Highlander: The Source
by Brett Leonard
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DVD details
Actor: Adrian Paul, Cristian Solimeno, Jim Byrnes, Peter Wingfield, Thekla ReutenDirector: Brett Leonard
Brand: Lions Gate
Writer: Gregory Widen
Writer: Mark Bradley
Writer: Stephen Kelvin Watkins
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 86 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-26
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Reviews of Highlander: The Source
DVD Review: Attempting Objectivity Here
Summary: 3 Stars
This was not a bad movie. It could probably stand on its own as a science fiction action movie if it was not a Highlander movie but the fact is that it was supposed to be and therefore I can see why die-hard fans appear to be rejecting it. This review will be full of spoilers because I will be attempting to objectively point out the problems that I believe led to what appears to be a full scale rejection of the movie by Highlander fans while at the same time providing an overview of the movie plot.
The story line I believe was intended to be very life affirming and highlighting Duncan MacLeod's virtues. Unfortunately, the story line was not consistent with the mythology already created by the television series The Highlander. We start the movie with the earth having fallen into a state that resembles the apocalypse with Duncan brooding and apparently aimlessly drifting, providing random acts of compassion in defending the weak without any of the fire we expect from Duncan MacLeod. We learn Duncan's "problem" is his mortal wife left him.
Understandably, the writers were looking for a reason for Duncan to be less than the man we remember so he can find himself again since that was to be a driving force in this story. Unfortunately, Duncan brooding and falling into a depression over a woman leaving him is inconsistent with the Duncan MacLeod we know from The Highlander. He didn't grieve this much when his wife Tessa was shot to death. Moreover, the reason this woman leaves him is patently ridiculous. In an apocalyptic world, this woman is so obsessed with having a baby she leaves Duncan because he can't give her a child. This makes zero sense. Even if somebody was insane enough to want to have a baby while the world is completely falling apart, there are always options and leaving the person you love over their inability to produce an heir is thinking one would have thought people would have left behind long ago. The premise here is this woman would rather wander alone through the chaos in the streets than be with the man she loves because he can't produce a child. Hello. Who dreamed that one up?
Nonetheless, the writers had a specific goal in mind with this one so they pressed forward and as I originally stated; if there was no mythology already in place one might be able to live with the ridiculousness of the events that lead to the hero and heroines separation. With the mythology firmly in place, the movie is already getting off to a shaky start.
We move along in the story to bring Duncan back together with his friend (and character much loved by the fans), Methos. Methos is now part of a small band of immortals who believe in the source even though they have no idea what it is actually supposed to do or where to look. The former watcher, Joe Dawson, likewise believes in the source and convinces Duncan to join Methos and his men in their search, even though Duncan himself doesn't believe in the source. Enter Duncan's ex-wife, who is supposed to be having visions about the source and Duncan is firmly committed to seeing this quest through, only to insure his ex-wife's safety.
To get this far in the story we have already had various graphically violent scenes; blood spurting, heads rolling down staircases, etc. This is great action movie stuff but quite a bit more graphic than we are used to in Highlander films and it continues throughout the film.
We move along in this quest and indulge in yet more violence. Joe Dawson is killed by a powerful immortal who was altered by his contact with the source at some time in the past. This immortal is doomed to defend the source and is physically altered and psychologically pure evil. He is also the perpetrator of 50-75% of the violence in the movie. Killing of key members of the cast is usually accepted as a mistake in ongoing stories and one would have thought the writers of Highlander material would have learned their lesson with the debacle created by the death of the much beloved character Richie towards the end of the Highlander television series. Nonetheless, less than half way through the movie we kill off a principle. Seems kind of like sequel suicide, doesn't it?
We plough forward. It turns out the closer the immortals come to the source they become more mortal. Our resident defender of the source torments our heroes at every turn, curiously not appearing to be particularly affected as they grow closer to the source. He brutally fillets (there's no other word for it, he slices him up like fruit; the writers do like the graphic violence in this movie) one of the immortals who dies from his wounds and doesn't come back to life, presumably because the immortals are mortal so close to the source. Kudos to the writers here, they didn't behead the guy. We've left lots of room for him to take longer than expected to regenerate and hop out of his grave. He established himself quickly as a quite loveable immortal and his permanent loss would be a waste. The only way we can resurrect good old Joe Dawson is if it turns out he really was an immortal and for some unforeseeable reason the others couldn't sense it. It's still a viable way out but not consistent with the mythology . . . but since it's something the fans would LIKE I expect they'd accept that deviation.
At any rate, what's left of our little band after the reenactment of Jack the Ripper is Duncan, Methos, an immortal priest and Duncan's ex-wife and they plough forward towards the source and presumably to the defeat of the defender of the source.
Far fetched is the name of this game so our little band is then snatched up by cannibals and trussed up on display, awaiting their turn to be barbequed. The defender of the source comes along and takes Duncan's ex-wife with him, says he's taking her to the source. This miraculously goes unnoticed by their captors as does the fact that the scaffolding their victims are tied to has caught fire.
Mythology for the Highlander well established Methos' love for Duncan MacLeod. He risked life and limb multiple times for Duncan. Methos had become a very enlightened and educated man, far exceeding what one might expect of a man 5000 years old who had lived for centuries with violence. The fans love Methos as Duncan's right hand man. Throughout this movie Methos shows uncharacteristic self centered behavior and a certain disregard of Duncan. Towards the end this becomes so far out of character as to be ridiculous if one is attempting to string this story to the rest of the Highlander genre. The immortal priest frees himself first when the fire burns through his ropes and he suddenly goes nuts and declares he has been chosen and runs off into the night leaving his comrades to their fate (seems a little far fetched coming from a man who until that moment had not come across as a radical). Methos throws some insults after the retreating man and meanwhile Duncan frees himself and immediately sets about freeing Methos. OK, HERE IT GETS REALLY OFF CHARACTER. Methos tells Duncan, "I would have left you." as Duncan unties him.
Away they go into the woods to rescue the woman and save the day and naturally the cannibals are in pursuit. They don't get too far before they see the priest has been captured. Methos advises Duncan to leave him but of course Duncan can't. Another great battle ensues and once the dust settles Methos suddenly does a 180 and becomes the martyr. He takes the horse of one of the fallen men and tells Duncan he wanted to be the one but Duncan is and extols upon Duncan's virtues then rides off to lure their pursuers off of Duncan so he can rescue his ex. In Highlander mythology, Methos often had declared Duncan as the best there had ever been and too important to loose so while his helping Duncan towards the end is in character, the overall attitude leading up to that moment, including Methos wanting to be the one, really isn't.
So off Duncan goes to rescue the damsel in distress (OK, that's normal for Highlander). He arrives and an epic battle ensures (again, expected in Highlander). Ultimately Duncan bests the defender (expected for Highlander) and refuses to kill him because he's "done" with killing (a typical Duncan MacLeod moment). We've just had more moments consistent with the Highlander series in the last five minutes than we had in the entire movie! Then, we wait, the source, it's happening! You're not expecting THIS. THE SOURCE! It . . . allows Duncan's ex-wife to have his baby. Yes! This epic struggle made her conceive. Why are you laughing? :o) I totally understand what the writers were going for. An immortal has a child, they can't have children, it's a big deal but PLEASE. We go to the ends of the earth, loose numerous lives, this power is so special it requires a defender and the unworthy can't touch it . . . because the source will allow a human woman to conceive an immortal's child. It doesn't make any sense. Is this child going to be the next messiah? That's probably a storyline the writer's would be wise to avoid.
Overall, without the background mythology of Highlander this film would probably be a decent science fiction action film although the source would have been more believable if it was something more like the implications in the original Highlander movie where Connor claims to be connected to all things, larger than life, full of knowledge and power. That's something Duncan MacLeod could wield like no other with his strong sense of morality and character. It would be great if it meant the end of the chopping off of heads or something noble like that. So one immortal can have a baby seems a bit anticlimactic and one has cause for concern where the writers were planning to go with the next installment.
If they plan on doing any more Highlander films it would be wise of the writers to go back to the original story and learn what made it beloved by its fans. Write a movie that truly is in spirit with the noble creature that is Duncan MacLeod. Make it a movie that can stand alone but respects the mythology that's already in place. Embrace the human frailties of the immortals but remember they ARE immortal. It's the strength of the immortals like Duncan and Methos that can embrace life and celebrate it in spite of the hardships immortality affords them that makes the Highlander interesting. Anything else turns them into mere mortals and then they become like any other action hero. Respect the original mythology; THAT'S the movie that will bring the audience home!
Description of Highlander: The Source
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