7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Connor MacLeod is one of a waning few survivors of a clan of immortals. They have been fighting each other for centuries in the quest to be the last one standing.
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown, Sean Connery, Beatie EdneyAction | 100% |
Adventure | 35% |
Fantasy | 14% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Russell Mulcahy’s classic adventure picture “Highlander” (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc is a long documentary, an interview with Christopher Lambert and a Feature commentary with Director Russel Mulcahy. The film and all of the supplemental features are perfectly playable on Region-A hardware.
War times
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Russell Mulcahy's Highlander arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
I am very pleased with Optimum's transfer. Contrast is very strong, clarity terrific and detail about as good as I hoped it would be. The color-scheme is also surprisingly strong – reds, blues, greens, browns, blacks and whites are stable and natural-looking. Furthermore, with the exception of a few selected scenes where a bit of noise filtering has been applied, the transfer conveys plenty of healthy film grain. The daylight scenes in particular look quite strong. I did notice a bit of edge-enhancement popping up here and there, particularly during the first half of the film – most notably when Sean Connery's character, Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, first appears - but, overall, this transfer is undoubtedly a serious upgrade over practically every single release of the film that I have seen during the years. This being said, I noticed a few tiny specks on the print, but dirt, debris, or major scratches are nowhere to be seen. All in all, given how poorly Highlander was treated on DVD, this Blu-ray release will certainly make fans of the film quite happy. (Note: Even though the disc has been marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region A/B. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your North American PS3 or SA without a problem. You could also set up the main menu in one of the following languages: English, Portuguese, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, or Swedish).
There are a number of different audio tracks on this Blu-ray release - English Surround DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish Mono DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Portuguese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.
Though many would probably conclude that the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is average at best, I would like to state that it is in fact very good. If you have the old Anchor Bay edition of Highlander (the one with the metal case), I urge you to do a quick comparison with the Blu-ray disc when you get a chance - there are notable improvements on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track in terms of balance and fidelity. Additionally, Freddie Mercury's voice is a lot clearer and I definitely did not detect the high-frequency distortions that I hear on the DVD. This is not to say that the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is flawless – treble certainly could have been improved – but it is without a doubt very pleasing.
I did a few random comparisons with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Well, just as I was not impressed with all those DTS tracks different companies put on different DVD editions of the film, I am not overly impressed with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Simply put, there is something very artificial about it - there is no depth in it, though the dynamic amplitude is obviously better. The dialog on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is as crisp and clear as it is on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. For the record, Optimum Entertainment have provided optional English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Japanese subtitles for the main feature.
Highlander Documentary – divided in three chapters ("A Legend is Born", "The Visual Style", and "A Strong Woman") this rather long documentary focuses on the production history of the film, its success and legacy. A number of cast and crew members share their thoughts and recollections. With optional German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Japanese subtitles (480/60i, 85 min).
Christopher Lambert Interview – the actor talks about his character and what it meant to him to be part of the film. In French with optional English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Japanese subtitles. (480/60i, 9 min).
Deleted scenes – the producers of the disc have included five scenes that are not available on the final version of the film. Because there was no audio for these scenes, they are offered with a musical accompaniment. (1080p, 6 min).
Feature commentary with Director Russel Mulcahy – I've listened to this commentary a number of times and even though it is quite informative, I personally never warmed up to it. If you are interested in hearing more about the history of the film, you should certainly listen to it. However, I personally like the old commentary with Peter Davis and William Panzer better.
Trailer- (1080p, 3 min).
I am very pleased with Optimum Home Entertainment's Blu-ray disc. After their terrific Hardware release, we now have a solid upgrade for Highlander. I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a trend - as little noise reduction and as much natural grain for older films arriving on Blu-ray as possible. I cannot wait to see how their August/September catalog releases would look. Recommended.
1986
1986
Collector's Edition
1986
30th Anniversary Edition
1986
Immortal Edition
1986
2015
Uncut
1984
2010
2012
2009
Extended Edition
2012
2011-2019
Extended UK Cut
1982
Director's Cut
2007
Cut Version
2011
2007
2014
2014
2002
2017
2018
2022
Mastered In 4K
2014
2016
1985