Highlander (1986)

Highlander (1986)

6/10

Starring

Christopher Lambert

Roxanne Hart

Clancy Brown

Sean Connery

Directed by Russell Mulcahy

I watched the first three Highlander movies when I was younger, and revisiting them now has helped me separate them in my memory. I only enjoyed one of them, while the rest felt like a snooze fest. The franchise’s iconic line, “there can be only one,” feels fitting because there’s really only one movie in the series worth watching—and it’s this one.

With a simple (though not exactly elegant) story and a committed cast, Highlander is an entertaining movie to watch and remember for its cool concept. If ever there was a movie that needed a reboot to fix the clumsy storytelling and the mess of sequels, it’s this one.

The plot revolves around immortals locked in an age-old battle spanning millennia. The story focuses on Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), the lead character, and highlights moments from his long life as he survives across centuries up to the present day—or, rather, 1985. This year holds significance as the immortals are destined to gather and fight until only one remains.

Connor, also known as the Highlander, is of Scottish descent and hails from the Highlands in 1536 AD. His clan was at war with another when a Kurgan—a warrior from a brutal race—joined the enemy side in hopes of killing Connor for “the Prize.” During this battle, Connor was stabbed by the Kurgan, who attempted to behead him but was interrupted and chased away. Although Connor died, he miraculously woke up the next day, fully healed.

His clan turned against him, believing he was possessed by the devil, and banished him. It was then that Connor met Ramirez, a flamboyant swordsman and fellow immortal, who taught him the rules of immortality. Immortals can only die if their heads are cut off, and they are destined to battle one another until only one remains.

Fast forward to 1985, and Connor is living in New York as an antique dealer. After attending a wrestling match, he is attacked by another immortal. Connor defeats and beheads his attacker, but as he flees the scene in his car, he is arrested by the police. Meanwhile, the Kurgan is also in New York, hunting Connor to claim the Prize and become the last immortal.

The movie is fun, though the sword fights are average at best. The concept is solid, but the way the story ends suggests sequels weren’t originally planned. However, as the series continued, they changed and expanded the lore of the immortals, introducing new powers and rules to justify numerous sequels. Unfortunately, these additions diluted the original charm.

Watch this first movie and skip the rest.