Film criticism is an often thankless position. Aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes boil down dozens of voices to a single number that audiences frequently ignore. However, the job does offer one incredible benefit; the ability to end a film’s lifespan with one expertly chosen line. The fatal blow dealt toHighlander II: The Quickeningcame in Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus section, which reads, “There should have been only one.”
It can behard to make a sequelout of something iconic. A cult hit can be even more difficult since the aspects that fans enjoy are rarely those that the studio intended. Ditching the original entry’s genre, writer, and canon will ensure that hardcore fans and newcomers will be similarly confused.Highlander IIis the product of creative professionals trying their best while its pursestring holders resolutely decapitate their work.
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What isHighlander II: The Quickeningabout?
Highlanderfollows the life of immortal Scottish warrior Connor MacLeod. In the first entry, Connor decapitated the legion of immortals who followed him and inherited the ultimate prize, mortality.Highlander IIditches almost all the canon of the first film to depict an entirely new story. The year is 2024. Connor has become old and frail while the world has fallen into disarray. Pollution destroyed the ozone layer in the 90s. Connor spearheaded the invention of a shield that saved Earth but left humanity in a dark, hot, sunless nightmare.The corrupt corporate ownerof the electromagnetic barrier holds protection from the sun hostage for large sums of cash, leading to a citizen rebellion. When the rebel leader asks Connor for help, he regains his immortality and leaps into action.
Like the first film,Highlander II: The Quickeningtells much of its story through flashbacks. The main story is about Connor fighting the corrupt system, but enemies from his past return to stop him. This film’s flashbacks invalidate much of the original narrative. It turns out that Connor and his mentor, Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, are aliensfrom a faraway planetcalled Zeist. Connor and Ramirez led a failed rebellion against Zeist’s corrupt leader, General Katana. Their punishment was being sent to Earth to live as immortals. As Connor prepares to fight another cruel dictator, Katana arrives on Earth to kill him. It’s a battle between aliens for the fate of the Earth.
Why isHighlander II: The Quickeningso poorly received?
Highlander IIis so confusing, bizarre, and compelling that it borders on experimental genre filmmaking. Unfortunately, instead of being meticulously crafted by a deranged artistic genius, itwas stitched together likeFrankenstein’s monster by profit-obsessed suits. The rights toHighlander IIwere split across at least six distribution companies, each handling one or more countries. The production was a disaster. It was shot in Argentina, where hyperinflation and a resulting series of protest actions and justifiable rioting left the economy in shambles. During the shooting, stars Christopher Lambert and Michael Ironsides were injured. After all that work and suffering, the film was butchered.
Director Russell Mulcahy reports that the film’s failure is the faultof the film’s investorsand completion bond company. The pursestring holders and accountants pushed the creatives out of the project to make massive changes to the story. They chose to abandon the canon and add absurd details. Mulcahy reportedly walked out of the premiere, disgusted with the beast that had been made of his film. Four years after the theatrical release, Mulcahy put out theRenegade Version.This director’s cut completelyre-edited the film, cut scenes, added new ones, and delivered a more comprehensible product. It’s still a mess, but it makes some sense. Both versions are worth watching. The original cut is a hilarious reminder of why investors shouldn’t make films, and theRenegade Versionis moderately enjoyable.
Are there moreHighlandermovies?
Shockingly,The Quickeningdidn’t end this franchise. It was evidently not enough to decapitate the otherwise invulnerable series.Highlander: The Seriescame shortly afterThe Quickening, retaining most of the original film’s canon while adding many new details.Highlander III: The Sorcerercontradicts the plot of the second entry, effectively erasing it from the franchise. The fourth and fifth entries,EndgameandThe Source, were continuations of the TV series narrative. Both were failures box office and were widely despised by critics.Highlanderinspired a cartoon, a short-lived spin-off, and a web series. The two disastrous films haveleft the franchise in limbofor 16 years.
Highlander II: The Quickeningis a hilarious messworth watching with friends. The plot doesn’t make sense, the action is comical, the production design is good enough to be confusing, and the franchise moved on as if it never happened. Defenders ofThe Quickeningwill argue that the film isn’t as bad as it’s been made out to be. It should be celebrated for its lack of quality. Wear that 0% as a badge of honor.
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