Highlander: The Source had in retrospect a fairly easy task, in satisfying Highlander fans. This task was to be better than the sequel’s we’ve had thus far. Easy? You’d think so, given the sheer ass that were 2-4. So with such an easy benchmark, to gain minimum enjoyment, did the fifth instalment manage to pass the challenge? Did it fuck!
Unfortunately, Highlander: The Source is a big pile of turd, steaming its way into your head, leaving you with a pounding headache, and desire to cleanse your eyes with drain cleaner. We might have expected slightly more with Brett Leonard at the helm (only slightly more though after his apex of Virtuosity and Lawnmower Man) but the film is poorly made in almost all aspects. Taking its inspiration from the Matrix, and Del Torro’s Blade 2, The Source ends up a cheap looking imitation of better films, stealing visual inspiration, and plotlines from said films.
The plot here is minimal and constructed as if by a partially sighted artist with a penchant for the abstract. Also it takes an opening 15 minutes of vacant (or the old “I’m deep in thought”) stares into the distance, before the plot kicks in. Basically it makes no sense. Immortal’s aren’t interested in cutting each others heads off anymore, they are interested in finding “the source.” I thought in the boring Matrix sequels, with all their rambling’s about “the source” that I’d had my fill of “the source” but nope, “the source” is back here, with a vengeance. You may be feeling slight annoyance at my repetition of “the source” and if so, you’d better not watch this film. Quite what it is, is never fully explained, and when it finally is revealed, only in slight, and to immense disappointment, it leaves no satisfaction. Sitting through the whole film to be fed a piss-poor, half assed, semi-explanation leaves you finally knowing (if you didn’t know already) what it’s like to be raped up the backside by a DVD shaped cock!
The trouble here is that alongside all this endless bollocks about “the source” (last time I mention it I swear!) the characters are all so: A- Dull or B- Annoying. Amongst our support cast is a camp annoying priest, an annoying cockney idiot and MacLeod’s dull and not that hot, wife. The film also features the worst bad guy ever, and I mean ever. Initially seen as a kind of creature, in the background, known only as the Guardian (who must stop the immortal’s finding that which I shall not mention again), he suddenly loses all his mystery and ends up being a really campy, really annoying villain. Part Ferrell in Zoolander, part Deacon Frost in Blade, and part Kurgan from the first Highlander film. 100% twat! At one point the Guardian sings the line “who wants to live forever” to its Queen tune no less. Indeed the film on its soundtrack delivers us terrible re-workings of Who Wants To Live Forever, and Princes of The Universe (in truth this was one of Queen’s weakest songs ever, but made infinitely more crap here). As for Macleod played by Adrian Paul, well Paul is by far the best actor in the film. Take that as you will. He’s not too bad here though.
As for the action: It’s almost entirely terrible. Aping the Matrix, and Blade with substandard choreography, very little flair, and a monkey at the control’s in the editing suite. Every action scene featuring the Guardian is also dire, because being a super villain, he has to appear super, requiring some atrocious effects to help give the appearance of superness (just invented that word, yes!). The final battle sequence is amongst the worst fight scenes ever committed to film, and that’s the truth. The film has awful CGI. Now I’m one of those CGI dislikers, but I do accept that it can be used well, and at times is the only option to capture certain things. However when it’s not given the time or money, or skill, to look decent, it’s most certainly a hindrance. There’s all too much CGI here, and it’s crud.
To best sum up this film it’s very reminiscent of those Star Wars fan films, if you’ve seen them, just very amateurish, and with no originality. There’s certainly a passion there to make something good, to honour the legacy of the Highlander films, but without the skill, or the at the very least a half decent story to tell. The first Highlander film was great, a cult film that had a simple story that began and should have ended in 86. The plot closed, completely, the story, or immortal’s battling through the ages, till one remained, was finished, cause one remained, and he was no longer an immortal (incidentally, the closer the immortal’s get to that which shall not be mentioned, the weaker they get, until they lose their immortality, for no apparent reason!). Highlander was ahead of its time in many regards. Visually it was brilliant with those superb swooping camera shots, and phenomenal scene transitions, not to mention Queen, Michael Kamen’s career best musical score (IMO- just listen to the glorious Highlander theme) and of course Lambert, Connery and Brown (as the Kurgan). Each film, and TV show since has as such had to scrape the barrel to think up plotlines, seeing as how the first film closed the book so firmly. Well the bottom of the barrel has been scraped away, and the writers here clearly scraped away at the poop underneath the barrel to come up with this drivel. Highlander: The Source’s only saving grace is the score by George Kallis. It’s good, interesting and even at times elevates what’s on screen. It’s no Kamen masterpiece, but it’s still good, especially compared to the general direct to video (2 days on a casio) standard.
Sadly this pointless sequel has little to recommend. I can only hope that given the length of time until its major US release on DVD, the film is tweaked, effects shots improved, and maybe some re-shoots or re-edits done. I think though that this is the stone clad final version that the world will be punished with. Oh the pain, I now want to watch Highlander 2 again, god bless Michael Ironside!
Unfortunately, Highlander: The Source is a big pile of turd, steaming its way into your head, leaving you with a pounding headache, and desire to cleanse your eyes with drain cleaner. We might have expected slightly more with Brett Leonard at the helm (only slightly more though after his apex of Virtuosity and Lawnmower Man) but the film is poorly made in almost all aspects. Taking its inspiration from the Matrix, and Del Torro’s Blade 2, The Source ends up a cheap looking imitation of better films, stealing visual inspiration, and plotlines from said films.
The plot here is minimal and constructed as if by a partially sighted artist with a penchant for the abstract. Also it takes an opening 15 minutes of vacant (or the old “I’m deep in thought”) stares into the distance, before the plot kicks in. Basically it makes no sense. Immortal’s aren’t interested in cutting each others heads off anymore, they are interested in finding “the source.” I thought in the boring Matrix sequels, with all their rambling’s about “the source” that I’d had my fill of “the source” but nope, “the source” is back here, with a vengeance. You may be feeling slight annoyance at my repetition of “the source” and if so, you’d better not watch this film. Quite what it is, is never fully explained, and when it finally is revealed, only in slight, and to immense disappointment, it leaves no satisfaction. Sitting through the whole film to be fed a piss-poor, half assed, semi-explanation leaves you finally knowing (if you didn’t know already) what it’s like to be raped up the backside by a DVD shaped cock!
The trouble here is that alongside all this endless bollocks about “the source” (last time I mention it I swear!) the characters are all so: A- Dull or B- Annoying. Amongst our support cast is a camp annoying priest, an annoying cockney idiot and MacLeod’s dull and not that hot, wife. The film also features the worst bad guy ever, and I mean ever. Initially seen as a kind of creature, in the background, known only as the Guardian (who must stop the immortal’s finding that which I shall not mention again), he suddenly loses all his mystery and ends up being a really campy, really annoying villain. Part Ferrell in Zoolander, part Deacon Frost in Blade, and part Kurgan from the first Highlander film. 100% twat! At one point the Guardian sings the line “who wants to live forever” to its Queen tune no less. Indeed the film on its soundtrack delivers us terrible re-workings of Who Wants To Live Forever, and Princes of The Universe (in truth this was one of Queen’s weakest songs ever, but made infinitely more crap here). As for Macleod played by Adrian Paul, well Paul is by far the best actor in the film. Take that as you will. He’s not too bad here though.
As for the action: It’s almost entirely terrible. Aping the Matrix, and Blade with substandard choreography, very little flair, and a monkey at the control’s in the editing suite. Every action scene featuring the Guardian is also dire, because being a super villain, he has to appear super, requiring some atrocious effects to help give the appearance of superness (just invented that word, yes!). The final battle sequence is amongst the worst fight scenes ever committed to film, and that’s the truth. The film has awful CGI. Now I’m one of those CGI dislikers, but I do accept that it can be used well, and at times is the only option to capture certain things. However when it’s not given the time or money, or skill, to look decent, it’s most certainly a hindrance. There’s all too much CGI here, and it’s crud.
To best sum up this film it’s very reminiscent of those Star Wars fan films, if you’ve seen them, just very amateurish, and with no originality. There’s certainly a passion there to make something good, to honour the legacy of the Highlander films, but without the skill, or the at the very least a half decent story to tell. The first Highlander film was great, a cult film that had a simple story that began and should have ended in 86. The plot closed, completely, the story, or immortal’s battling through the ages, till one remained, was finished, cause one remained, and he was no longer an immortal (incidentally, the closer the immortal’s get to that which shall not be mentioned, the weaker they get, until they lose their immortality, for no apparent reason!). Highlander was ahead of its time in many regards. Visually it was brilliant with those superb swooping camera shots, and phenomenal scene transitions, not to mention Queen, Michael Kamen’s career best musical score (IMO- just listen to the glorious Highlander theme) and of course Lambert, Connery and Brown (as the Kurgan). Each film, and TV show since has as such had to scrape the barrel to think up plotlines, seeing as how the first film closed the book so firmly. Well the bottom of the barrel has been scraped away, and the writers here clearly scraped away at the poop underneath the barrel to come up with this drivel. Highlander: The Source’s only saving grace is the score by George Kallis. It’s good, interesting and even at times elevates what’s on screen. It’s no Kamen masterpiece, but it’s still good, especially compared to the general direct to video (2 days on a casio) standard.
Sadly this pointless sequel has little to recommend. I can only hope that given the length of time until its major US release on DVD, the film is tweaked, effects shots improved, and maybe some re-shoots or re-edits done. I think though that this is the stone clad final version that the world will be punished with. Oh the pain, I now want to watch Highlander 2 again, god bless Michael Ironside!
