Hopefully, this series of films isn't immortal (Highlander - Endgame (DVD))

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Highlander - Endgame (DVD)
Date:	23/09/08 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fight choreography

Disadvantages: Everything else

I have seen the first two Highlander films, but avoided the third after a disappointing show in the second film, in my view. The Highlander TV series featured Duncan MacLeod, a relative of Christopher Lambert's character Connor in the Highlander films. When I saw an advert for Highlander: Endgame, featuring Connor and Duncan and promising to put the series to rest once and for all with a great tale of two of the clan MacLeod fighting for the Prize, I was intrigued, and against my better wishes, had to watch it.

The film is rather more fantastical than the two I saw. My disappointment with Highlander 2 was the transformation from an intriguing fantasy film to a cheap and tacky sci-fi film. Endgame crosses the two, but keeps it firmly on a modern track, with better special effects than before, and with the welcome inclusion of another MacLeod.

Sadly, by this point, Christopher Lambert looks much older and his acting seems to have deteriorated somewhat. He was never a great character actor, more being thrown into some action roles and being told to look menacing. Here, in Endgame, the two clanbrothers fight for the same goal, to rid the World of evil and ensure its safety and that the last immortal on Earth shall not be the evil Kell, who has abused his power and become too powerful for anyone else.

The plot does seem a bit far fetched, and watching it, I wondered what the point was, to be honest. The fighting choreography was impressive for the majority of the film, and it had a little Hollywood sparkle with the love interest of Lisa Barbuscia lending a bit oif glamour to the occasion. Bruce Payne is distinctly unthreatening as Kell, although he wields a sword pretty well and seems to have everyone but the MacLeods at his beck and call. Lambert is wooden and luckily takes a back role, as the main role is really taken by Adrian Paul as Duncan. The actor showed with the TV series that he can do the job, but when it is transferred onto the big screen, he flounders a little.

I think the majority of the disappointment for me here is in the direction. Doyglas Aarniokoski doesn't really grab the bull by the horns following the bad press of the 2nd and 3rd films of the series, and so needed to go all out on this one. However, he hasn't and this limits his cast and crew somewhat. I'm sure he's not all at fault here, as the producers and writers and whoever else is pulling the strings must also be held accountable, but even the worst plot scripts can be turned around with good direction, and I didn't see it here.

Overall, although the film gets a thumbs down from me, the fight choreography was memorable, and I was impressed by it. The rest of the film, though, held little value for me, and the fight scenes aren't enough to drag it up from 1 star to 2. I only watched it because I held out hope for an improvement from what I had seen before. I was disappointed once more, and won't be watching another one if it happens.

Summary: Not a good film