Highlander

Directed by Russell Mulcahy, Highlander follows Christopher Lambert’s immortal Connor MacLeod as he’s eventually forced to battle Clancy Brown’s fearsome Kurgan warrior for a mysterious prize. There’s little doubt that Highlander takes its time in luring the viewer into its exceedingly hit-and-miss narrative, as the movie, written by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, and Larry Ferguson, kicks off with an opening stretch that doesn’t contain a whole lot in the way of character development or exposition – which prevents the viewer from working up any real interest in or enthusiasm for the central character’s oddball exploits. It’s clear, then, that the picture receives a burst of energy and electricity from the arrival of Sean Connery’s eccentric Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, as the character essentially (and effectively) provides a much-needed dose of context that answers most of the questions posed by the almost abstract first act – with the film, beyond that point, seguing into a watchable yet sluggish midsection that benefits from a smattering of exciting interludes and strong work from its various performers. (Lambert is good here, to be sure, yet it’s Brown’s entertainingly broad turn as the less-than-subtle villain that stands as the movie’s most agreeable aspect.) The protracted, violent climax ensures that Highlander finishes on a relatively strong note, ultimately, with the end result a decent-enough endeavor that is perhaps not quite as consistent or streamlined as one might’ve hoped.

**1/2 out of ****