Review of Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) by Martin D — 22 Dec 2011

Not so good as the first one..but still..

In August 1994, news broadcasts announce that the ozone layer is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of unfiltered sunlight. Among the dead is Connor MacLeod's wife, Brenda Wyatt MacLeod. Before dying, Brenda extracts a promise from Connor that he will solve the problem of the ozone layer.

By 1999, Connor has become the supervisor of a scientific team headed by Dr. Allan Neyman (Allan Rich), which is attempting to create an electromagnetic shield to cover the planet, and protect it from the Sun's radiation. The team succeeds, in effect giving Earth an artificial ozone layer. MacLeod and Neyman are proud to have saved humanity, and believe they will be remembered for a thousand years.

Unfortunately, the shield has the side effect of condemning the planet to a state of constant night, a high average global temperature and high humidity. By 2024, the years of darkness have caused humanity to lose hope and fall into a decline. The Shield has fallen under the control of the Shield Corporation. The corporation's current chief executive, David Blake (John C. McGinley), is focused on profit, and is imposing fees for the corporation's services. A number of terrorist groups have begun trying to take down the Shield, among them Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen), a former employee of the Shield Corporation.

Meanwhile, Connor MacLeod, now a frail old man, expects to eventually die of natural causes. As he watches a performance of Wagner's Götterdämmerung, an image of Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery) appears, and induces MacLeod to recall a forgotten event of his past. On the planet Zeist, a last meeting is held between the members of a rebellion against the rule of General Katana (Michael Ironside). The rebellion's leader, Ramirez, chooses "a man of great destiny" from among them-MacLeod-to carry out a mission against Katana. At this moment, Katana and his troops attack, crushing the rebellion. Katana orders his men to capture Ramirez and MacLeod alive, and kill the rest of the rebels. The two captives are put on trial by Zeist's priests, who sentence them to be exiled and reborn on the future in pursuit of "The Prize." Winning the Prize gives the victor the choice to either grow old and die on future, or to return to his time. Katana is unsatisfied with their decision, but the sentence is executed, leading to the events of the original 1986 film.

Back on 2024, Louise Marcus discovers that the ozone layer has in fact restored itself naturally, which means that the Shield is no longer needed. The Shield Corporation is aware of this development, but has chosen to hide it from the general public, in order to maintain its main source of profit. Meanwhile, on the past, General Katana decides that Connor cannot be allowed to return, and sends his Immortal henchmen Corda (Pete Antico) and Reno (Peter Bucossi) to kill him.

Louise manages to reach Connor first, and asks for his help in taking down the Shield. To Louise's disappointment, she finds the passionate person she once admired has grown into a tired old man. MacLeod explains to Louise that he is dying, and expresses his disapproval of terrorism. Before Connor and Louise can finish their conversation, Corda and Reno attack. MacLeod manages to decapitate them both. Macleod then absorbs their energy during the Quickening and regains his youthful appearance. In the process, Connor summons Ramirez back to life.

In Glencoe, Scotland - the location of his death in the first Highlander film - Ramirez is revived. He finds himself on a theatrical stage during a performance of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Meanwhile, Connor has found a new lover in Louise Marcus. He attempts unsuccessfully to explain to her the concepts of his immortality. Elsewhere, General Katana arrives in New York, the scene of The Gathering and begins wreaking havoc.

Both Ramirez and Katana soon adapt to their new environment. Ramirez's earring is apparently valuable enough to pay both for the new suit he acquires from the finest and oldest tailor's shop in Scotland, and for an airplane ticket to New York City. Katana finds New York much to his liking. After entertaining himself for a while, Katana manages to locate his old enemy, but their first encounter in centuries proves to be indecisive.

Soon thereafter, Connor is contacted by Ramirez. The latter joins MacLeod and Louise in their plan to take down the Shield. Katana, expecting this, forges an uneasy alliance with David Blake. The conflict between the two sets of allies eventually leads to the deaths of Dr. Allan Neyman, Ramirez, David Blake and General Katana himself. MacLeod succeeds in taking down the Shield by using the combined energies of his final Quickening from General Katana. Louise sees the stars for the first time in her life. Connor then claims The Prize by returning to the past with Louise.