HIGHLANDER II - THE QUICKENING

STARRING: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Virginia Madsen, Michael Ironside, John C McGinley, Allan Rich

1991, 96 Minutes, Directed by: Russell Mulcahy

Description: Sequel to 1986's Highlander, in which Christopher Lambert reprises his role as Connor MacLeod, a member of the alien race known as "Immortals," banished to Earth from his home planet Zeist some 500 years ago. In the year 1999, Lambert owns a corporation that has created a shield to protect the Earth following the depletion of the ozone layer. But the shield is seized by an evil cartel, and Virginia Madsen plays a scientist who assists MacLeod in his mission to destroy the cartel. Sean Connery also reprises his role from Highlander as the Scottish Immortal named Ramirez (?!) — Amazon.com

Ugh! Despite boasting the same director and cast (even Sean Connery somehow manages to return from the dead!) of the first Highlander film, none of the magic that made the first one so memorable has made it to this one. Perhaps the problem is that there really can't be a sequel to the original film and the money bosses should have left well enough alone.

This re-hash with a subplot that seems ripped off from Total Recall (which was a big hit shortly before this was made) is contrived and lame. It turns out that the so-called "immortals" were actually exiled to earth from a planet called Geist or Zeitgeist or whatever after a failed rebellion. Huh!?  It doesn't seem to fit in at all with the original movie.

Apparently the so-called "Director's Cut" is closer to what director Russell Mulcahy intended. It drops the whole Planet Geist or whatever subplot and adds about ten minutes of footage dropped from the original cut of the movie. I haven't seen it yet, but judging from this mess the film appears to be beyond any hope of rescue.

Amazingly the next sequel Highlander III - The Final Dimension is even worse, and luckily a guest reviewer saved me the bother of seeing Highlander - Endgame, which was made ironically thanks to the success of the TV series and features characters from the TV series as well as Lambert himself.