DVD Review: Highlander: The Source

Several times during the 80-minute special feature on Highlander: The Source, the actors, crewmembers and long-time Highlander associates assure the audience that this film will take Highlander to a new place, a place it has never been before.

Well, it does. And to the sorrow of those who have loved and enjoyed Highlander for years, that place is next door to the garbage dump. It is difficult to watch an old friend die, especially when it is from some debilitating unexpected disease, and that is much the sense one gets while watching Highlander: The Source.

Through no fault of its own, Highlander is dragged down by this production and loses its way completely. We can only agree with the poet of old, Highlander “we hardly knew ye.” The sad thing is that one can’t exactly pinpoint what went so terribly wrong.

On the surface all the elements are there for a good story - adding more to the legendary world of the immortals. There are special effects, cool equipment, fights and romance. What emerges at the end is a mixed up conglomeration of things varying from the most distasteful characters of the Mad Max movies, through eerie dream-like flash backs, to (I kid you not) a Jabba the Hut clone as some sort of defunct priest with a mysterious message. There is none of the pathos, or the sense of mythology in the Immortal’s lives, unless one believes in only the mythology of monsters and the reality of man’s evil. With some of the most skilled swordsmen in the world today as part of the cast, why in the world was the decision made to film the fights in a fast forward “fantasy mode.” The Special Features included are the above mentioned 80 minute documentary (?) on the making of the film. It plays like it was filmed by an eight year old with his first video camera. There are a lot of confused and frankly boring scenes, mixed with some good stuff about production and technical aspects. This could have benefitted greatly from careful editing to make it worthwhile. People don’t really care to hear how many times cast and crew can say the f word during a scene run-through.

The best thing about the disc is the fifteen minute memorial to Bill Panzer. It is well crafted, beautifully written and moving in the extreme, especially if you have been a long time Highlander fan. It is worth the price of the disc to add this to your Highlander collection.

Bill Panzer was such a large figure in the Highlander world, and it is nice to see the tributes that are given to his skill, style and vision, as well as clips of him speaking about his work and what it meant. He is missed greatly.
Highlander: The Source is presented on single disc in widescreen in a nice box with pictures that hint at the mysterious and legendary. The running time for the feature is 86 minutes, and it is rated R for violence and some language.

Highlander: The Source might as well have been made as an animated feature. It is extremely disappointing for the viewers, and I am certain for the actors and crew as well. This movie was something, but it certainly was not Highlander.Highlander: The Source is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information. Click Here to read a chat M&C’s April MacIntyre had with Highlander star Adrian Paul.