Oieee. Highlander 2. To abuse the original tag line for the film, “There can only be, several”.
This is an entry I wasn’t looking forward to writing, In fact, I don’t have to do – There has been plenty written and discussed about this film for years. It’s a shame Virginia Madsen put her name to this film, but I’ve never read her talk trash about it.
The TL:DR version is – This film is and was a mess from start to finish. Actors didn’t want to be there. The Producers didn’t want to make the film and the Film Company didn’t want them to make the film. So, a film nobody wanted to be in and nobody wanted to make. Great.
It makes the whole Dune thing look like plain sailing.
I can’t even give you a proper overview of the film as there are at least five different versions of this film that have made it into the Cinema, Home Release and broadcast on TV and they can vary wildly. I own three on DVD myself, the original release, the “Renegade” version which was a Director’s Cut meant to give the film back to the fans, and then the most recent “Highlander 2: The Quickening” (Special Edition) release which went back in to the Renegade version and updated the effects.
I can say this though. I don’t hate this film as much as others seem to do and have seen it several times over the years. I’m a fan of the whole Highlander franchise and although a lot of it is dated badly, now, it’s still worth a watch every so often.
I was a full- fledged fan of Virginia Madsen at the time this film came out. I was at the point where I’d follow her the best I could in the days before the internet. When I first heard she was going to be part of the sequel to one of my favourite films at the time I was pretty excited about it all.
I originally saw the movie in a less than legal way. It was a copy I’d got from god knows where but honestly wish I still had it for various reasons.
I’d later watch the movie again on an official UK release copy and be, confused.
You see, the copy I had seen earlier was very different to the one I watched properly.
And this would begin my education into the many different ways films can make it out of the Hollywood studios. It would be many years before I would see the version I saw originally, or at least parts of it, again as the “Renegade Version”.
The rough idea of the film in whatever guise is that Connor McCloud is now an old man. During his time since the original film he has become the saviour of Earth by helping erect an energy shield around the Earth, replacing the ozone layer which mankind had effectively destroyed (yes, it was made around that time).
Connor McCloud (a returning Christopher Lambert) along with the Shield Corporation where instrumental in gifting the world with the shield, Connor almost considered it part of his “prize” to save the world.
Unfortunately, bringing the shield online has plunged the planet into permanent darkness, the temperature and humidity of the planet has gotten to almost unbearable levels with no relief in sight.
But, all is not well with the World and many people blame the shield for the downfall of mankind in general. They resent the shield, and the people who made it, for everything it represents to them.
One faction led by “terrorist” Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen) believes that the Ozone layer has repaired itself and that the shield remains to make money for those that operate it. She leads a “terrorist” group hell bent on bringing down the Shield Corporation and bringing happiness and joy back to the world by letting them see the sky again.
At around the same time Louise is executing one of her terrorist plots a familiar face from Connors past comes back into his life, General Katana (a superbly hammy Micahel Ironside) – A man that Connor helped overthrow in a previous life. Katana has rebuilt and redoubled his efforts but is worried Connor will return to upset his plans once again.
This is where it gets a little sketchy. Katana, and Connor, are either from another planet, Zeist, or ancient Humans that time has forgot (Egyptians?)… So Katana is either transported (along with two of his, men) through space, or time, to get to Connor to stop Connor coming back to their home planet, or back in time to try and stop him for good.
With Katana back on the scene the whole “Game” from the first film is reset till “There is only one”.
Louise’s plan is a success and the terrorists scatter while they make their escape. Louise decides the best way she can escape is to confront Connor so she sets about tracking him down.
Which she does. Just in time for her to see Connor fight two of Katana’s, men, in the street, defeat them and revert back to his younger self.
This is enough for them to be driven into each other’s arms and set about saving the Earth from the Shield Corporation. Rameirez (Sean Connery) returns for some magical reason to help them in their quest. Evil is done, and defeated. The world is happy again. The end.
It’s weird, for as much hate and ridicule as the film has gotten over the years it really does seem to have something that makes people want to like it, or at least make it the best version of itself that it can be. Why else would they keep going back to it and tinkering with it. I mean it’s not in “Star Wars” territory for amendments made after release but it’s mad more than its fair go.
For VIrginia’s part, yeah – She does OK – It’s not the meatiest role for her to get her acting chops into, but once again there is very little to complain about in her doing her bit. Her character is likeable enough, a little chintzy in parts perhaps but I’ve no doubt that’s more down to the script than her ability.
She at least managed to have kind of fun on the set with her co-stars, when asked about the movie in a 2013 interview with AV Club as part of their (now defunct) “Random Roles” series she’d have this to say;
“Oh, my God, that was such a ridiculous movie. But I’ll tell you why I did that film. It’s funny because it was between me and Sharon Stone. Me and Sharon were up against each other for at least five movies. I would get one, she wouldn’t, and then she would get one and I wouldn’t. So, of course, she ended up winning the lottery, and I got Highlander II. [Laughs.] But I’ll tell you why I did that movie: I got to go to Argentina for three months and work with Sean Connery. That was my entire reasoning for doing that movie.
Oh, it was heaven. It was a great adventure. And I loved Christopher. He was such a sweet guy. He was a real bad boy in those days, but he wasn’t with me. He was very sweet, and it was wonderful to watch him work because the material was so silly, but he had so much action he had to do. I saw him work a 23-hour day one time, and he never complained.”
The film’s story or events are never, ever mentioned again in any of the subsequent Highlander follow ups and spin offs, not even Highlander 3 which positions itself as a sequel to the first film alone. I did wonder if they’d do *something* in Highlander: The Source to retcon it, but, no – Even that left the whole Zeist thing well alone.
I call this another great shame in Virginia’s career, the film could have and should have been so much more on the back of the success of the first HIghlander.
Availability:
Easy to find this one if you’re just after the Theatrical, Renegade of Quickening (Special Edition) version of the film. They are pretty much freely available on eBay and Amazon, especially if you have a region free DVD player so don’t have to worry about where your copy comes from.
The “Special Edition” re-release is basically the Renegade version with the effects retouched. It does have some interesting extras included on the second disc, including the ridiculous “Fairy Tale” ending that was shown in the UK Cinemas.
It’s probably the one you want to look out for the most, it’s the best version of the film we’re likely to get.
Streaming, not so much – At the time of writing no streaming service I could find is carrying a copy.
Obviously there are versions you’ve got little to no chance in getting hold of unless you manage to find a dodgy VHS somewhere of an illicit leaked recording, or one recorded off TV.
(And GOD DAMN do I wish I’d kept mine from all of those years ago!)
Gallery:
Trailer:
Renegade Version Trailer:
Other Links:
I mentioned above that a LOT has been written about this film, here are some of the – i want to say better, but not really – things and explorations into the whole Highlander 2 debacle.
JoBlo – WTF Happened to Highlander 2?
Den of Geek – What went wrong with Highlander 2
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