has anyone else seen a preview or a commercial for the new Highlander movie?
I think it looks pretty good, especially because Duncan Macleod is in the movie.

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Kylilin, Jedi Master and silly guy

Nice http://www.geocities.com/kylilin/kulilin3.gif)

Whats Highlander?

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"We are the keepers of the sacred words:Ni, Pang, and Neeeeeeeone!":The Knights of Ni from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.:D

Highlander is a set of stories. Three movies, I think. I saw the second one a long time ago and thought it was so-so. Probably should have seen the first one before the second. Then I saw the third one, and thought it was so-so. The whole storyline is pretty cool, however. A group of people who live forever and can only die by the severing of the head. When one of these individuals kills another of his likeness, he gains all the knowledge of the now-headless person. "There can be only one", a line from the movie that means one immortal will immerge and reign victorious, having killed all the others and having supreme knowledge. Funny thing is after I saw the 2nd. and 3rd. movie, the cartoon series came on during school mornings and I was hooked on it, my brothers loving it as well. It was better than the dang movies, in my opinion! And just recently (year ago, maybe 2) I finally saw parts of the first one. Definitely the best of the bunch. It seemed pretty well put together. Even had Sean Connery. All in all I think the story of Highlander is very interesting and definitely original in respect to anything I've come across. Cult classic all the way. Definitely morning cartoon material :O)

And just a warning. This is all very fuzzy in my head. Movie 2 to me may have been movie 1, or movie 3. I saw them all so long ago. If I'm not mistaken, "Kurgan" is actually the name of the bad guy in the first movie. Am I right Kurgan? :O) See, learn something every day!

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And there he is. The reigning champion of the Boonta Classic, and the crowd favorite-TheAhnFahn

That's right. ; )

Basically the new movie will be a follow up to the TV series starring Adrian Paul as Duncan Macleod. However it also stars Christopher Lambert as Connor Macleod (the original Highlander, from the other movies.. he also co-starred in the series pilot "The Gathering"). The TV series is an alternate universe/timeline than the movies upon which they are LOOSELY (very loosely) based.

The cartoon series is yet another universe/timeline altogether.

I am looking forward to seeing the new movie, although I don't have the highest of hopes (the HL movies tend not to be that profound, just lots of killer action).

Incidentally, the HL films have not done very well in the US, but have been huge in the rest of the world. Maybe because the US fans tend to get the shaft.

Examples: the TV series in the US is four minutes shorter than the European versions. This is because they wanted to have more time for commercials, etc. Plus if you watch it on USA Network for example here, it's heavily edited/censored (for nudity and language).

Not only that but the original movie had alot of scenes missing, from the European/Japanese cuts of the film.

The best edition I have been able to find is the 10th Anniversary Director's Cut of Highlander. Pretty nice, as it has all the removed scenes, plus behind the scenes stuff and such. The DVD itself isn't perfect quality, but then again neither is the movie (it's got a "cheap 80's" look to it).

Still, it's fun, and I enjoy it.

Kurgan

in a nutshell, the first highlander movie was awesome. the second one sucked big time because it totally went off the entire storyline of what highlander was about, and the third movie basically tried to bring back the image and feel of the original movie. I think the series was the best thing to happen for highlander even though it was not about its original protagonist, Connor Macleod, but we were introduced to a much more complex and heroic character in Duncan Macleod. Now that the two are together it makes for two great characters, and the action looks spectacular.

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Kylilin, Jedi Master and silly guy

Nice http://www.geocities.com/kylilin/kulilin3.gif)

[This message has been edited by Kylilin (edited August 24, 2000).]

Originally posted by Kurgan:
The TV series is an alternate universe/timeline than the movies upon which they are LOOSELY (very loosely) based.

But wouldn't the TV series now become canon since Duncan appears in Endgame?

I've only seen a few minutes of Highlander II (on cable while I was channel-surfing) and a few eps of the series, but what I don't get is this:

There can be only one.

From the Bad Guy (Ramirez?)'s speech in Highlander II, all the rebels were sent to Earth, where they would be immortal. They would then hunt and kill one another until only one remained. The lone survivor would then return to their homeworld, where he or she would live out a normal life span.

So, basically, the rebels are expected to turn on each other, their own friends and allies, and whoever wins would die anyway after returning home. This versus a peaceful life of healthy ageless immortality on a (fairly) pleasant world.

Am I the only one who sees the stupidity in this?

I'm probably going to see Highlander: Endgame anyway if only because I use Immortals (sort of) in my own fiction.

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"The Beasts know much that we do not." -Ancient Jedi proverb

[This message has been edited by BeastMaster (edited August 27, 2000).]

Can't wait to see it.

Oh...hi. http://www.jediknight.net/mboard/biggrin.gif)

If any of you have watched the show regularly, you might have noticed something that I have. The TV series never really went against Highlander 1 or 2. Everytime I heard an immortal talk about his parents, they always seemed to be an orphan or never knew who their parents were. This happened with Duncan, Richie, and a whole lot others. Because depending on what version of HL 2 you prefer, the Immortals come from a different planet or from the past. I know that alot of you must think this is a totally different story line to use. However, they never really said where the Immortals came from. That's what's so cool about fiction, you can easily make things up to fill the holes. http://www.jediknight.net/mboard/smile.gif) I think they were trying to keep all fans happy, because Highlander 2 was a pretty messed up movie.

P.S. Yes, I do know alot about nothing. http://www.jediknight.net/mboard/wink.gif)

Well, if you want to get technical:

Highlander the series cannot happen if the first HL movie happens. Why? Well the rules of immortality are different.

In the movies, the immies don't die, they just heal rapidly. They can even breath under water. In the series, they "die" just like normal humans do, however, they "wake up" later and are fine. They drown just like regular humans.

Plus, the movie takes place in 1985-6 (with many flashbacks from 1536-90's and one to 1783). The Gathering (the historical event) takes place in '85. Thus, there are only a FEW IMMORTALS LEFT that go to New York, and they all die, except for one. Now had the series been correct, Duncan would either have to have been killed, or he would have had to kill Connor (to win and be the last one). Connor would not have won the prize if Duncan had still been alive, etc. In the series there are dozens of immortals still around in the '90's even.
[CONTINUED...]

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited August 28, 2000).]

[CONTINUED...]
So Methos, Amanda, Duncan, etc. would all have to have been killed. Why didn't we ever see them? Because it's a different universe.

The movies (especially the first one) focus on "The Prize" and "The Gathering. The series focuses on "The Game" and "The Quickening." If somebody "won" the series would end, so it makes sense that they would make it like an ongoing process, etc.

If the series had really wanted to have continuity with the movies, it would have been set in the PAST. Yet HL "continuity" always dictates that we should see the Immies in our "present" (or very near future) and have flashbacks.

So, it will probably be cool, but we can only expect it to gel with the TV series, nothing more.

Kurgan

Question: Has the HL series been dated? I've watched many episodes, but, because of availability, I haven't seen all of them.

This is how I see the timeline.

HL takes place near the end of the "Gathering." Conner wins the "Prize."

HL 2 takes place 80 years after Conner wins the "Prize." Conner becomes immortal agian, and kills Corda. Conner returns to his homeworld.

HL 3 takes place between 1 and 2. Conner faces an immortal with the power of sorcery.

HL series takes place before HL 1 (no matter what dates are given) and features a relative of Conner, Duncan.

HL: Endgame--kinda hard to place (since I haven't seen it yet) but from the evidence I've gathered, it takes place before the series, and it will explain some discrepencies between the movies and the series (like how Conner and Duncan both use Remirez's katana).

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http://timeslide.homestead.com/files/newsig3.jpg)

Come to the TimeSlide (http://timeslide.homestead.com/index.html).

Thanks to Jedi Kanigget for the pic.

That's pretty close. There are alot of general inconsistencies between films.

For example, if HL 2 happens, and then how do you explain the events of HL3? Example: why did Connor walk away from the car crash that kills Brenda "without a scratch" if he is mortal? How could Brenda die in 1987 and then die in 1995? Why is Connor hanging around with a "woman he loves" (Alex Johnson) in 1994 when he's married to Brenda? (or did she die?) And what about his adopted son, John, why isn't he mentioned except in 1994?
[cont'd]

[contd]
The series presents many more problems. Why are Duncan, Methos, Amanda, or the dozens of other Immortals still alive in the 1990's at the Gathering? If Connor won the prize in 1985 or '86, they should all be dead. HL 3 doesn't help either, because it's 1994, and Connor is mortal, and no other Immies exist until Kane and his two henchman appear again.

The immortals in the series are a huge inconsistency: Why are they still alive? Why did Connor win the prize if all of these other immortals were still alive? Why is the Gathering taking place in Vancouver/Seattle instead of New York like in the movies?
[cont'd]

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited August 31, 2000).]

Yes, everything is dated. Dates are mentioned in all of the movies, and the series begins with 1992 as the year of the first episode. 1995 is given as a later date in the series as well. Endgame is supposed to be contemporary, and after the series, so it would have to take place after 1998, and more properly this year (2000).

The rules of immortality are also different in the series and the movies (ie: in the movies Immies never "die" but heal rapidly and can breath underwater; in the series Immies "die" and drown in water, but "revive" later on). Plus the movies totally ignore the "Watchers" who are supposedly more secretive than the Immortals and have been around for as long. They figure largely in the series, but are nowhere to be found in the movies.

Continuity-wise, Endgame will follow the series. I think there's no use trying to sort out the continuity errors in the movies with the series. Just enjoy it for what it is: cool action sci-fi. ; )

Kurgan

Incidentally, I doubt that Endgame will do any explaining where the previous movies are concerned.

The only explanation that the director's/writers have ever given to place the series is that it is a totally seperate timeline/universe than the movies.

Call it a "re-imagining" of the HL mythos.

Some of the characters appear in both places (ie: Connor) but they are very different in each place. The movies too don't seem to gel well, so they are almost each like their own universe. Who knows.. I figure they just wanted to make money and details got lost in the shuffle.

Connor and Duncan each have their own katanas. They are both ivory dragon head, masumuni-style swords. However, Connor's has the chinese dragon style (big round head) and the handle of Duncan's shows the more streamlined crocodile-like Japanese dragon head. If I'm not mistaken, in the series pilot "The Gathering" Connor actually uses a different katana than he does in the movies.

Kurgan

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited August 31, 2000).]

So, it's kinda like the Batman movies taking place in an entirely different universe than the comics or the cartoons.

In the movies, Batgirl is Alfred's neice, in the comics, Barbara Gordon was the first Batgirl and was replaced by the current teenaged version.

In the comics, Babs was shot (by the Joker) & paralyzed, thus becoming Oracle. In the cartoons, Babs is fine (i.e. can walk) after she retires (as seen in Batman Beyond) from vigilanteism and becomes Commissioner.

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"The Beasts know much that we do not." -Ancient Jedi proverb

The reason I mentioned the katanas is because their is a brief scene in one of the trailers that shows the katana splitting into two swords. Like I said before, I haven't seen every episode, and I also haven't paid closely to details, but at a glance, Conner's Katana from the movies resembles Duncan's Katana from the series.

I think, no matter what the dates, of the movies and the series as being in the continual present. For instance, I date HL as if it were happening today, HL 2 in the far future, and HL 3 in between 1 and 2. Since the series still has immortals alive, I date the plot before HL. At first, I dated Endgames's plot between the series and HL 1, but when I saw the sword split, I dated the plot before the series.

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http://timeslide.homestead.com/files/newsig3.jpg)

Come to the TimeSlide (http://timeslide.homestead.com/index.html).

Thanks to Jedi Kanigget for the pic.

From what I can tell about the whole thing is that in Connor's universe another immortal comes from the origional homeworld and becomes so powerful that when he get's chopped in half with the katana he mearly becomes 2 people. So Connor discovers a universe (warp gate) and contacts Duncan to help out. I do not say that any of this is true this is just what I can preceive.

There have been alot of inconsistencies in both the films and series.

I just ignore them and enjoy the individual stories...

Like the "Crow" mythos, there are many differen't legends. Maybe the same goes for the Highlander series.

Maybe all we are seeing are the stories interpreted by man.

Who knows? All I know is that HL 1&2 were good, 3 sucked, and endgame looks to be really interesting...

-13thJedi

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http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/select/2000/28/img/select_one.jpg)

As to Endgame's timeline, I would suspect it happened after the series, mainly because this is what folks have been saying all along. The series didn't end with Duncan dying or winning, it ended on an uncertain note, thus the movie would pick up from that.

I will admit it is POSSIBLE that Endgame takes place before the series (before the pilot episode, "The Gathering").

However, I get the feeling from "The Gathering" that Connor and Duncan have not seen each other in a LONG time (centuries?) so I would assume then that this is their next meeting (perhaps only their second meeting in the 20th century?).

I know that Methos and Joe Dawson feature in the movie. Now Methos as a character, and as an immortal is not revealed into well into the series. It is possible that he is featured, but Duncan doesn't know him yet (if it happens before the series). Joe Dawson as well, is a Watcher who is watching Duncan. Duncan doesn't meet him until a few episodes into the series, and the Watcher's aren't revealed until around that time either.

I got the impression from the trailer's and info that Dawson and Methos are known to Duncan in this movie, thus I would conclude that these take place after the series pilot.

So the possibilities are, assuming that the information about the movie being faithful to the series is not false:

1) Endgame takes place during the time period of the TV series (at least after the pilot episode "The Gathering", so at least after 1992).

2) Endgame takes place after the entire series has ended (sometime after 1998).

It would certainly be interesting if the series took place as a flashback or as an alternate take of the series.

I guess we'll really know when we see the movie (I may actually miss opening day, sadly):

If Connor or Duncan dies in this movie or if the Prize is won, we will be forced to assume that this movie was meant to conclude the story begun by the TV series.

If the movie is instead leading up to the events of "The Gathering" (example: Duncan goes away to Seacouver to live with his new love Tessa, and Connor goes hunting after some Immortal named Slan Quince, etc.) then we'll know it takes place before the series.

If the Kurgan is still alive, we know that it takes place prior to the first movie.

The thing to remember is that each movie can get a bit confusing if you don't see the whole thing (or the series, etc). We won't count flashbacks. So let's review:

"Highlander"
takes place in 1985 and 1986 (flashbacks to the 1500's and 1783)

"Highlander 2: The Quickening"
takes place in 1999 and 2024
(flashbacks to '500 years ago' on the Planet Zeist)

"Highlander 2: The Renegade Version"
takes place in 2024 (flashbacks to 1999, and a "a very long time ago")

"Highlander III: the Sorceror/Highlander: the Final Dimension"
takes place in the 1590's and 1994 (with flashbacks to the 1500's of the first movie period, and the late 1700's).

As to Connor and Duncan's swords, take a look at the official site:
http://www.highlanderendgame.com) There are a few details showing both of their sword handles. Now tell me they are the same. ; )

Also, if you look at just about any sword catalouge, you'll see that their swords are different. (ie: US Cavalry, Museum Replicas Unlimited, the Noble Collection, etc)

Kurgan

Here are some pics, they aren't very good though:
http://www.highlander-official.com/images/main_bkgd3.jpg)

Connor's sword:
http://www.highlander-swords.com/connor1.jpg)

Duncan's sword:
http://www.highlander-swords.com/duncan1.jpg)

Kurgan

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited September 01, 2000).]

Ah, here we go:

Connor:
http://www.adarastore.com/highlander/images/196.jpg)

Duncan:
http://www.adarastore.com/highlander/images/195.jpg)

Compare:
http://www.highlandercatalog.com/images/196lg.jpg)

Kurgan

Thanks for clearing things up http://www.jediknight.net/mboard/wink.gif).

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http://timeslide.homestead.com/files/newsig3.jpg)

Come to the TimeSlide (http://timeslide.homestead.com/index.html).

Thanks to Jedi Kanigget for the pic.

I'm going to see HL:EG tomorrow, I'm so psyched, I'll let you guys know how it goes

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Kylilin, Jedi Master and silly guy

Nice http://www.geocities.com/kylilin/kulilin3.gif)

And please, no spoilers! (at least not until next week please) ; )

Kurgan

I have to say what a good movie, though the plot could have had a lot more depth, overall, it was good, the best one since the original.

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Kylilin, Jedi Master and silly guy

Nice http://www.geocities.com/kylilin/kulilin3.gif)

I'll post more of my thoughts later. I will be posting my review on imdb.com soon.

Basically, I was a bit suprised by the movie, because much of the Trailers were misleading and even outright wrong. Many of those scenes never appeared in the actual film! The press releases were also incorrect about many things they said about the upcoming film.

Overall, I think it was a better movie than Highlander 3, but inferior, entertainment, plot, characterisation, etc-wise to Highlander 1 and 2 (pick your favorite version).

Though it pays tribute to the first movie, it violates it on many points of continuity.

I'd be interested to see when the film comes to the home market if they include all of those deleted scenes (it almost looks like a totally different movie they were planning).

Update: Read my review posted <a href="http://www.jediknight.net/mboard/Forum1/HTML/000545.html">here</a>).

Kurgan

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited September 05, 2000).]