Highlander: Endgame

"In the end, there can be only one"

or four, movies that is, but who's really counting anyway?

Highlander: Endgame is the sequel that all Highlander fans have been waiting 14 years for. While Highlander 2 and 3 may remain kept out of sight from casual onlookers, Endgame will be proudly displayed on the dvd shelves of Highlander fans everywhere.

As everyone already knows, Connor (Christopher Lambert) already won the Prize by defeating the Kurgan (Clancy Brown) at then end of the first movie. But when Hollywood smells a franchise, there are always loopholes. And honestly, if you dig this stuff, do you really mind?

Apparently, the Quickening Connor received from the Kurgan was so powerful, he was fooled into thinking he had won the Prize, but in reality, there are scores of Immortals left to behead, most notably his kinsman, Duncan Macleod (Adrian Paul), and his long time arch-nemesis Jacob Kell (Bruce Payne).

The movie weaves in and out the past and present so fast that the uninitiated may be completely lost. This is no X-Files, where they tried to bring in newbies - this one is for the fans only. And that makes it much better. We don't need useless exposition to explain who Methos and Dawson are; if you're seeing this movie, you probably already know.

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead!
The plot revolves around Connor's early days in Glenfinnan, where he was accused of black magic. His mother was burned at the stake, and in a fit of rage, he murdered an unarmed priest, the father of Jacob Kell, who he would also kill moments later in self-defense. Kell, as it turns out, is an immortal, though, and would make vengeance on Connor his 400 year crusade.

As part of this vengeance, Kell has Rachel, Connor's adopted WWII ophan, killed. This most recent loss is more than Connor can bear. After 400 years of suffering and pain, he decides to put himself in The Sactuary, a place where Immortals can be housed away safely, and never have to kill again. Kell, however, does not play by the rules. He invades the sanctuary with his cult of Immortals, and kills everyone - except Connor, who he says will be the last Immortal to die. Connor has come to hate his life, and Kell knows it. Kell has also been cheating in the game. With his aforementioned cult following him around, he has been racking up the Quickenings faster than any other Immortal, thus making him unbeatable.

Connor knows this, and he reasons that if the two Macleods can pool their Quickenings, one will be powerful enough to defeat Kell. As he is tired of his own immortal life, he tells Duncan that he must strike him down. Duncan vehemently objects at first, but in the end, Connor gives him no choice. "One of us must die tonight, my brother", he says. While I am grievously saddened by Connor's death, as I consider him the real hero of the Highlander mythos, it was carried out in the best way possible. The final exchange between Connor and Duncan was very moving, and believable. A classy way for Christopher Lambert to exit the series. It was also a very nice touch to use the training montage song from Highlander 3 at the very end of the movie, when Duncan visits Connor's grave. "I hope you've found peace, my friend."

In a word, Highlander: Endgame is fantastic. It's everything the first movie was, but with better action. I can't stress that enough. The action was phenomenal. The plot, dialogue, and acting were all tight as well. If I had any complaint at all, it was that Sean Connery made no appearance in this movie whatsoever, but who can blame him after the way the last two movies turned out. It also runs a tad short. I can think of at least two very cool shots from the trailer that did not make it into the film, and I have no idea why. I'm hoping they are added for the dvd.

So Highlander fans rejoice! Endgame is no guilty pleasure like Highlander II: Renegade Version, it is just a great, great movie. Let us all hope that this is the final chapter, because I cannot forsee a way to make Highlander 5 as good as this movie, and the series should go out on a high note.

-your local Farscape, and Highlander guru, Ultra Magnus