The Highlander movies have been nothing but an endless stream of disappointments since the first, fantastic film. When the critically acclaimed television version of the franchise ended and was transitioned into feature films, some of us had hope that we might finally get another good Highlander movie. The show was amazing, Adrian Paul was to take over from Christopher Lambert and bring everything that the TV show had right and the movies had wrong to cinema.
Instead what happened was Adrian Paul was slid right into the movie formula that had already failed time and again with Christopher Lambert. The greatness of the TV show as forgotten, in favor of continuing onward with more crap. It’s downright depressing.
Somehow though, the franchise limps onward. Even though no one but me saw the last movie Endgame, they’re squeezing out another one with Adrian Paul in the lead, and calling it Highlander: The Source. Right now IMDB says it’s slated for a February release, but whether it’ll actually get a theatrical run or end up relegated to direct-to-DVD is anyone’s guess. Lionsgate is backing it, but there’s nothing on Lionsgate’s press site about a February release, or even the film’s existence. No one seems really to know what’s happening with the film, and worse few seem to care. It’s hard to be a Highlander fan these days. I’m a recovering fan, but I’d like to be able to give The Source a chance.
Sadly, I have nothing to go on. They’ve only now gotten around to releasing a trailer for the movie, and the only format they’ve made it available in is grainy video hosted through YouTube. It’s not even a real trailer, instead it looks like they’ve just snipped off the beginning of the film and flopped it out on the internet.
Is it any good? I couldn’t tell, it’s dark and the video quality just isn’t good enough. See for yourself, by clicking play and watching it below:
Alright, you’ve watched it. Kind of incomprehensible right? Here’s the film’s full plot synopsis. Maybe this will help make sense of it:
“The world is falling into chaos. As he roams a crumbling city, Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander, remembers happier times before the love of his life left... Hopeless and alone, MacLeod finds his way to a band of immortal companions, including his mysterious friend Methos, and a mortal, Watcher Joe Dawson. Together this small group sets out on a quest to find the origin of the first Immortal and The Source of their immortality.”
As a fan of the series, that sounds closer to what I was looking for from Endgame. Closer to the sensibility of the trailer, with Duncan as a tragic figure mourning for lost loves and better times. But part of the genius of the series was that it was rooted in relatable, modern times. The Sci-Fi element was kept to an minimum in favor of exploring the emotional trauma Duncan was going through. Futuristic dystopias may ruin all of that… again.
