Highlander
January 2001 Reviewed by: Doug Schneider Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Highlander’s managed to achieve what few films have -- a cult-like following. It’s hard to find an explanation for why certain films garner this type of reputation, but if I was to hazard a guess I would think that for starters, the film must have a unique and interesting story. If it has that, then it is easier to overlook whatever flaws the film may have (and this one certainly has plenty!). Case in point: James Cameron’s original Terminator -- it had a fraction of its sequel’s budget, but to me it was far more enjoyable.

Highlander takes place mainly in the present day, but relies on flashbacks that span centuries to tell its story. Christopher Lambert plays Connor MacLeod. It’s obvious from the beginning that he’s no ordinary man. Along with a few others, he has certain special powers. Sean Connery also makes another one of his regal appearances as, get this, Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez. (Connery’s overpowering and almost legendary presence can escalate any low-budget movie to new heights and he somehow manages to bring dignity to any unseemly effort.) His purpose in Highlander is to clue MacLeod into his immortality. MacLeod and Ramirez were alive almost 500 years ago and miraculously they still live today. While it’s great that these good guys are able to keep on living, the bad news is that the bad guys are equally immortal. MacLeod and Ramirez are charged with the responsibility of fighting them off. Far fetched? Yes, but keep in mind that this film is categorized as action/fantasy.

Highlander’s production values convey a low-budget effort (second clue: Christopher Lambert in a starring role -- he never does anything but low-rent movies). However, like Cameron’s Terminator, good direction and cinematography give this film a much higher-grade appearance. While they may not have had the money to rent the best actors, they had the story and production talent to pull it off and that’s why it works so well. It’s the kind of movie that allows you to suspend your disbelief and get caught up in the ridiculousness of it all. I love it!

Although plenty of good comments can be made about the film, there’s not much to be said about the technical details. A few extras are provided -- behind-the-scenes photos, commentary, and the requisite theatrical trailer -- but the real insult is in the sound and video. Picture quality is awful. Since I’ve never seen this film in the theater I have no reference in that regard; however, the quality of this DVD is simply atrocious. Detail is obscured amidst severe graininess, color looks about as good as regular cable-TV feed, digital artifacts are visible in abundance, and there’s a hazy quality to almost every scene. It’s the poorest-looking DVD I’ve ever seen. I suspect that they didn’t go anywhere near an original film to create it. What did they do? Dump it straight from laserdisc or tape?

The sound is mildly better, though overall it is still a mixed bag. There is decent clarity with reasonably deep, tight bass. Highs are extended, but are noticeably etched and steely. It doesn’t look like much care was taken to create a meaningful presentation here, and that’s surprising given the fact that it claims to have a THX certification. I thought that perhaps this was mastered during DVD's early years (and even so, it would still be classified as awful), but it wasn’t. It was released in 1999! There’s just no excuse for something this shoddy.

Highlander is a fun film, but fans will be disappointed by the poor quality of this release. If you really want to see it, rent it. Let’s hope that the studios will slate this one for a re-release some time in the near future. Maybe the next edition will be worth buying.

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