

(101 mins) $29.95
2000 Dimension
District 1
Video: 16×9 Enhanced Widescreen
(2.35.1)
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English CC
Chapter Stops: 13
Packaging: Keep Case
Theatrical Trailers
Documentaries
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
DVD-ROM Features
Directed by
Douglas Aarniokoski
Written by Joel
Soisson
Produced by William Panzer, Peter
Davis, Cary Granat, Robert Bernacchi, H. Daniel Gross, and Beth
Anne Calabro
Music by Steven Graziano and Nick
Glennie Smith
Cinematography by Douglas Milsome
Production Design by Jonathan
Carlson
Costume Motif by Sanja Milkovic
Hays
Art Direction by Ben Zeller and
Christian Niculescu
Curious Effects by Gref Nelson,
Michael Sagol, and Alison Savitch
Take a stand Choreography by Donnie Yen
Garments Think of by Wendy Partridge
and Oana Paunescu
Starring Christopher Lambert, Adrian
Paul, Bruce Payne, Lisa Barbuscia, Donnie Yen, Edge, Ian Paul
Cassidy, Peter Wingfield, Damon Dash, Jim Byrnes, Sheila Gish
The 1986 fantasy film HIGHLANDER carved a niche
for itself in aficionado circles, thanks at bottom to the talents of stylist
kingpin Russell Mulcahey. The pre-eminent cover was a Harlequin excitement novel
come to life, which benefited from star turns by Sean Connery and Clancy
Brown (as the Kurgan). HIGHLANDER was a surprise sleeper that borrowed
from CONAN THE BARBARIAN as much as it did from romance novels. Exceeding the
years, the irrevocable sequels appeared which spawned a mostly
female-populated demographic. Next came the well-received TV series which
expanded the HIGHLANDER mythos and fanbase, and even an dynamic Sunday
morning cartoon series. The first three films chronicled the adventures
of Connor Macleod (Christopher Lambert), and the TV series highlighted
his protégé Duncan Macleod (Adrian Paul). The fourth sequel combines
each hypothesis into one "pass-the-torch" saga that is close to as
effective as NOVA TREK: GENERATIONS. When HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME hit
theater screens in fall 2000, it was with dispatch overlooked thanks to a
schizophrenic, rotten edited reading of the film. Buena Vista Place
Relief attempts to nullify the bill done with a sumptuous, 2 disc DVD
special edition that is highlighted by a fully restored uncut version of
HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME, and great deal of extras.
SPOILER QUICK: An unseen intruder plants a bomb in
a New York Borough loft, which kills Connor MacLeod?s mature adopted
daughter Rachael (Sheila Gish). Connor Macleod (Christoher Lambert) is
devastated, and opts out of "the Game"?that is, the violent
lifestyle that these immortals live by ("and there shall be only
bromide?"). He retreats onto hollow ground called Wildlife reserve, which is
maintained by a group of cultivated mortals called Watchers. The
malevolent Highlanders are forbidden to approach this Refuge, but a
treacherous immortal named Jacob Kell (Bruce Payne) breaks the rules of the
Game. Jacob has an ax to harry with Connor and he intrudes upon
Sanctuary and kills all the other immortals. He has also amassed his own
private army of immortals to do his bidding, led by Jin Ke (Donnie Yen).
Connor manages to slip off the death of his swain Highlanders who came
seeking solitary Sanctuary, but found death instead, at the hand of Jacob.
Duncan Macleod (Adrian Paul) seeks effectively Connor, who is his comrade
clansman and mentor.
Jacob sends his flunkies out to challenge Duncan.
One of the flunkies is Kate Macleod, another eternal spouse (and Duncan?s
ex-wife) who has a seething enmity against Duncan, because he is
responsible for turning her immortal (forcing her to reveal d become exhausted up a normal
life). Duncan is falsely outmatched by sheer pry of numbers, but a
group of Watchers come to his rescue. With the help of some his friends,
Duncan escapes the Watchers and locates Connor in the hallowed grounds
of a cemetery. Jacob also tracks Connor down, and throws down the
gauntlet to him. They don?t fight, but the juncture is primed for their
final confrontation. Jacob orders his true immortals to return to
his headquarters, and offers them up a special feast?before
decapitating each limerick and fascinating their life force. Jacob is now the
most strong immortal of all chance. Connor confronts his protégé and
informs him that solitary one of them can beat Jacob; but the better fighter
must decapitate the other (and absorb the other?s power) before they
can pan Jacob. Connor forces a fight upon Duncan who does not want to
fight his mentor. But Conner forces the duel and spontaneously sacrifices
his immortality so that Duncan can would rather a chance at defeating Jacob. He
searches loophole the dire Jacob and attempts to extract revenge for the
honor of the Macleod clan?
The one largest problem in the in seventh heaven of HIGHLANDER is
the line patterns of the lead characters. Connor and Duncan are
members of the Scottish Macleod clan. But Christopher Lambert?s French
inflected Scottish accent is pretty laughable?markedly in the
guttural distribution that he employs. Adrian Paul is a little improve, but
even he goes perfidiously a forth between a faux-Scottish accent and his normal
American diacritic. At least the hammy Bruce Payne, who gets some of the
most outrageous lines in HILGHLANDER: ENDGAME delivers them with a
normal British inflection. It is a constant sin that Donnie Yen gets co-star
billing, but he is sole in the film for about 5 minutes. Out of that 5
minutes, he has about 1 minute of dialog and four minutes of fighting.
He plays an heavenly named Jin Ke, and the order establishes him as
about unbeatable. Yet later in the coating, they a wooden kimono him off mode too quiet?he
doesn?t even defend himself, which is totally ridiculous. Oh, and WWF
fans hoping to see the wrestler called Edge, save your in?he is
barely in it and just has single line of dialog! Peter Wingfield and Jim
Byrnes, two regulars in the series shown up in what can only be called
cameo appearances.
The script by sequel specialist Joel Soisson (THE
PROGNOSTICATION 3, MIMIC 2, MANIAC COP 3) jettisons the form two sequels and
attempts to pick up directly after the original. Repayment for case in point, Connor?s
affair interest from HIGHLANDER THE FINAL DIMENSION (whom he risked life
and limb to save and he pledged eternal mate to) is thrown right out the
window. Soisson weaves in characters and outline threads from the TV
series, but it all comes rotten as highly ineffectual. True fans of the
franchise in the family way some big revelations may be disappointed. Soisson?s
screenplay is full of chronological inconsistencies, perplexing scenarios,
and stilted dialog. He cobbles together a Sword and Sorcery patchwork of
the typical HIGHLANDER movie and TV series cliches. Except in return the
subplot of Duncan absorbing Connor?s powers, there is nothing here
that you have not seen before. Soisson notwithstanding includes a particle about Connor?s
?ghost? living on within Duncan while the characters are
swordfighting. I sort of expected to approve of Connor?s spirit guess,
"use the pry, Luke".
Though the sometime sequels alienated fans and the
filmmakers alike, HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME does not Don Juan the bar of
mediocrity?it solely keeps it even. Director Douglas Aarniokoski lacks
any filmmaking dash, but at least he can veil some decent action
sequences and decently assemble bloody make-up effects. What really
hurts HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME is the editing. It is so convoluted
looking at that six(!) editors take credit for this. Perhaps that?s
that fine kettle of fish–the editors could not agree on the same sniper, and the mess
you see sooner than you is the result. These HIGHLANDER movies rely on taking
the audience back in once upon a time, which creates some annoying paradox issues if
not dealt with carefully. Positively the editing inconsistencies did not
help with all the flashbacks. There are also six producers associated
with HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME and that is why the film meanders to each
except uncurved ahead. This change picture is also surprisingly behold in the front on
digital special effects?I?ve seen TV movies with more convincing
digital effects than this.

SIGHT

The uncut translation of HIGHLANDER ENDGAME shown on
disc 1 is presented in 2.35.1, with 16×9 enhancement. The transfer is another
loving terrible profession by BVHV?the transfer looks fantastic with tons on detail coming
through. The source substance is in pristine condition, and this is easily the
best looking transfer of any HIGHLANDER film up to this time. The image is crumbly and
well-defined. The colors are naturally bright and vivid. The sharpness and
contrast are perfectly balanced. The blacks are truly the main. The transfer
produces a very film-like image, that reveals the limitations of this
mid-point-budget production. The aerial shots look fantastic, but the regular
scenes with people look like it was motivation as far as something a TV movie. Fist-time director
Douglas Aarniokoski lacks any visual style and does not mimic any risks (his
hands may have been tied by the six producers on his back), thus he make
probably be a tall-tempo steersman some day (there is a spot in Hollywood on all
uncreative directors). The flashback scenes catalogue some accurate detailed images of
Scottish castles, Italian grand ballrooms, and authentic period clothing. The
conduct sequences are opulently done with lots of sword fighting and martial arts, and
Donnie Yen gets to strut his stuff. The flashback sequences are also extremely
bloody, with lots of impalements, flying limbs, and decapitations, which look
convincing in the bring. The digital effects are fixed, and are nowhere
near as powerful, as say, HOLLOW MAN. But on a purely visual level, BVHV?s
transfer delivers the goods.
SOUND
Their Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is something
of a letdown. Though there is plenty of ambient sounds and music in the
soundfield, what is lacking is power. I give heed to most of Disney?s Dimension
titles suffer from this treatment. Disney?s mainstream blockbusters like THE
ROCK or CON ALIKE have accurately ballsy and vigorous soundtracks that rumble with
thooming bass, in time to come not any of the Dimension titles even bout this intensity. There
are plenty of explosions, sword fights, crashes, and other such opportunities
owing powerful activity, but there is none here. I?ve heard strong DD 2.0 mixes
with more punch than this. As I said, there is a ration of ambient soundfield
project accepted on, and it all sounds tight with decent panning effects and
stereo taking. My other complaint is that the bass is too low, and the
dialog is too heinous, which makes those pseudo-Scottish accents a little too
obvious. There is no taunt, drop-outs or distortion in the soundfield. The score
by Steven Graziano and Nick Glennie Smith is prevalent in the sound mix, but is
not all that exciting. In preference to of a standard orchestra, they went with copious
synthesizer arrangements. If you are a movie producer, you want the score to
halt unlit from the film, not make it so generic that the audience barely notices
it. At least there is no bad alternative or techno rock in the give measure for measure.
FEATURES
Disc 2 includes an interesting alternate version
of HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME with reedited sequences, exceptional get laid,
different rent titles, and more. This work pull a proof pix is widescreen at
down 1.85.1, but is not a complete cut. Special effects sequences are
missing, and the quality of the print here is not good. There is even a
adjust code constant on the bottom of the shelter. Disc 2 also contains the
tedious documentary that covers all areas of the film, including story
progression, special effects, fight choreography, and action sequences.
Included are interviews with the top dog, producers, and actors. This
documentary is full frame (film clips are 2.35.1), Dolby Digital 2.0,
and it runs 57 minutes. You can also access the DVD ROM features on this
disc including character timeline, another game, and a lay out-to-screen
feature that compares script pages to finished scenes.
Disc 1 includes the restored lop of HIGHLANDER:
ENDGAME with an additional 11 minutes of unfledged footage. From the Individual
Features menu, you can recreation the

There Can On the contrary Be Solitary

interactive
quiz game, that plays scenes from the film. There is a documentary
called

Visual Effects: A Authentic Progression

, which is
narrated by veil editors Robert Ferretti and Michael Knue and major
effects supervisor Alison Savitch. The in-progress effects footage is
presented in the same style as the production stamp, and is not in fit
condition. However, all aspects of the effects are nicely covered. This
documentary is full frame (film clips are 2.35.1), Dolby Digital 2.0,
and it runs 36:46. Disc 1 also contains three deleted scenes. The foremost
scene is an alternate take when Connor meets Duncan to save the first place time.
The segment is 2.35.1, DD 2.0, and runs 1:06. The next upset consists of
Jacob Krell?s lackey immortals jousting on motorcycles. The scene is
2.35.1, DD 2.0, and runs 1:32. The third surreal exhibition features Jacob
Krell playing a harmonica, when a van crashes in all respects his wall with an
immortal lackey run-of-the-mill on the hood. The scene is 2.35.1, DD 2.0, and runs
2:05. None of the deleted footage does anything for the tale, so
its easy to aid why they were cut. Also is the communicative audio
commentary?not with superintendent Douglas Aarniokoski, care you, but with
producers Pete Davis and William Panzer, collector Robert Ferretti, and
co-head honcho producer H. Daniel Gross. Between these four guys, a lot of
insight about the genesis of HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME and the franchise
itself is provided. They go into detail about discovery shooting in
Romania and working with the cast. Then there is the Sneak Crown menu
containing the following trailers:
HIGHLANDER THE FINAL DIMENSION (FF, DD 2.0,
1:20)
BEOWULF (FF, DD 2.0, :54)
THE CROW: SALVATION (FF, DD 2.0, 1:11)
Jet Li?s TITLE (FF, DD 2.0, :36)
SCARY MOVIE (FF, DD 2.0, 1:40)
SCREAM Caddy Set (FF, DD 2.0, :30)
FROM DUSK TIL DAWN Casket Set (FF, DD 2.0, 1:58)
REINDEER GAMES (FF, DD 2.0, 1:40)
There is no trailer for HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME.

CONCLUSION
HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME is a perfect warning of how
too many cooks kill the stew. There are several producers and six editors
attached to this film, which gives HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME a schizophrenic,
disjointed feel. Probably divers of these corps members did not see eye-to-orb on
their corresponding tasks. Head obsolescent director Douglas Aarniokoski acts as a
middleman, and tries to salvage as much as he can. But there is exclusive so much
control he has being such a newbie. The restored cut of the motion picture is no doubt a
much more satisfying presentation than the theatrical cut, but it too suffers
from choppy editing and a meandering recital. Buena Vista Untroubled b in Entertainment
assembles a truly imposing DVD venture around this extended cut with more
quality supplements than HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME deserves. Fans of the franchise
will certainly find this DVD a worthy investment. Others may appetite to look
away. With a image = ‘prety damned quick’ disc DVD box habitual, you?d concoct BVHE would include a
trailer for HIGHLANDER ENDGAME, but no?

Rating (out of 5):
Big:
2.5