4.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.4 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
The year is 2024, and the population of Earth are under the impression that the ozone layer has been totally depleted. Former Immortal Connor MacLeod is now an old man, reviled by the media for his part in the construction of a protective shield, which is now in the hands of a corrupt corporation. However, when a batch of evil new Immortals arrive on the planet, McCleod's powers are magically restored, and - with the help of his resurrected mentor Ramirez - he sets out to see if the ozone layer really has been destroyed...
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Virginia Madsen, Michael Ironside, John C. McGinleyAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 60% |
Fantasy | 33% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.42:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
If you’re a typical Blu-ray fan, you probably have your own wish list of classic films (or at least classic to you) that you’re still waiting for to be released in high definition. While we’ve been incredibly lucky over the past couple of years especially to get some wonderful releases of catalog product (by Warner especially, a studio which deserves the home video connoisseur’s eternal gratitude), there are still a staggering number of great films which haven’t seen the Blu-ray light of day. And yet we get Highlander 2. This film was so bad that upon its initial release both director Russell Mulcahy and star Christopher Lambert disavowed it, and it has the rare distinction of earning the coveted 0% score at Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been put through the looking glass at least twice since its initial, doomed theatrical release, being heavily redacted and reedited to try to make a semblance of sense, which is not to say entertaining sense, out of it. It’s still a laughably bad piece of crap, to use a technical term, and though the special effects were upgraded for this 2004 re-edit, no amount of upgrade, other than a complete head to toe re-do, could help this sad excuse for a sequel, one which is beyond ripe for a Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. At least that would be entertaining.
I can see incoherence from my box seat.
Highlander 2 benefits from a substantial digital upgrade it received in 2004, and this Blu-ray's AVC encoded 1080p image (in 2.42:1) also does very well with the shiny new and improved special effects. While the CGI elements look sharp as a tack, often with bristling bright color, unfortunately the bulk of the rest of the film has a low budget, low contrast softness to it that robs a lot of the film of fine detail. This is an intentionally dark film, with even supposedly outdoor scenes bathed in shadows, and because of inconsistent contrast and black levels, there can be a tendency toward murkiness. Much like the film itself (and actually the video quality of the first Highlander), this is a maddeningly schizoid looking Blu-ray. Some of the close-ups are filled with excellent fine detail and beautifully saturated color. Some of the Blade Runner-light production design looks distressingly soft, especially in establishing shots, as does the matte painting that introduces what was in the original version the planet of Katana. This is a cup half empty, half full sort of outing, and your response to this Blu-ray's image quality will probably depend squarely on how fondly you think of the film to begin with.
Highlander 2 has a very good lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that amps the film up considerably, at least from an audio perspective. Filled with excellently immersive sound effects and an appealing score by Stewart Copeland (not to mention source cues from imposing figures like Richard Wagner), Highlander 2's mix is fairly aggressive, positioning lots of discrete effects quite effectively around the soundfield. These can be subtle, as in the case of lapping water in the river around "Shield Control," or more blatant, as in the overwhelming static electricity noises that accompany MacLeod's absorption of other immortals' essences. Dialogue is crisp and clear and well mixed, though here directionality is somewhat lacking. There are a couple of inartful sound effects edits which I assume are a result of the massive tinkering this film underwent after its disastrous initial release. But the track itself is sterling, with excellent fidelity and impressive dynamic range.
It's a rare release where the extras significantly outshine the main feature, but that is certainly more than the case with Highlander 2, even though all of the supplements are in standard definition.
Need a good laugh? Highlander 2 may be just the ticket, but even from that angle it's an iffy proposition. The best thing about this Blu-ray is the supplemental package, especially the main documentary on this franchise's tortured history. Now that's entertainment.
2000
2006-2010
2012
2019
2007
Limited Edition
2011
2008
2018
2003
Director's Cut
1986
2007
2022
2011
2009
2001
1992
Extended Cut
1994
1978
Z Edition
2009
1971