Review of Highlander (1986) by Sean L — 18 Oct 2011
Like a walking, talking cliche, this is a quintessentially bad '80s blockbuster; loaded with lousy dialog, telegraphed twists and cheesy, overproduced fight sequences, it's a nonstop parade of nimiety.
That's not to say it's without allure - in fact, the terribly dated references to the era's pop culture and filmmaking techniques are half the fun of sitting down with it today. The world was a completely different place thirty years ago, and though we're doing so through a set of decidedly rose-tinted goggles, it's fun to look back on it in this way.
Plus, buried beneath the film's sillier superficial aspects is a startlingly bright, thoughtful basic plot line dealing with love, loss and the kind of cold, calm emotional distance that any combination of the two will inevitable produce.
A pity those deeper, more interesting developments don't enjoy half the investigation they probably deserve, but perhaps that's why the film fueled so many sequels. Sean Connery shines like a beacon amidst an otherwise-sleepwalking cast, which never recovers from his character's jolting premature exit.
This review of Highlander (1986) was written by Sean L on 18 Oct 2011.
Highlander has generally received positive reviews.
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