Highlander: The Source (2007) Movie Review
By Nix | February 24, 2007 (10:44 pm)
If you thought “Highlander 2: The Quickening” was astounding in its ability to be utterly incoherent and incomprehensible, wait until you get a load of “Highlander: The Source”, the fifth installment in the neverending franchise about immortal swordsmen determined to take each other’s heads so that the last man standing may become “the one”. Of course “the one” was supposed to have emerged at the end of 1986’s “Highlander”, with Christopher Lambert’s Connor Macleod bestowed the title. Supposedly. That was before the box office receipts came in. Enter 1991’s “Highlander 2: The Quickening”, where all that had come before was discarded in favor of a convoluted theory that posited the Immortals as having actually hailed from another planet, and given their immortality thanks to some form of punishment. I kid you not.
“The Quickening” was a disaster with fans, being equally dismissive of the original and basic human logic, but did prove that there was a fan base ready to lap out further “Highlander” adventures. This resulted in the creation of a syndicated action-adventure TV series, this time starring another Immortal named Duncan Macleod, played by Adrian Paul. The series proved a success, counting six full seasons and a failed spin-off among its accomplishments. With the series in mid-stream, “Highlander 3: The Sorcerer” continued the big screen adventures of Lambert’s Connor Macleod. To no one’s surprise, part three in the franchise jettisoned all the foolishness that had occurred in “The Quickening”, treating the previous sequel similar to how the musical Jackson family treats Black Sheep daughter LaToya — ignore it, never mention it, and maybe it’ll go away.
“Highlander” the series ended its 6-year run in 1998, and fans were ready for Duncan Macleod and star Adrian Paul to pick up his further adventurings on the big screen, supplanting Conner (and Lambert) as the movie’s #1 immortal. The much anticipated passing of the torch took place in 2000’s “Highlander: Endgame”, where Lambert’s Highlander was killed off to make room for Paul’s Highlander to assume the mantle of moviedom’s only Highlander. Alas, poor box office receipts, helped in no small part by a convoluted and terrible script, would seem to indicate that the franchise was headed for the junk heap. Then, years after “Endgame”, rumblings of a fifth “Highlander” film surfaced, one that would continue the big screen adventures of Duncan Macleod. And so, “Highlander: The Source” came to be…
On “The Source’s” official website, franchise producer Peter Davis refers to the version of “The Source” that I am reviewing today as “not the final producers’ version of the film”. But apparently it was a “final” enough version that the DVD was pressed and shipped to Russia, arriving as a Region 5 DVD before making its way to eBay, where a copy found its way into my DVD player for full price. (I’m so gullible.) So what exactly has five years of “Highlander” nothingness (the film having been completed late 2005) brought us? Sadly, I must say not a whole lot. In short: “Highlander: The Source” makes “The Quickening” look like a work of sheer genius. Yes, it is that bad. And yes, it will quickly put an end to “Highlander” as a viable franchise, because there will be no new fans generated from this latest installment, and it’s open to debate if even the hardcore fans will not jump ship.
“The Source” opens, according to the caption, somewhere in the near future, in Eastern Europe. (The dollar goes far in Eastern Europe, doncha know.) Duncan Macleod is a shell of his former self, taken to perching on building rooftops to watch what appears to be the fall of civilization. Well, the fall of civilization “somewhere in Eastern Europe”, anyway. It seems our Highlander is in a bit of a funk, his wife Anna (Thekla Reuten) having left him sometime ago for reasons she fails to divulge. Despondent, our Highlander spends his nights scoping potential crimes and pulling a Batman, except Adrian Paul is not the Adrian Paul of 1992, so the martial arts isn’t as crisp, the moves not as fast, and Paul not as badass.
Immortal business re-emerges in our hero’s life when an Immortal uncovers the secret location of The Source, the Holy Grail for Immortals, as it is believed to be the source of an Immortal’s immortality. (Hence the name, I would imagine.) But as with all good things, this very good thing is guarded by the appropriately named The Guardian (Cristian Solimeno), a wise-cracking, Jim Carrey wannabe who first appears like some nightmare out of Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator”, only to devolve into a bogeyman for the remainder of the film. And oh yeah, he’s really, really fast. I mean, literally. The guy moves like The Flash of comic book fame.
(Which is good news for those like myself still holding out for a Flash movie. If nothing else, at least we know that film technology has improved so much that the “speed” effect is quite cool and doable, even for a moderately budgeted film like “The Source”. Can you imagine what Hollywood dollars could pull off? But I’m digressing.)
Where was I? Oh, right. Duncan Macleod and his fellow Immortals, counting among them the legendary Methos (Peter Wingfield), rumored to be the oldest living Immortal (but apparently not, which we learn when the Guardian’s past is revealed), geek Reggie (Stephen Wight), who may be a Brit or a Scots judging by the accent, mortal ex-Watcher Joe Dawson (Jim Byrnes), whose Watcher organization has apparently been disbanded, and last but not least, church man Giovanni (Thom Fell). Being a man of the cloth, we know that poor Giovanni is destined to show a very unfavorable light of himself. Remember, having a self-righteous man of the cloth (especially one with Giovanni’s hair) in your movie is akin to having a child molester in your movie — sooner or later he’s bound to prove himself a bad dude to hang out with. It’s a Hollywood Screenwriting law, doncha know.
Suffice to say, Duncan is soon reunited with his wayward wife, they end up on an island somewhere, and apparently the cosmos are, literally, lining up. Now you would think such a never-before-seen (and nay, improbable) cosmological event would draw worldwide attention, but apparently not. It seems only Reggie and his computer is aware of it. Man, astrology in the “near future” sucks. In any case, the Guardian begins to pick the party off one by one, and for a while I was convinced that director Brett Leonard (“Man-Thing”) had convinced himself he was making a horror movie. But no, this is still a Highlander movie. Well, sort of.
It would probably not surprise you to learn that “Highlander: The Source” is a terribly tedious bore with few redeeming qualities. In fact, quite possibly the only reason one should even pay attention to the film’s plot as it meanders from one listless plot point to another is the sheer incoherence of the whole thing. How could a film made by professionals, and directed by a man who has over 11 motion pictures to his credit, be such an utterly confusing mess? Even at barely 90 minutes, “The Source” is a chore to sit through, perhaps saved only by its final 10 minutes or so, where the walls of even the thinnest shred of movie logic crumbles in a final, grand, and babbling duel between Duncan and the Guardian, where the two men run around at super speed. The whole thing actually looks even more absurd than it sounds.
Even the one element that you could always count on from the “Highlander” films — its action — has been reduced to tragically unconvincing by-the-numbers fight choreography. At its worst, even the TV series could get by with decent action thanks to star Adrian Paul’s physicality, and the fact that the man really did seem to know what he was doing with his hands, feet, and yes, sword. Not the case here. Paul has either forgotten all of his martial arts and sword training in the intervening 5 years between “Endgame” and “The Source”, or Leonard can’t shoot convincing swordplay to save his life. I’m betting on the latter, as it seems implausible that Adrian Paul could possibly have forgotten what goes into making a convincing swordfight after 6 years on the TV series. Then again, having a villain that runs around at super speed probably required Paul and the cast to “sword fight” with a green screen much of the time.
Still, there are deeper problems with “The Source” that Davis and company will not be able to fix no matter how long they work on this thing in post. First and foremost is the script by Mark Bradley and Stephen Watkins, which is, generously speaking, hopelessly beyond salvaging. As was the case with “Endgame”, much of “The Source” feels like an extended 2-hour TV episode, stitched together with episodic adventures that inevitably get wrapped up with a rushed ending. The film never gets off to a good start, with poor background on why the loss of Anna would affect Macleod so much, or at least, any more than Macleod’s past loves — and the man has had plenty. It doesn’t help that Paul and Reuten have no chemistry.
I can’t see fans of the “Highlander” franchise being very pleased with “The Source”. The unanimous reaction should be, “Five years of waiting (plus two more for production and post), and this is all we get?” According to Davis, his “producer’s version” will be different from the Russian version. A case of unjustified hope springing unfathomably eternal, perhaps? How much extra footage can he add, and how many scenes can be moved, or remove, that would improve on this version? The problem with “The Source” isn’t so much a lack of clarity, but a general, overwhelming feeling of lack of purpose coupled with unconvincing storytelling. The script is highly suspect, the direction by Brett Leonard is listless, and try as he might, and despite my fondness for the TV series, Adrian Paul just doesn’t have the look of a man who has been waiting 7 years to finally get the “Highlander” franchise back on its feet.
It’s dead, folks. Stick a sword in it and let’s call it a day. Maybe Hollywood can pull one of their superfluous “re-imaginings” on the franchise. And this time, maybe they can actually put a couple of brain cells together and make sure the sequels actually have a shred of credibility. Or, at the very lease, save the aliens for another movie.
(Note 9/17/07: IMDB.com’s listings for the film’s writers have changed. Parts of the review and the below credit listing reflects this.)
Brett Leonard (director) / Mark Bradley, Stephen Kelvin Watkins (screenplay)
CAST: Adrian Paul … Duncan MacLeod
Peter Wingfield … Methos
Thekla Reuten … Anna
Jim Byrnes … Joe Dawson
Thom Fell … Giovanni
Cristian Solimeno … The Guardian
Stephen Wight … Reggie
CLICK HERE FOR THE “HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE” IMAGES GALLERY
>>whoever owns this site is going to feel real stupid when the news story turns out complete bull 
thank you jason, atleast someone else out there has some common sense.. the movie DID get a pg-13 cut but ...
Oh how totally disappointing. I was so looking forward to another installment in this franchise (the story of which I love). Sad day indeed.
I know. The disappointment is doubly worst if you\’re a Highlander fan, which I am.
I laughed at your review, because it’s so right on target! I kept thinking “how is it possible that every actor can deliver such cheesy lines with a clear conscience?” All sense of reality and plausability was lost within the first few minutes of the movie. And what’s with that ending? The grand climax (excuse the pun) to the movie and franchise ends up being a naked embrace and a baby? And goodness me, the cheesy Peter-Pan flying by Adrian was icing on the cake. As a Christian, it really urks me that the only “Christian” character is portrayed as endlessly spouting relgious sounding things, and of course ends up being the most selfesh out of the whole cast. None of the characters were believable, the special effects money should have been put towards a good script too. I only watched this movie because it was free, but now I can’t help but saying “Can I have the 90 minutes of my life back please?” P.S. I agree about the Flash Movie. The way super hero movies are being revived, we may get our wish. Speaking of self-righteous religious stuff, are you good enough to go to heaven? Find out here: livingwaters.com/goodperson
Well I’d have to agree with this review pretty much completely. Though a great fan of the series I am not completely oblivious to the crappiness of pretty much everything related to “Highlander” but the crappiness of the Source is of a size and manner unimaginable. The previous movies (probably with exception to “The Quickening”) and the series were all definable as Highlander movies. All have something in common, that something that makes people want to watch. Now it seems that when making the Source it was decided upon to completely throw all these - good - qualities of the franchise out of the window. The whole movie looks a lot like a really bad post apocalyptic sifi vampire movie…while previously it had alsways had something mythical and mystical. Also instead of being primarily one against one throughout the whole movie - the Source features a “interesting” band of heroes. The group consists out of two main chracter types: irritating people and boring people. The computer nerd and cyber gay bishop and computer nerd are the irritating ones with the rest belonging to the boring category. Anna walks the line between the two; being utterly uninteresting she is mostly just boring but her extremely Dutch english accent makes her irritating as well. The story itself also features many bizarre and completely unnexpected twists; the oldest Immortal with his Larval body (all rather Star Warsy) and the Island inhabited by mentally handicapped mutated biker cannibals being two things that REALLy stand out. The ending is also extremely mind blowing with it’s CGI heavy “modern take on a fightscene” instead of the usual urban set classic swordfight we’ve become used to seeing in Highlander…oh yeah and did I forget to mention that besides all this it still manages to be EXTREMELY boring. That being said I advise everybody to watch this movie as I can’t imagine many people have ever experienced anything quite like this.
I am a fan in most cases. Even Endgame, I really enjoyed, Donnie Yen directing the action being the main reason. But from the looks of this flik I feel as if the series is on its way into the void. I remember as a teenager staying up late trying to catch the latest installment of Highlander the television series on USA Network. Now I am not sure if I wanna cough up the ends to buy the DVDs season by season (net fliks maybe). I do feel that if someone wanted to pump cash into the narrative, the game could go on forever, but I feel without a decent writer which the series and narrative have really never had, well maybe the first one was conceptually solid, the series id undoubtedly doomed. Aside from that, I still will watch almost any flik where heads get cut off and lighting comes out of the corpse.
David Abramowitz got his wish. He wanted season 6 to be post-apocalyptic and that would have been a very bad idea. These are two great things about the tv show:
1) It was present-day and dealt with world history on many occassions.
2) You identified or could understand the problems facing the characters even though we aren’t Immortals like Duncan McLeod and crew.
The problem with this movie is that it takes the entire franchise and throws it in the trash. Didn’t we learn our lesson from the 2nd movie? Why not let Gillian Horvath write and Adrian Paul direct a made for tv movie of Highlander, because it would have been better than this trash.
Good bye, Highlander, it was nice knowing you. Oh well, there is still the comic book series. Sigh.
I am a huge fan of the TV Series and I liked the original Movie. I totally agree that the second and third movies were horrible and best forgotten. Endgame was pretty bad too and (I haven’t seen it yet) but based on what I’ve seen and heard from the people involved, The Source will be dissappointing. Where I have a BIG problem with your review is the part where you blame David Abramowitz’ script. Please check your facts. He didn’t write this mess, he was called in to try and salvage it. The script that was produced has only small portions of David’s work. And as for Adrian having “lost” his martial arts talent, you couldn’t be more off. I saw him do a live demonstration a few months after filming was completed. Sure, he’s aged a few years as have we all, but his skills are even better than during the show and he looked quite fit. So, the final product may be crap, but it isn’t because of anything that David or Adrian could control. Keep your eye out for the Highlander Anime coming soon … that really was written by David.
It\’s not my job as a reviewer to put on a full-blown investigation to find out which screenwriter wrote which part of the script. If he didn\’t like what became of his script, he should have requested his name be taken off the movie. He didn\’t. If he\’s going to accept credit for the script, he\’s going to accept the blame for it, too. You can\’t have it both ways.
I am reviewing THE MOVIE. I am not reviewing THE WORLD OF ADRIAN PAUL. I can only review what I see, and from what I saw, the action, as a whole, was not very good. As I said in the review, I don\’t believe it was Paul\’s fault, but rather the director\’s inability to capture exciting action onscreen. I made that very clear in the review.
I’m very disappointed that The Powers That Be couldn’t have paid more attention to what fans want and have to offer. It’s not that hard!!!!
Even the fan-fic I write probably has better lines and plot.
The world was going through a very dark cycle when Immortals were born. There was slaughter and bloodshed making progress impossible.
Divine intervention was necessary to prevent extinction. Therefore when a candidate was killed, the body became changed with energy, heat and power. This was the birth of Immortals.
Now Immortals were born every year so there could never be only one. If there was, then mortals would be lost. The mortals and immortals both need each other. Also Immortals must do combat with the evil that exists and sometimes more powerful. All the mortals in the world could never hope to defeat this malevolence. The Immortals could never be, without being mortal first.
The Immortals were born to do this epic battle. Good verses Evil. It will never end or so we thought….
Go to the website and look for fanfic forum. Read The Truth in Justice and The Gathering Verdict for some real Highlander action.
The producers may just be having the last laugh after all. Highlander the source’s ‘final cut’ will probably be better than what has been justly reviewed here.Minutely.But good enough after this version to be accepted by fans. If the ‘final cut ‘ in september or october or whenever was the only version to be viewed by those interested, then it wouldn’t ever be considered palatable.
Now after this mess…anything thats better will be appreciated in a far greater manner than had the unreleased/remixed/rehashed been the only version to be released eventually.
There is footage of Scotland and other connecting flashbacks to balance things out, but not completely still. For the movie is/was intended to be shot as a trilogy. Much of the footage not used in this version is being used for continuation in the future films. The producers so confused as what to exclude from this version INTENTIONALLY released this version. They are clever people. More than you’d like to give them credit for after watching this version. But like I said before, whatever they show now will be digested a lot more easily.
Btw, there is Talk in the circles is also of a prequel - Highlander Genesis- to 1986’s original Highlander.
Ugh. What I don’t understand is why they’re even bothering. It’s not like the last few movies made any real money. I’m a HUGE fan of the original movie, and although I’ve thought each sequel was worse than the one before, I did grow to appreciate the series on many levels. However, the series reached it’s peak during the Horsemen Era and by the time season six stumbled along, was pretty much gasping it’s last breath. I thought “Endgame” was abysmal, and only rented it for Lambert and Wingfield. I haven’t seen any of the sequels in the theatre since “Five hundred years ago on the planet Zeist” scrolled across the screen in HL2 (I immediately got up and left the theatre, by the way… and did not rent it until the “Renegade Version” was released). I won’t pay good money to see “The Source” in the theatre either. I will rent it eventually, but only because Wingfield is in it.
Davis/Panzer have taken what was once a fantastic franchise and driven it so far into the muck that not even a new idea by Greg Widen himself could salvage it.
How tragic.
PLEASE, can we have a do-over and pretend this pile of crap was never made?
I loved the series. It was believable (I mean, once you accept the immortal line). That is, people talked, dealt with real issues, and the violence was very much off camera–the swordplay and martial arts were ART.
After the first five minutes of THE SOURCE, I was moaning and knew the rest would be puke. Blood pools, visuals of sliced and flying heads, explosions, fires and murkiness . . .like someone took cutting room floor footage of Blade Runner, Mad Max, Blade, Halloween, and anything else they found and stuck it together to try to make a film. Geez, my home movies are more compelling!
That stupid Mr Clean/Biker/Alien guardian nad his silent-film speedo-act was STUPID. The final”battle” was like a looney-tunes joke. The ending was dull, bland, and nowhere: all this so he could have a kid with a woman who is–what? The virgin Mary? How did her hair get braided WHILE the two guys were fighting?? What the hell is going on???
PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE-Panzer/Davis, quit taking drugs and erase this horrid horrid film–buy up and burn all copies. I will be happy to think it never existed. I want my HIGHLANDER back: the logical, clear, PLOT-DRIVEN, CHARACTER-DRIVEN Highlander. Not some FX budget fiasco with extras from previous sci-fi films all with the scripts from those films, trying to communicate in this one SORRY excuse for a film.
You OWE US fans–BIG TIME!!!!
Watched it. It sucked. Your review is right on the money. There is no more to be said.
I watched The Source on the SciFi channel and mourned the loss of a series that I have loved over the years. Even though the previous movies were certainly not Academy Award winner material, I still enjoyed them because of Lambert and then especially Adrian Paul. It was sad to watch the wonderful actors from the TV series reduced to this. Being ever optimistic, maybe the “birth” can bring back what we once enjoyed so. Adrian Paul is better than this.
Listen this movie wasn’t going to be just like the series or the first film. I actually liked it purley on the basis that the idea of the movie when I read it online sounded like crap. YES it was utimately corny, slow and short of gory at parts. But honestly movies 2-4 should have shown you that. what bothers me is that like ALL sci-fi movies it’s in a post apocolyptic world, dark, rape and pilage and of course they have to kill of at least ONE short of beloved character. I hope there is a sequel only because I hated how it ended. Then again you can’t play aging immortals-there is something wrong about that too.
I have been a huge fan of Adrian Paul since his debut as Duncan MacLeod, and I cannot fathom what he and the other talented actors were thinking in being a part of this silly production. The Source was truly a major disappointment.
The review is spot on. I’ve watched breakfast cereal commercials with better acting and more compelling scripts.
How hard up is Adrian Paul for money that he agreed to partake in this piece of crap? Highlander the Series wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but it was at least entertaining. And the episodes actually had plots! This movie just mashed together a bunch of disconnected scenes interspersed with incomprehensible mumbling.
Adrian Paul couldn’t act his way out of a wet paper sack and his performance in this latest piece of Davis/Panzer crap just proves it!!!!
Funny review. I watched it on SciFi, pretty mediocre, but there where some elements I liked. I disagree with the reviewer, as bad as this was I still think it better than Highlander II.
Your review was right on the money. Just one thing, the wife left because immortals can’t have children. that was the only thing I comprehended in the whole bloody thing. It was disgusting. I agree with the fan who wished it could be erased from her mind.
I loved the melancholy of Duncan McLeod, it made sense to the story.
Could we do like the “Dallas” series did? Duncan wakes up and it was all just a bad dream?
In the first movie the hart of the purist was captured. The TV show gave us an extension of the heroic character that sealed in a fan base across the planet. It had class, a distintfull style, a torcherd hero and a driving unknown force that required martial fortitude.
This one did not.
In both heroes a peace of ourselves was expressed. That good could win over evil and the audience would want to be that person, with that spirit, that skill and not bad looking to.
This one did not.
Lambert and Paul need not take a paycheck for less than the value that they, and those that enhanced the image, created. We as true fans know of the Sword Master and Martial Art training that Adrian has given a good part of his life to. Along with his dance ability we were captured to the image of a true ability.
This one did not.
My God, the screen play, how dark, how can you fight towards the light and then away from the light all in the same time. Let alone change the estranged wife’s hair styles. Some one needs to go back to video 101.
I believe if the original vision and talented developers were brought together we could have a “Highlander : The Resurrection” . But for now all we have is fans in tears.
If we have more, I am a fan, so I will view it “in hope” of taking part in the essence of fantasy SciFi.
PS : By the way all the planets revolve around the sun in the same direction.
This one did not.
Can I please have the two hours of my life back?
Being a diehard fan of the Highlander TV series, I was thrilled to learn this past weekend that a new Highlander movie was premiering on the Sci-Fi channel. I could not wait for the evening to come where I would get to watch my favorite Highlander characters in a new adventure. I popped the popcorn, dimmed the lights and got cozy on the couch and began what would later turn out to be a waste of two hours of my life.
The first fifteen minutes of the movie were odd and very dark but I remained optimistic that the plot was going to kick in at any moment. Another fifteen minutes pass and I remain confused and slowly begin to lose hope. Another fifteen minutes and I start debating whether or not to change the channel. Being a loyal fan, I decided that I would stick it out to the end because the end would have to explain everything, right? How wrong I was! The end, just like the rest of the movie, was a mess. Disjointed scenes, bad dialog, horrible plot, lack of chemistry between characters and screenplay inconsistencies are the phrases I use to summarize my wasted two hours.
I am extremely disappointed that these actors signed up for a project that ended up being so horrible. If their intention was to commit career suicide, I think they succeeded.
The previous comment made by JOHN summarizes a lot of the main problems with this movie quite well and if another Highlander movie does come around, I too will watch it in hopes of the Highlander fantasy being brought to life again.
How can the Tv series be so good, and all of these movies be so bad? Firefly made a great movie, and they only had one season.
The series was great because it was believable, you could believe that these people existed. The Source is a piece of junk that I think was made on a bet and released on a dare. A disjointed story, convoluted acting. I was so confused, and I KNOW these characters. I know thier backrounds, thier tendencies, their personalities. It is like they took all of that and just threw it in the trash. Unbelievably bad…….And this coming from one who owns all six seasons of the series……
I’m so disappointed by the source, I feel like rewriting it myself.
I watched THE SOURCE this evening with dismay and dispair.
The films and series have been a source of both entertainment and inspiration through the years. THE SOURCE did an injustice to what has come before but the fact that SOMETHING WAS FINALLY RELEASED after all these years is a wonderful sign.
Please use this poor start as a beginning for a continuation of that which was good — and just — and inspiring.
I eagerly anticipate what the future holds while remembering with fondness what has come before.
Highlander has sadly been dying a mortal’s slow death for years. If not for the few hardcore fans this franchise would have kicked off quite awhile ago. Davis and et.al. are just raping the leftovers.
I finally saw this movie last night at the expense of my time and the humiliation of my wife actually saying what is this crap and then going to bed. I actually sat through the rest. Ha!
Yes I get the point that the one is the child ‘the next messiah’ or what have you, here to save the world from itself.
OK and so what. You could reduce all that to a one minute trailer and end the franchise with more satisfaction than this unredeeming film.
I liked the series, and dare I say even the extended series film episode.
I can even see the culmination of the whole franchise in the birth of an immortal’s child who possesses the collective knowledge of mankind, but the execution of the idea was so abysmal as to be beyond even mentioning.
What the creators of Hilander need to do is develop an entire new character and supporting cast. Perhaps the Immortal woman that saved Duncan’s life when he was a boy. She would make a fantastic character which would have plenty of flashback history to choose from - after all she is over four to five thousand years old. While they are at it - go back to the original theme and story line from the show. Forget about all of the bizarre garbage that they had on the show
The review is dead on.I have never been more disappointed in my life. Panzer and Davis you guys SUCK, and seem to have forgotten what Highlander is all about and is. You have totally ruined Highlander. Its like you guys were drunk and on drugs when you wrote the script and put together this totally crappy movie. It looks and feels like no effort at all was used in making this movie, terriable confusing plots and sub plots that go nowhere and make no sense or even trying to. These are the worst effects and movie making I have ever seen period. Thank God it went direct to TV and not the movie thearte where not only I would of wasted my time like I did watching it on TV, but would of wasted my good hard earned money too! That actually is the only thing positive I can say about the Source, at least Panzer and Davis didn’t get another dime of my money and after this poor lack luster and piss poor effort they tried to pass off on all of us Highlander fans, they never will. You have insulted our intellegence and have F–Ked up making another Highlander movie, this being the worst. The scary thing is this is supposed to be the first installment of the trilogy. Let Highlander die in peace!
It’s unfortunate Mr. Paul, Mr. Wingfield, and Mr. Byrnes allowed themselves to be talked into making this film. It’s also unfortunate the three of them phoned in their performances - though even if they’d put their hearts into it the script was so utterly horrible, the greatest actors of our generation couldn’t have saved this movie. Cheesy effects can be overcome if it is apparent the actors are making an effort and having a good time — remember the original Dr. Who? heh
I think Peter Wingfield put his real attitude into his parting scene in The Source, and rightly so, which was probably why it was the most believable scene: “was hoping it would be me, but it’s you, you’re the best, everyone knows it…see ya, I’m outta here, don’t follow me or try to stop me…”
And now we have to accept this as the first installment of a new TRILOGY?
I think Ozzy said it best - or sang it best, back in the day: Please, no! No! God help me!
This was the gayest movie ever! wtf! don’t ever watch this movie i cant believe how bad it was! wow!
The official highlander site claimed that the movie is a trilogy. So Lets see what happens. If they are going to really keep their word. Secondly they should at leaset keep with the storyline, All of the Original films including the TV Series had Flashbacks they could have use those in such a dark film to reminence about happier times. And please kill the alien agenda. You have not come up with a good explanation for it yet.
THE VIEW OF THE PLANETS ALIGNMENT IS FROM “PLUTO”. NOT FROM EARTH. DAMN!! I REALLY THOUGHT THAT HIGHLANDER MOVIES IS ON PLANET EARTH!!
The movie was …well..but I really enjoyed some of the music..Where can I get the the music release for this??
I watched this movie and I liked some of it but IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MUCH BETTER!!! IT IS CHEAP AND LOOKS LIKE THEY RAN OUT OF MONEY!!! THEY SHOULD TO SEQUELS BUT MAKE THEM BETTER!!! THE STORYLINES FOR BOTH SOURCE AND ENDGAME WERE REALLY WELL WRITTEN AND WITH SUPER BUDGETS AND SUPER ACTION COULD HAVE BOTH BEEN GREAT MOVIES! AND THERE HAS TO BE CONNECTION BETWEEN ALL THE HIGHLANDER MOVIES!! IF THEY’RE GOING TO DO HIGHLANDER MOVIES, DO IT GOOD! PUT MORE ACTION TO GO WITH THE STORYLINES AND GET A GOOD BUDGET FOR IT!
They should reboot the Highlander franchise, much like what they’re going to do on Star Trek. No sense continuing the present series afer this crapfest.
Adrian Paul’s THE BREED was much better than this. And that movie was crap, too.
I give this movie a D- and only because I have been a fan in the past. I just hope people don’t actually go out and spend $$$ buying it. Spend it on some pizza and beer instead.
i simply don´t belive: it´s the first highlander movie that i could not watch… i simply got completely bored after 30 minutes and turned it off…
And believe me: i love the highlander films… i even liked the Quickening (mainly because of the fights and to see Ramirez again)… but i can´t decide if i will put the Highlander 5 dvd with the other four or if i burn it so it will not contaminate my collection…
BTW: loved your Review, i was felling guilty of not wacthing the wole movie so i googled reviews to see if the rest of the film was worth it, and your review ansered it for… the burning option is becoming all the more appealing now…
Man I just saw the movie and what a waste of 20.00. This is a slap in the face for every true highlander fan. If I was Adrian Paul I would slap myself in the face and really take a look at how bad my acting looked in this movie. The story-line made no since what so ever. As a highlaner fan it was very disspointing to watch a series you grew up loving turning into complete crap by this movie. Don’t even get me started on how dumb Duncan so called wife was in the movie.
We bought this piece of crap. As Anthony23 said ‘what a wast of 20.00. Does anyone know if Best Buy will refund your money and take this back. Maybe they can get a refund as well.
There can be only one worst movie of all time - and this is it.
Man what a disappointment… I actually risked it and bought the thing on a whim… What a mistake this was! Loved the series, in fact I plan on watching it all over again just to clear my head of the crap I just went through trying to figure out what was going on with this movie. It was like a bad acid trip!!!
Mickeal243: Take it to a resale store maybe you can re coupe some of your money, that is what I plan on doing tomorrow.
Series was top notch, first movie was very good, End Game was decent. This was a waste of time!
I just started watching this movie and havent gotten past the first scene and I feel im in for a pile of crap.
I have not been this disappointed since highlander 2. what are they thinking. now Duncan can be a father…PLEASE
This was the craziest highlander yet. they bring back all the characters from the series and this is what they do with it. how about Amanda we would have loved to see her in a movie, enough of your one true love, you have had too many. Adrain Paul and the others should have turned this mess down and told them to go back and give the fans what we deserve. There is so many ways they could have gone with this. after the torch was passed to Duncan from Connor we expected so much more. didn’t they learn from Highlander 2 and that waste, I own and have seen every highlander movie and television show,I could not sit through this nonsense.Please give us the Duncan back we all love and the writing and stoy line from the movies with Connor. Adrain.. do not ever agree to being part of this crap again, you deserve more and so do the HIGHLANDER FANS…..
YUK
i was flabbergasted i watched the movie today as soon as i saw momentum pictures were the ones behind the movie i feared the worst the plot was lost at the beginning no one explained what happened to duncan’s lover kate also i really liked the woman who played kate (lisa barbuscia) so i was dissapointed she wasn’t kept on or explain to me how had the world been driven into chaos the fighting was poor and they runied the quickening effect it was like a five year old had put the effect togther and what happened to the watchers why was there only joe left ? and what on earth was the gurdian it looked like a monster/caveman also what was with the lava black elder it was like the worst effect i’ve ever seen why not make him as a ghostly essnce cursed to walk the earth also when they showed the flashback to them searching for the source it was like the directors threw 5p on that effect they wrecked it for me finally what was with the ending yes duncan macloed can now have a child from a naked embrace in a blue beam and then the picture of an alien baby well they left a few things unanswered what happened to methos did he get away from the cannabils did the world go back to normal did they get out of the beam ? is he mortal now ? is the game over ? peter s davies and willam panzer need to be taken of production and a highly talented director and team need to be brought in and my other advice the only man who can take any set to the future and make it stick is george lucas star wars is a classic so why didn’t they use him after the highly sucessfull first film becuase let’s face it the quickening set was rubbish and so was the source they just lacked creativity finally the only way i can see highlander ever comeing back as a main film is for someone to throw the money behind it and get the best team avaible and buy a highly talented highlander with the martial skills and a beautiful woman to be his wife i believe that in the future the highlander films could be remade it’s a shame i’m a huge fan and i felt let down by the directors and finally i’d like to say to momentum pictures YOU SUCK for god sake do not get involed with highlander again becuase you are the worst team for producing films and you have literally killed one of the best action films with killer fight scenes and finally to the reviewer i agree with what you wrote but if you feel as strongly as me and that goes to every fan write to the film company’s ask them tell thme what you want in highlander and help to make it great again thanks also you really need to see the film it questions the basic standard of a film it questions how the cast could live with themselves and finally it takes the head of the films in the end and it’s true there could only be one HIGHLANDER 1
let me know if you think my comments above are accurate
I grew up watching the series. Huge fan. Collect the swords, movies, series. Absolutely love Highlander.
When I saw this, however, my heart broke. How could they destroy what years and years of building created. It left me so baffled. How did the earth get like that so quickly? It couldn’t have been that far off into the future if Joe was still around. Where was the depth of the characters that was created over the 6 season of the series? It felt like there was no connection for any of the characters. I was sadden that they killed of Joe so so easily and unsympathetically, as well as making it appear that it was the end for Methos as well (which I don’t believe since Methos is a surviver and I refuse to acknowledge the death of my favorite character). And Duncan? Normally I’d be cheering him on because he is such a boyscout and good guy. I didn’t even feel that for him. He felt like just some guy who didn’t care about anything. Thats what I liked about Duncan, he care too much sometimes. Oh woe is me, my wife left me. He had women that he love die and was less mopey about it than this woman. >.< no connection at all.
The graphics from the 90s were less cheesy than what was in this movie. The ending was just ridiculous. Did they just decided that the entire end be CGI? Hey I have a great idea, lets just not have any real acting and just CGI things in.
The only thing I liked was the fact Methos was in leather, though I miss his oversized sweaters.