Highlander 2 Special Edition: anyone buying? (1 Viewer)

[Will_B]

Highlander: Endgame was the best Highlander movie besides the original. Joe was in character (finally getting to swear, too), Duncan was in character... Connor might not have been in character but it's hard to say, since Endgame takes place in the tv series universe, in which events unfolded a bit differently.

I'm aware some people were upset that Endgame revealed that Duncan had been married for a weekend once long ago, but sometimes it is neccesary to give characters more backstory.

The beauty of Highlander:Endgame was that it tried to be more than the action flick that Dimension Films wanted it to be. Highlander, the tv series, was a romantic adventure with moral issues about fighting. Highlander:Endgame was nearly that.

But to each his own.

 

[David Illingworth II]

For the record, every Highlander movie after the first one is terrible. The fascinating thing is that they're all terrible in different ways. Really, I think Final Dimension comes closest to being decent.
As for Renegade, I will definitely buy this since it's got to be the most screwed up movie I've ever seen. I can't think of another mainstream movie that's as incomprehensible, incoherent, and absurd. Sure, Con Air maybe, but Highlander was trying to be serious. It's amazing.
Highlander: Endgame is still the best DVD because you get the rough cut (and I don't know any other movie that's done this, it's pretty interesting to see), and you actually get to hear apologies in the commentary. That's something I've been waiting to hear for a long time.

 

[Jacob_isham]

I dont buy this whole thing about studio execs being able to call the shots to such an extent that they can screw up a movie against the director's wishes. The director has to take some responsiblity, i believe the renegade version was a semi-sucessful repair job done by the director, rather than what he would have originally produced, if given a free reign. Both versions are below average anyways, just the theatrical is worse.

 

[David_Blackwell]

Yep, the Highlander: Endgame DVD is great, but the movie sucks. I do think an even better cut of Endgame could be put together if they re-insert some of the cut stuff from the earlier cut into the newest cut.

What Endgame got wrong (besides writing Connor badly):
The TV series stated Duncan never married and I don't think Duncan would kill a woman to make her immortal.

Endgame would have been better if they thought of this ending battle instead:
Duncan fights Kell while Connor takes on Kell's henchmen. Instead we got Kell killing his immortal hencmen and letting Kate live while Connor forces Duncan to kill Connor.

 

[Drew Reiber]

As far as I was told by people behind-the-scenes, many of those involved in Highlander 2 were signed before they saw a script. By the time they got production underway, some of them felt they were already screwed. I mean, how do you make a mistake like having these characters knowing each other before they even met in the original film. It was like the screenwriter never even saw Highlander.

Anyway, I'm sorry that the producers (who argued that 2 was fine and fans just couldn't accept an origin story) have systematically destroyed the series since it's inception. Regardless of who prefers what, the sequels are all pretty poorly produced and anywhere from derivative of the first to completely outlandish and with no relationship to the mythology. Aside from an excellent original film and TV series, every other spinoff (The Raven, help us all) has done nothing to add to what should have been a wonderful fantasy franchise.

No amount of re-editing, re-titling, re-dubbing or re-scoring will ever save Highlander 2. The theatrical cut, the television cut, the European cut or the "Renegade" cut... all messy last ditch efforts after production to figure out how to make a confusing mess profitable. From the "General Katana" of either the future/past or other planet to the mind-boggling stupid star absorbtion ending with Lambert and Madsen, this movie is one of the few major studio productions of the last 15 years to be so disappointing in every respect (financially, critically, amongst fandom) that it was retro-actively removed from continuity.

I know we Highlander fans have been severly abused over the years by Panzer and Davis and their inability to learn how to successfully run a franchise. That's no reason to become so desperate as to allow them to swindle us into re-purchasing product repackaged to profit off of us again and AGAIN. Their misguided attempts to convince us they have finally figured out what they did wrong has long past reached the point of believability. C'mon, these are the guys who shot sfx just for Endgame's trailers to sell the film all the while telling us how great the script was while they made it up on set.

The only reason they've spent money on trying to sell this film as "cult" is because Dimension refused to back their pitifiul concept for Highlander 5, which would have junked all the continuity and stories we've cared about to sell the franchise to the Halloween: Ressurection audience. Is that the message you want to send them? "PLEASE guys, PLEASE keep regurgitating recycled ideas and poorly planned productions! We'll buy anything you sell as long as you tell us it's in our best interests! After all, even if it sucks and doesn't resemble any of the series' mythology, characters or quality... we'll find SOME reason to convince ourselves it's worth the price!"

 

[Philip Verdieck]

OK my turn.

As I understand H2 was taken over when they exceeded their budget. This can happen to any movie, they all have completion bonds. The theatrical version was not assembled by Panzer and Davis, it was taken out of their hands. If you do not understand this, then you do not understand how movies are made.

I find H2: Renegade watchable, but just barely. You have Michael Ironsides chewing up the scenery, Connery with a couple great scenes, a minor Cameo by Clancy(Kurgen) and that incredible architechture they found down in Argentina (I think). As for the TV version ending, I have never seen that, so I am so much the better.

H3 I enjoyed. It went back to the highlander roots, back to cannon (for the most part), and told a good story. They worked in some nice historical scenes. If it had been H2, then everything would have been so much better. After H2, it was a breath of fresh air.

H4 I need to see again.

 

[Derek P]

Drew,

Bravo I think you hit the nail on the head. No one has screwed up such a great franchise as much as Davis/Panzer.
Does anyone remember the god-awful animated series with Sean Connery's character set in the future.

 

[Chad R]

I've seen the Renegade version and it is still a terribly put together mess. It doesn't delete the ridiculous sub-plot about the 'shield' or the silly way in which they brought back Sean Connery, or the horrible age make-up and performance by Christopher Lambert, etc.

It's a bad movie any way you slice it (and this thing should be sliced into tiny bits and never subjected to any human being again.)

 

[Antony James]

Highlander 2 theatrical is one of the messiest, incoherent films I've seen in a long time.

The Renegade version only fixes it to a certain extent. H2 will never be a good film...that said, I'll be buying the new DVD. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I've always enjoyed parts of the film, if not the whole. (Stuff like Ramirez arriving during a performance of Shakespeare, and the in-flight safety film. But for every funny little bit, there's crap like the subway sequence with Katana. Ugh!)

And the "A long time ago..." thing doesn't fix it at all. What, the ancient Immortals have time-travel?! What the...?

 

[Jim Barg]

The bad-movie lover in me is hoping the theatrical version makes its way onto this set.

I'm currently trying to tell him to shut up.

 

[Drew Reiber]

Yes, unfortunately. The producers team of crack-addicted, retarded monkeys (aka Davis and Panzer) still thought the Highlander 2 concept (and movie!) was good enough to warrant it's combination with the first Highlander and Planet of the Apes or something. Possibly the worst cartoon ever. I think there was an Atari Jaguar videogame that wasn't completed before the system went under. Good riddance...

 

[Ernest Rister]

All this talk about Sean Connery and Swords reminded me of something....

---------------

Celebrity Jeopardy

(Jeopardy Theme Song...)

ALEX TREBEK (Will Ferrell)
Welcome back to "Celebrity Jeopardy" It's been an exciting first round. That being said, let's take a look at the scores. Sean Connery has negative 16,500 dollars.

SEAN CONNERY (Darrell Hammond)
Damm you and your daily doubles you brigand! One day it'll be my turn, Trebek!

ALEX TREBEK
Great. Calista Flockhart, with an amazing negative $58,000. Good job.

CALISTA FLOCKHART (Drew Barrymore)
(weakly)
Thank you.

ALEX TREBEK
And finally, Nicholas Cage is in the lead with $8.

NICHOLAS CAGE (Jimmy Fallon)
You got lights, you've got cameras - bitchin' technology!

ALEX TREBEK
I don't know how anyone could get $8, but better luck to all of you in the next round. It's time for Double Jeopardy. Let's take a look at the board. The categories are.. Potent Potables; The Pen is Mightier.. that category is all about quotes from famous authors, so you'll all probably be more comfortable with our next category..; Shiny Objects; continuing with Opposites; Things you Shouldn't Put in Your Mouth; What Time is It?; and, finally, Months That Start With Feb. Mr. Cage you're in the lead, so let's start with you.

NICHOLAS CAGE
Hmm.....what? Where.

ALEX TREBEK
Okay, Calista Flockhart, why don't you pick a category?

CALISTA FLOCKHART
Um, no. Pass.

ALEX TREBEK
You'll pass. Very smart. Mr. Connery, why don't you pick?

SEAN CONNERY
Ah! Well met! I'll take Months That Start With Feb, Trebek.

ALEX TREBEK
For how much?

SEAN CONNERY
Suprise me, you filthy bastard!

ALEX TREBEK
Okay, that's completely unnecessary. Months That Start With Feb for $800. This is the only month that starts with Feb.

[Sean Connery buzzes in]

ALEX TREBEK (CONT.)
Mr. Connery?

SEAN CONNERY
Febtober!

ALEX TREBEK
No.

[Calista Flockhart buzzes in]

ALEX TREBEK
Calista Flockhart.

CALISTA FLOCKHART
What is...Febturday?

ALEX TREBEK
No.

SEAN CONNERY
She said turd!

ALEX TREBEK
I hate you. The answer was February. That's the month that starts with Feb. It was last month!

SEAN CONNERY
Aha! A trick question!

ALEX TREBEK
Yeah, it was a trick question, Mr. Connery. Why don't you pick a category?

SEAN CONNERY
I've got to ask you about the Penis Mightier.

ALEX TREBEK
What? No. No, no, that is The Pen is Mightier.

SEAN CONNERY
Gussy it up however you want, Trebek. What matters is does it work? Will it really mighty my penis, man?

ALEX TREBEK
It's not a product, Mr. Connery.

SEAN CONNERY
Because I've ordered devices like that before - wasted a pretty penny, I don't mind telling you. And if The Penis Mightier works, I'll order a dozen.

ALEX TREBEK
It's not a Penis Mightier, Mr. Connery. There's no such thing!

NICHOLAS CAGE
Wait, wait, wait.. are you selling Penis Mightiers?

ALEX TREBEK
No! No, I'm not.

SEAN CONNERY
Well, you're sitting on a gold mine, Trebek!

ALEX TREBEK
Right, right.. say, let's move on to Final Jeopardy, that should be a lot of fun. And the category is: The Federalist Papers. Wait, wait, I'm sorry, that's my bad. That's for regular "Jeopardy", which we'll be taping later today. Your category is: Horsies. All you have to do is tell me "Are Horsies pretty?"

[the Final Jeopardy music starts as the celebrities scribble some answers]

ALEX TREBEK
Yes or no, we'll except either answer. "Are Horsies pretty?". Keep in mind, there's no wrong answer.

[music stops, Alex approaches the podiums]

ALEX TREBEK
Let's see what all of you wrote, starting with you, Mr. Cage, and you wrote...and you're podium is gone.

NICHOLAS CAGE
I don't know where it went, I'm confused.

ALEX TREBEK
You lost you podium? I don't see -- You know what? I don't care. Let's move on. Calista Flockhart.

CALISTA FLOCKHART
(louder)
What? What?

ALEX TREBEK
Settle down, just relax. You wrote...nothing. And you wagered...nothing.

CALISTA FLOCKHART
(in a whisper)
The pen was too heavy.

ALEX TREBEK
Fair enough. Mr. Connery?

SEAN CONNERY
We meet again.

ALEX TREBEK
Let's see your answer.

[The screen reads "Buck"]

ALEX TREBEK
Oh, I'm sorry.. that must be you wager. A Buck. And you answer is.

[The screen reads "Futter"]

ALEX TREBEK (CONT.)
Futter. Buck Futter, I don't get it.

SEAN CONNERY
Ohhhh, I think you do, Trebek. I think you do, indeed!

ALEX TREBEK
Well, thanks for joining us...

SEAN CONNERY
(yelling)
Buck Futter!!

ALEX TREBEK
Fine, whatever. That's it for "Celebrity Jeopardy"...I don't know.

(Jeopardy Theme Song... )

 

[Ernest Rister]

ALEX TREBEK
No. That was incorrect also. "What is Saturday Night Fever?". Heads up players. Sean Connery, it's still your board.

SEAN CONNERY
Ah, I'll take Swords for $400.

ALEX TREBEK
It's actually not Swords, sir. These are words that begin with "S". The answer is: Popeye is this sort of man.

Burt Reynolds RINGS IN.

ALEX TREBEK
Burt Reynolds.

BURT REYNOLDS (Norm MacDonald)
What is Popeye?

ALEX TREBEK
No.

Sean Connery RINGS IN.

ALEX TREBEK
Sean Connery, and remember, these are words that begin with the letter "S", not swords.

SEAN CONNERY
Saber.

ALEX TREBEK
No.

SEAN CONNERY
It began with a bloody "S"!

Jerry Lewis (Martin Short) rings in multiple times, laughing.

ALEX TREBEK
Mr. Lewis.

JERRY LEWIS
I got the answer, Alex. You want the answers, it's simple. They're terrified of a perfectionist, they being the people who are running the studios this week --

Time buzzer RINGS.

ALEX TREBEK
I'm sorry, Mr. Lewis, time's up. "What is Sailor?" was the correct response. Tough start for everyone. All three celebrities are 800 dollars down.

SEAN CONNERY
The hell if I'm going to pay you a bloody 800 dollars!

ALEX TREBEK
Please rest assured, Mr. Connery, this is for charity, it's not your own money. And it is still your board.

SEAN CONNERY
Ay, I'll take movies for $200.

ALEX TREBEK
This racing movie, with Dom DeLuise, told us that, yes, cannonballs can run.

Contestants look around blankly.

ALEX TREBEK
Cannonballs can run. Burt, you might want to guess this.

Reynolds RINGS IN.

ALEX TREBEK
Burt Reynolds.

BURT REYNOLDS
Hell, I dunno. Uh, Shakespeare.

ALEX TREBEK
No.

Sean Connery RINGS IN.

ALEX TREBEK
Sean Connery.

SEAN CONNERY
I'll not pay this fine I've incurred, it's unjust!

ALEX TREBEK
You don't have to pay the-

Jerry Lewis RINGS IN

ALEX TREBEK
Jerry Lewis.

JERRY LEWIS
Cannonballenmaven…

ALEX TREBEK
Wait, wait, it sounds like you've might have the right answer -- did you say cannon?

JERRY LEWIS
Cannon.

ALEX TREBEK
Now, say ball.

JERRY LEWIS
Ball.

ALEX TREBEK
Now, put them together.

JERRY LEWIS
Cannonballenmavenaaaiihiiyaa!

ALEX TREBEK
Okay, let's just move on. Burt, can you please pick a category.

SEAN CONNERY
Pick Swords.

BURT REYNOLDS
Yeah, sure -- gimme Swords.

ALEX TREBEK
It's “S” Words. It's “S” Words. And for how much, Mr. Reynolds?

BURT REYNOLDS
Ah, hell - let's go nuts. Swords for $48,000.

ALEX TREBEK
We're not doing Swords. You know, why don't we move on...

 

[David Illingworth II]

Ernest, where do you get these snl transcripts?

 

[Adam_ME]

"I'll take The Rapists for 200, Alex."

That one even made it into Warcraft III, if I recall correctly.

 

[John Kilduff]

I believe Ernest got them from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/

It's run by Patrick Lonergan, who also (PLUG! PLUG!) runs Saturday Night You, where I'm a semi-regular contributor.

Back to "Highlander 2: Electric Boogaloo"...

I hear that Jeff Altman (a favorite comedian of mine...Our older members might remember him from "Pink Lady And Jeff") was in "Highlander 2". Was it a comedic part or a straight role?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

I'm Ed Dickler. I'm from El Cojon, California, and I'm so horny the crack of dawn ain't safe.

 

[EnricoE]

i'll get it just to dump to first release of the renegade dvd :p)

 

[Ernest Rister]

No, I did not get them from that site. I've never even heard of it.

I did a google search for "Connery" and "s words", and found what I was looking for. A few minutes of re-formatting and re-writing, and voila! Instant comedy for my good friends on the HTF!

SEAN CONNERY
Febtober!

 

[Cassy_w]

Back to the subject at hand. HIGHLANDER 2's script can be found online. It very clearly has the alien angle. It was in the script and since Lambert was obligated under his original contract to do a sequel, he had no choice in the matter. He had to do the film.

The film was shot in Argentina and while they were there, the economy collapsed, creating massive inflation that doubled the cost of everything for the filmmakers. They quickly ran out of money and before shooting was even completed the bond company shut the picture down.

Director Mulcahy began his editing, but after his rough cut, the film was snatched from him and then edited completely out of order, a critical piece of the story completely cut from the film because they did not want to do the FX.

Take all the budget and bond company issues away and you still have the makings of a bad film due to a terrible script and a lead actor and director who just did not want to be there. It is astonishing to think that Mulcahy is the same man who helmed the first HIGHLANDER. It's like James Cameron directing Piranha II The Spawning. How in the hell did that guy turn out to be so good?! Well, with Mulcahy, it is the opposite. He came out the gate strong, then fell off a cliff. It seems that since that film everything he touches turns to sh*t. He did have one other career high, with the exceptionally well made B movie RICOCHET. But that's it.

As for Christopher Lambert, an actor I used to drool over, all I can say is that he killed his own career with one bad choice after another and now, in his mid to late 40's, is starting to look old. :frowning:

 

[Adam_ME]

Why did they decide to shoot there in the first place? I haven't heard of too many high profile movies filming in Argentina. I guess that's what the documentary on the new DVD will address. Of course, since I consider Highlander 2(either version) to be the 2nd worst movie I've ever seen(only Ghost In the Machine is worse IMO), I'll never see this documentary.