Highlander: The Source (Movie Review)

Last Saturday night the Sci-fi channel premiered "Highlander: The Source". Although "sci-fi original movies" are usually terrible, this one was not produced directly by the sci-fi channel, and so does not bear the same curse as classics like Frankenfish, Mansquito and Megasnake.


This latest film in the Highlander franchise takes place in the near future and follows Duncan Mcleod and several other characters on a quest to discover the source of the immortals powers. For those fearing a repeat of the mistakes made in Highlander 2, be not afraid! Brett Leonard directs this direct to TV/DVD release and delivers a great product in several respects.


First of all, the film has a unique visual style that constantly reminds the viewer that they are entering a realm of mystery and power. Leonard uses filming techniques that rely more on creativity than flashy effects, although the movie still has a few of those. The sword fights are not the lavish, epic affairs that fans have come to expect from the previous films and a few of the TV show's episodes, but never has the myth of the immortals felt more mystical and mysterious.


The performances brought to the project by Adrian Paul (Mcleod) and Jim Byrnes (Joe Dawson) are among the best we've seen from them. Peter Wingfield is also prominent in the story as the fan-favorite ancient immortal, Methos. In general, the cast as a whole did a fine job. Cristian Solimeno played the villain of this story, known as "The Guardian", a cursed immortal with powers that rise far above even the mightiest immortal we've ever seen in the franchise. This devastating foe makes a great villain, and though he draws a little from the waters of Clancy Brown's performance, he certainly makes the role his own. (Unlike the ridiculous Mario Van Peebles immortal in Highlander 3)


The downsides in this film are not hugely significant, but should be mentioned. First, it is a direct to video release, and so doesn't quite have the budget you'd like to see for this kind of film. However, as I mentioned earlier, the director did a great job of making it almost a non-issue. About half-way through, the movie begins to suffer from "Queen" songs being covered by other bands and it just feels odd. Maybe they thought this nod to the origins of "Highlander" would help fans adjust to the new feel of the franchise that seems to begin here, but instead it felt awkward and very forced. The film also suffers from an ending that feels a little anti-climactic. Not a serious problem if you're aware that this is the first film in a new Highlander trilogy. But if "The Source" doesn't succeed and the other two aren't made, this movie will be a really weak ending to the franchise. Lastly, as I mentioned, the sword fights in this movie don't break any records, but they service the movie well enough.


The greatest weakness may be that the film takes the franchise in such a different direction, stylistically. Fans expecting more of the same will be disappointed. I, however, am very pleased with this breath of fresh air into the mythos. There are only so many sword fights, flashbacks(of which this film has surprisingly none), romances and quickenings that you can create before it all gets formulaic. This movie is exactly what the franchise needs and I greatly hope that both old fans and new will embrace it.


In terms of meaningful dialogue that might result from watching this film with others, take careful note of the character Giovanni. It's clear that he represents the writer's view of many "Christians". Giovanni is an immortal that seems to work at the Vatican or something else connected to the Roman Catholic church. He is devout but self-righteous and self-serving. When the group of immortals is in a bind (literally) he says, "God would never allow this to happen to a true Christian." To which Methos, tied up near him replies, "Giovanni, I've seen Christ. I watched him teach and I saw him heal. And you, you self-righteous son of a b****, are no Christian!"

In another scene, Giovanni refuses to believe something told to him about the legend of the source, declaring "This is blasphemy." To which another character shouts, "This... is truth!"


In both of these there is room to talk about the true nature of following Christ (doing so devoutly, but while loving others deeply) and the nature of truth and our responsibility to constantly explore and test new information without letting our dogmatic traditions automatically rule out what may be truth.


If you're a fan of Highlander, you simply can't miss this movie. Check your local listings as the sci-fi channel will be broadcasting it again soon! I'm not sure when this movie will be released on DVD, but I will definitely be grabbing a copy. Meanwhile, I'm steadily completing my collection of the Highlander TV series by looking for Season three on DVD next!

Rated R for violence and some language

Quality: 8.5/10
Relevance: 8.0/10