Highlander: The Search for Vengeance

You know, I was tempted to be a smartass and title this column "The Search For a Decent Sequel", but you know what? That just doesn't seem right as a long term fan of this franchise. There are no more long suffering fans than Highlander fans. Since the original Highlander came out in 1986 and made such a cult impact, fans have been waiting for followups that would continue in that tradition, expand that universe and give what the fans of every franchise want, ie more of that feeling they got when they were first introduced to it. Highlander the Series did a wonderful job of that, but the films have been a hit or miss proposition, with none of them reaching the glory of the first movie. Frankly, some of them have competed to define the conception of cinematic "suck". Film school text book, when looking for the definition of suck in cinema, see Highlander 2 or (oh dear God) Highlander The Source (I'm a fan of the characters from the series and I had to see it for myself. Wanted so to like it...but just couldn't. Only the mercy of time has eased the pain somewhat).

So, when a film comes out that actually gets it somewhat right, it is a time for dancing in the streets for tartan wearing Highlander fans. Which brings us to our subject, Highlander The Search For Vengeance. I don't know what it is with this Clan MacLeod, but they seem to produce an inordinate number of these Immortals, men and women who walk the earth for ages and cannot die unless decapitated, sending their power and knowledge, their Quickening, to the Immortal that bested them. This is called The Game. The winner of the Game will be the last Immortal remaining, who will have all the power of all the Immortals, and he/she will receive The Prize. No one knows what that is.

This MacLeod is named Colin. His over back in the day was a woman named Moya. She was killed by a Roman general, crucified in fact, by this man, Marcus Octavius. Turns out Octavius is also one of these Immortals, and this turns out to be a pursuit through time, Colin focused in using his eternity to pursue and destroy Octavius. He doesn't even notice the world turning to utter crap around him, so focused is he on his vengeance. The world has become a place of rot and decay in the future, with fortress city-slums ruled by warring despots, who keep their subject in line with the promise of protection in return for their fealty. Colin wanders this post apocalyptic wasteland, dispatching the occasional Immortal, and then finds that Octavius is still around and ruling one of these cities. He has a plan for ultimately ruling the ruined Earth and looks like the poor mortals are going to not figure into his plan, not his subjects, not anyone else.

The small group of rebels opposing Octavius know he's up to something and try to recruit Colin to their cause, and slowly, surely, they begin to reach the man inside who gives a damn. And it could be the firey redhead rebel named Dahlia who is somehow very familiar.

"There Can Be Only One" is the famous catchphrase of the Highlander franchise. Some have said, considering the rocky history of the films that there should have been. But the series and films like this prove that when someone gets the "magic" of Highlander, there are still stories to be told yet. The original is in the process of being remade and much hope is held among the gathered ranks of fandom that this will truly rejuvinate the franchise.

Until then, watch Highlander The Search For Vengeance. Its pretty good.