Highlander

Once again the classic 1980s sci-fi/sword and sorcery movie hits Warwick - back by popular demand!

Chris Lambert (seen recently in the much maligned Fortress) is our sabre-wielding hero, Connor MacLeod, who has the uneviable task of being immortal, and having to spend his life fending off and decapitating other immortals; because out of all of their kind on earth in the end - "There can be only one!"

The picture starts with a brilliantly choreographed sword fight in the garage of Madison Square Gardens (our hero wins by not losing his head!); action then switches to sixteenth century Scotland where (the distinctly Gallic) Lambert first learns of his curse. After surviving being impaled on a rather large sword during a battle of the Clans, he is cast out of his home as a devil and left to wander the moors. Enter Sean Connery as a Spanish (?!) immortal Ramirez, who teaches Lambert to accept his fate and how to fight.

Connery's performance as an eccentric Obe Wan Kenobi figure is one of the high points of the film - but Highlander is stuffed full of larger than life characters: especially that of Clancy Brown as the terrifying Kurgan, MacLeod's opponent throughout the ages. It is towards the inevitable final contest between MacLeod and Kurgan - good and evil - that the film is seen to be heading, almost from the first reel; but there are many stunning twists and turns on the way!

Russell Mulcahy (director of the recently released The Shadow) handles what could be a dreadful mishmash of styles with amazing originality and visual flair, although Mulcahy does sometimes betray his music video roots, with a number of flamboyant set pieces, using M.T.V. style pyrotechnics and camera techniques.

Highlander does sometimes appear like a music video, not only because of the direction, but also because of the classic tracks written by Queen for the film, along with an atmospheric score from Michael Kamen, making Higlander entertaining for both the eyes and ears.

If you haven't already seen this classic film - where have you been hiding for the last eight years?! If you've already seen it - it's more impressive at the cinema than on the small screen - so get in the queue early.

John Russell.