Highlander (1986)
6/10
Unintentional comedy
21 October 2018
As a child, in the late eighties, I loved this movie and I was able to watch it over and over again countless times. Three decades later I spent two hours in nostalgic boredom. This movie can be good only to a child, and ironically, it's R rated and not intended for children. It is based on an interesting idea about the existence of a small number of immortals scattered around the globe and destined to wait for a certain time when they'll meet and fight each other until there's only one left. Unfortunately, this premise is not well-developed and it's full of holes and illogicalities. The wooden acting of Christopher Lambert is plain boring, while the brilliant Sean Connery is totally underutilized and Clancy Brown is at the same time the main villain and a comic relief, a combination that could work well only in comedies and which has no place in this movie. Duels are probably the weakest point of the film, as the swordsmen who have had centuries to perfect their skill seem like five-year-olds fighting with sticks. As far as the effects are concerned, I am aware that they could not have been much better in 1986, but they are largely unnecessary and without them the film would be much more convincing. Not everything has to be explicitly shown to the viewer, and a good director would find a way to replace more difficult effects with the imagination of the viewer. Objectively, the only real quality here is Queen's music that stretches through the entire movie. Subjectively - I do not like Queen. The main reason why I did not give a lower rating is a few really hilarious scenes that I was fairly laughing about, primarily a duel for insulting honor where drunk Highlander persistently refuses to die, as well as Kurgan's crazy driving and making faces behind the wheel. I also have to mention the scene of death of Highlander's first wife that, although less and less with every watching because it's poorly done, still shakes me every time and even induce a tear.

6/10
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