Highlander II: The Quickening
Encyclopedia
Highlander II: The Quickening is the second installment to the Highlander film series, released on January 31, 1991.
is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of unfiltered sunlight. Among the dead is Connor MacLeod’s wife, Brenda Wyatt MacLeod. Before dying, Brenda extracts a promise from Connor that he will solve the problem of the ozone layer.
By 1999, Connor has become the supervisor of a scientific team headed by Dr. Allan Neyman (Allan Rich), which is attempting to create an electromagnetic shield to cover the planet, and protect it from the Sun’s radiation. The team succeeds, in effect giving Earth an artificial ozone layer. MacLeod and Neyman are proud to have saved humanity, and believe they will be remembered for a thousand years.
Unfortunately, the shield has the side effect of condemning the planet to a state of constant night, a high average global temperature and high humidity. By 2024, the years of darkness have caused humanity to lose hope and fall into a decline. The Shield has fallen under the control of the Shield Corporation. The corporation’s current chief executive, David Blake (John C. McGinley
), is focused on profit, and is imposing fees for the corporation’s services. A number of terrorist groups have begun trying to take down the Shield, among them Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen
), a former employee of the Shield Corporation.
Meanwhile, Connor MacLeod, now a frail old man, expects to eventually die of natural causes. As he watches a performance of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung
, an image of Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
(Sean Connery
) appears, and induces MacLeod to recall a forgotten event of his past. On the planet Zeist, a last meeting is held between the members of a rebellion against the rule of General Katana (Michael Ironside
). The rebellion’s leader, Ramirez, chooses "a man of great destiny" from among them—MacLeod—to carry out a mission against Katana. At this moment, Katana and his troops attack, crushing the rebellion. Katana orders his men to capture Ramirez and MacLeod alive, and kill the rest of the rebels. The two captives are put on trial by Zeist’s priests, who sentence them to be exiled and reborn on the future in pursuit of "The Prize." Winning the Prize gives the victor the choice to either grow old and die on future, or to return to his time. Katana is unsatisfied with their decision, but the sentence is executed, leading to the events of the original 1986 film
.
Back on 2024, Louise Marcus discovers that the ozone layer has in fact restored itself naturally, which means that the Shield is no longer needed. The Shield Corporation is aware of this development, but has chosen to hide it from the general public, in order to maintain its main source of profit. Meanwhile, on the past, General Katana decides that Connor cannot be allowed to return, and sends his Immortal henchmen Corda (Pete Antico) and Reno (Peter Bucossi) to kill him.
Louise manages to reach Connor first, and asks for his help in taking down the Shield. To Louise’s disappointment, she finds the passionate person she once admired has grown into a tired old man. MacLeod explains to Louise that he is dying, and expresses his disapproval of terrorism. Before Connor and Louise can finish their conversation, Corda and Reno attack. MacLeod manages to decapitate them both. Macleod then absorbs their energy during the Quickening
and regains his youthful appearance. In the process, Connor summons Ramirez back to life.
In Glencoe, Scotland
— the location of his death in the first Highlander film — Ramirez is revived. He finds himself on a theatrical stage during a performance of William Shakespeare’s
Hamlet
. Meanwhile, Connor has found a new lover in Louise Marcus. He attempts unsuccessfully to explain to her the concepts of his immortality. Elsewhere, General Katana arrives in New York, the scene of The Gathering and begins wreaking havoc.
Both Ramirez and Katana soon adapt to their new environment. Ramirez’s earring is apparently valuable enough to pay both for the new suit he acquires from the finest and oldest tailor’s shop in Scotland, and for an airplane ticket to New York City. Katana finds New York much to his liking. After entertaining himself for a while, Katana manages to locate his old enemy, but their first encounter in centuries proves to be indecisive.
Soon thereafter, Connor is contacted by Ramirez. The latter joins MacLeod and Louise in their plan to take down the Shield. Katana, expecting this, forges an uneasy alliance with David Blake. The conflict between the two sets of allies eventually leads to the deaths of Dr. Allan Neyman, Ramirez, David Blake and General Katana himself. MacLeod succeeds in taking down the Shield by using the combined energies of his final Quickening from General Katana. Louise sees the stars for the first time in her life. Connor then claims The Prize by returning to the past with Louise.
, particularly those of Blade Runner
. Lambert and Ironside both suffered injuries during the filming, according to the St. Petersburg Times: "Lambert chipped one of Ironside's teeth during a fight scene, while Ironside inadvertently chopped off part of Lambert's finger during a swordfight scene. Both men's injuries were repaired, but Ironside says precision thrusts and parries were impossible when wielding a 22-pound broadsword."
John C. McGinley
made his character’s voice as deep as possible in an effort to sound like Orson Welles
. He has since admitted that this was a bad idea. Michael Ironside's
makeup accentuates a real scar the actor has on his left temple. Clancy Brown
was contacted about reprising his role in the sequel in a cameo, but declined.
The original screenplay featured several alternate sequences and more detailed exposition. For instance, three assassins confronted MacLeod, not two. They arrived during an elaborate wine-tasting sequence. Also, the Kurgan (the first film's antagonist) was revealed to be a henchman of Katana sent to Earth to prevent MacLeod and Ramirez from winning the Prize. Ramirez and Connor were seen reincarnated as their Earth identities, in Egypt and Scotland, respectively. One Zeist day was equal to one Earth century. When above the Shield, Ramirez's katana is magically returned to Connor.
According to the documentary Highlander II: Seduced by Argentina, the film’s apparent poor performance is partially a result of the bonding company’s interference with the work of director
Russell Mulcahy
, as well as economic problems within Argentina itself, the location where the movie was filmed. Mulcahy reportedly hated the final product so much he walked out of the film’s world premiere after viewing its first 15 minutes. For similar reasons, Christopher Lambert threatened to walk out of the project when it was nearing fruition. However, he did not, due to contract obligations.
A once lost alternate ending, commonly known as “The Fairytale Ending,” was shown only in some European theaters and has never been shown in any of the American cuts. The ending shows Connor magically returning to planet Zeist, taking Louise along with him, while Ramirez’ voice is heard in the background. An early version of this ending is shown on the Special Edition. However, it also includes footage of Virginia Madsen
as Louise Marcus speaking to Christopher Lambert
as Connor MacLeod. Madsen is on location while Lambert is suspended by wires in front of a blue screen. After a brief exchange where Connor asks Louise to come with him, the theatrical ending is shown where the two embrace in front of a field of stars, then transform into light streaks and fly off into space.
This ending is sometimes seen in televised broadcasts of Highlander II: The Quickening. The VHS version simply cuts off after Connor looks up at the starry sky and smiles, after the smoke from the explosion of the December Installation clears.
Upon release, this film was met with harsh criticism by both critics and audiences. Based on 23 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 0% "Rotten". Common criticisms included the lack of motivation for the characters, the new and seemingly-incongruent origin for the Immortals, the resurrection of Ramirez, and apparent contradictions in the film's internal logic.
Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
gave the film a score of 0.5 star (out of four), saying: "Highlander II: The Quickening is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day—a movie almost awesome in its badness. Wherever science fiction fans gather, in decades and generations to come, this film will be remembered in hushed tones as one of the immortal low points of the genre."
Giving the film a score of 2 out of 10, IGN
's review of the film said: "How bad is this movie? Well, imagine if Ed Wood were alive today, and someone gave him a multi-million dollar budget. See his imagination running rampant, bringing in aliens from outer space with immensely powerful firearms, immortals who bring each other back to life by calling out their names, epic duels on flying skateboards, and a blatant disregard for anything logical or previously established—now you are starting to get closer to the vision of Highlander II.
Awarding the film one star out of five, Christopher Null
of FilmCritic.com said, "Highlander has become a bit of a joke, and here's where the joke started. ... Incomprehensible doesn't even begin to explain it. This movie is the equivalent of the 'Hey, look over there!' gag. You look, and the guy you wanted to beat up has run away and hid."
David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews gave the film two stars out of four, saying: "It's hard to imagine Highlander II appealing to non-fans of the franchise, as the film barely captures the sense of fun that was so prevalent in the original. With its complicated storyline and dreary visuals, it occasionally feels more perfunctory than anything else—though, to be fair, it's nowhere near as bad as it's been made out to be over the years."
.
In 1995, Mulcahy made a Director’s Cut
version known as Highlander 2: Renegade Version. The film was reconstructed largely from existing material, with certain scenes removed and others added back in, and the entire sequence of events changed. All references to the Immortals being aliens from another planet were eliminated; instead, this cut reveals that the Immortals are from an unspecified, distant past on Earth, banished by priests into random locations in the future to keep the Prize from being won in their lifetime.
Other new sequences include a battle between MacLeod and Katana atop a moving vehicle after they escape the security facility, and MacLeod and Louise climbing through a mountain tunnel to emerge above the Shield to confirm that the radiation levels are back to normal. The new version also removes a major continuity gaffe from the theatrical version, which had merged two separate swordfights between MacLeod and Katana into one longer climactic battle. The director’s cut
version restores them to two separate battles, although it never shows how or when Connor reacquired his katana.
Still not completely satisfied, producers William Panzer and Peter Davis decided to revisit Highlander II once again in 2004. Dubbed the Special Edition, this cut was nearly identical to the Renegade Version, but with a few alterations. The most obvious change is the introduction of new CGI special effects throughout the film, including a now-blue shield as originally intended, as well as a small piece of voiceover work by Lambert.
Reactions to the updated versions of the film have been more positive. Reviewing the 2004 "Special Edition" DVD, David Ryan of DVD Verdict gave it a score of 69 out of 100 and said that "[this] is the best version of this film that [the producers] can make with the material they have on hand. It's still not a particularly good film—but it's infinitely superior to the original version. ... What was once a horrible, horrible film has become downright tolerable, and actually somewhat entertaining at times."
Plot
In August 1994, news broadcasts announce that the ozone layerOzone layer
The ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone . This layer absorbs 97–99% of the Sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to the life forms on Earth...
is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of unfiltered sunlight. Among the dead is Connor MacLeod’s wife, Brenda Wyatt MacLeod. Before dying, Brenda extracts a promise from Connor that he will solve the problem of the ozone layer.
By 1999, Connor has become the supervisor of a scientific team headed by Dr. Allan Neyman (Allan Rich), which is attempting to create an electromagnetic shield to cover the planet, and protect it from the Sun’s radiation. The team succeeds, in effect giving Earth an artificial ozone layer. MacLeod and Neyman are proud to have saved humanity, and believe they will be remembered for a thousand years.
Unfortunately, the shield has the side effect of condemning the planet to a state of constant night, a high average global temperature and high humidity. By 2024, the years of darkness have caused humanity to lose hope and fall into a decline. The Shield has fallen under the control of the Shield Corporation. The corporation’s current chief executive, David Blake (John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
), is focused on profit, and is imposing fees for the corporation’s services. A number of terrorist groups have begun trying to take down the Shield, among them Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
), a former employee of the Shield Corporation.
Meanwhile, Connor MacLeod, now a frail old man, expects to eventually die of natural causes. As he watches a performance of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
, an image of Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez is a character from the fictional universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Sean Connery. He is an Immortal....
(Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
) appears, and induces MacLeod to recall a forgotten event of his past. On the planet Zeist, a last meeting is held between the members of a rebellion against the rule of General Katana (Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
). The rebellion’s leader, Ramirez, chooses "a man of great destiny" from among them—MacLeod—to carry out a mission against Katana. At this moment, Katana and his troops attack, crushing the rebellion. Katana orders his men to capture Ramirez and MacLeod alive, and kill the rest of the rebels. The two captives are put on trial by Zeist’s priests, who sentence them to be exiled and reborn on the future in pursuit of "The Prize." Winning the Prize gives the victor the choice to either grow old and die on future, or to return to his time. Katana is unsatisfied with their decision, but the sentence is executed, leading to the events of the original 1986 film
Highlander (film)
Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
.
Back on 2024, Louise Marcus discovers that the ozone layer has in fact restored itself naturally, which means that the Shield is no longer needed. The Shield Corporation is aware of this development, but has chosen to hide it from the general public, in order to maintain its main source of profit. Meanwhile, on the past, General Katana decides that Connor cannot be allowed to return, and sends his Immortal henchmen Corda (Pete Antico) and Reno (Peter Bucossi) to kill him.
Louise manages to reach Connor first, and asks for his help in taking down the Shield. To Louise’s disappointment, she finds the passionate person she once admired has grown into a tired old man. MacLeod explains to Louise that he is dying, and expresses his disapproval of terrorism. Before Connor and Louise can finish their conversation, Corda and Reno attack. MacLeod manages to decapitate them both. Macleod then absorbs their energy during the Quickening
Quickening (Highlander)
The Quickening is a phenomenon in the Highlander films and television series. When an Immortal is beheaded, there is a powerful energy release from their body which is called a Quickening. Lead Highlander: The Series actor Adrian Paul explains, "The Quickening is the receiving of all the power and...
and regains his youthful appearance. In the process, Connor summons Ramirez back to life.
In Glencoe, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
— the location of his death in the first Highlander film — Ramirez is revived. He finds himself on a theatrical stage during a performance of William Shakespeare’s
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. Meanwhile, Connor has found a new lover in Louise Marcus. He attempts unsuccessfully to explain to her the concepts of his immortality. Elsewhere, General Katana arrives in New York, the scene of The Gathering and begins wreaking havoc.
Both Ramirez and Katana soon adapt to their new environment. Ramirez’s earring is apparently valuable enough to pay both for the new suit he acquires from the finest and oldest tailor’s shop in Scotland, and for an airplane ticket to New York City. Katana finds New York much to his liking. After entertaining himself for a while, Katana manages to locate his old enemy, but their first encounter in centuries proves to be indecisive.
Soon thereafter, Connor is contacted by Ramirez. The latter joins MacLeod and Louise in their plan to take down the Shield. Katana, expecting this, forges an uneasy alliance with David Blake. The conflict between the two sets of allies eventually leads to the deaths of Dr. Allan Neyman, Ramirez, David Blake and General Katana himself. MacLeod succeeds in taking down the Shield by using the combined energies of his final Quickening from General Katana. Louise sees the stars for the first time in her life. Connor then claims The Prize by returning to the past with Louise.
Production
A $1 million television advertising campaign was run for the release of the movie. The sets of Highlander II have been compared to those of Ridley ScottRidley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
, particularly those of Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
. Lambert and Ironside both suffered injuries during the filming, according to the St. Petersburg Times: "Lambert chipped one of Ironside's teeth during a fight scene, while Ironside inadvertently chopped off part of Lambert's finger during a swordfight scene. Both men's injuries were repaired, but Ironside says precision thrusts and parries were impossible when wielding a 22-pound broadsword."
John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
made his character’s voice as deep as possible in an effort to sound like Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
. He has since admitted that this was a bad idea. Michael Ironside's
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
makeup accentuates a real scar the actor has on his left temple. Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
was contacted about reprising his role in the sequel in a cameo, but declined.
The original screenplay featured several alternate sequences and more detailed exposition. For instance, three assassins confronted MacLeod, not two. They arrived during an elaborate wine-tasting sequence. Also, the Kurgan (the first film's antagonist) was revealed to be a henchman of Katana sent to Earth to prevent MacLeod and Ramirez from winning the Prize. Ramirez and Connor were seen reincarnated as their Earth identities, in Egypt and Scotland, respectively. One Zeist day was equal to one Earth century. When above the Shield, Ramirez's katana is magically returned to Connor.
According to the documentary Highlander II: Seduced by Argentina, the film’s apparent poor performance is partially a result of the bonding company’s interference with the work of director
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
Russell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy is an Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights.- Music videos :...
, as well as economic problems within Argentina itself, the location where the movie was filmed. Mulcahy reportedly hated the final product so much he walked out of the film’s world premiere after viewing its first 15 minutes. For similar reasons, Christopher Lambert threatened to walk out of the project when it was nearing fruition. However, he did not, due to contract obligations.
A once lost alternate ending, commonly known as “The Fairytale Ending,” was shown only in some European theaters and has never been shown in any of the American cuts. The ending shows Connor magically returning to planet Zeist, taking Louise along with him, while Ramirez’ voice is heard in the background. An early version of this ending is shown on the Special Edition. However, it also includes footage of Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
as Louise Marcus speaking to Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
as Connor MacLeod. Madsen is on location while Lambert is suspended by wires in front of a blue screen. After a brief exchange where Connor asks Louise to come with him, the theatrical ending is shown where the two embrace in front of a field of stars, then transform into light streaks and fly off into space.
This ending is sometimes seen in televised broadcasts of Highlander II: The Quickening. The VHS version simply cuts off after Connor looks up at the starry sky and smiles, after the smoke from the explosion of the December Installation clears.
Release and reception
Highlander II: The Quickening was released on November 1, 1991 and opened at #3, grossing $5,280,490 in 960 theaters in the opening weekend. Despite its negative reputation, in the US, it grossed $15,556,340, nearly three times as much as the original. In the UK, it pulled in $9,319,978 at the end of its run. In Spain, it pulled in 1,128,132 admissions at the end of its run, and in Australia, did $2,616,414. In France it pulled 1,377,109 admissions. It was # 20 of the top grossing films in Italy during its run there, and did 7 million in Germany.Upon release, this film was met with harsh criticism by both critics and audiences. Based on 23 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 0% "Rotten". Common criticisms included the lack of motivation for the characters, the new and seemingly-incongruent origin for the Immortals, the resurrection of Ramirez, and apparent contradictions in the film's internal logic.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave the film a score of 0.5 star (out of four), saying: "Highlander II: The Quickening is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day—a movie almost awesome in its badness. Wherever science fiction fans gather, in decades and generations to come, this film will be remembered in hushed tones as one of the immortal low points of the genre."
Giving the film a score of 2 out of 10, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's review of the film said: "How bad is this movie? Well, imagine if Ed Wood were alive today, and someone gave him a multi-million dollar budget. See his imagination running rampant, bringing in aliens from outer space with immensely powerful firearms, immortals who bring each other back to life by calling out their names, epic duels on flying skateboards, and a blatant disregard for anything logical or previously established—now you are starting to get closer to the vision of Highlander II.
Awarding the film one star out of five, Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Christopher Null is a film critic, columnist and former blogger for Yahoo! Tech, editor of Drinkhacker.com, and is the founder and editor in chief of Filmcritic.com.-Publications:...
of FilmCritic.com said, "Highlander has become a bit of a joke, and here's where the joke started. ... Incomprehensible doesn't even begin to explain it. This movie is the equivalent of the 'Hey, look over there!' gag. You look, and the guy you wanted to beat up has run away and hid."
David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews gave the film two stars out of four, saying: "It's hard to imagine Highlander II appealing to non-fans of the franchise, as the film barely captures the sense of fun that was so prevalent in the original. With its complicated storyline and dreary visuals, it occasionally feels more perfunctory than anything else—though, to be fair, it's nowhere near as bad as it's been made out to be over the years."
Home video releases
The video was released on May 13, 1992 in the United States by Columbia TriStarColumbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
.
In 1995, Mulcahy made a Director’s Cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
version known as Highlander 2: Renegade Version. The film was reconstructed largely from existing material, with certain scenes removed and others added back in, and the entire sequence of events changed. All references to the Immortals being aliens from another planet were eliminated; instead, this cut reveals that the Immortals are from an unspecified, distant past on Earth, banished by priests into random locations in the future to keep the Prize from being won in their lifetime.
Other new sequences include a battle between MacLeod and Katana atop a moving vehicle after they escape the security facility, and MacLeod and Louise climbing through a mountain tunnel to emerge above the Shield to confirm that the radiation levels are back to normal. The new version also removes a major continuity gaffe from the theatrical version, which had merged two separate swordfights between MacLeod and Katana into one longer climactic battle. The director’s cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
version restores them to two separate battles, although it never shows how or when Connor reacquired his katana.
Still not completely satisfied, producers William Panzer and Peter Davis decided to revisit Highlander II once again in 2004. Dubbed the Special Edition, this cut was nearly identical to the Renegade Version, but with a few alterations. The most obvious change is the introduction of new CGI special effects throughout the film, including a now-blue shield as originally intended, as well as a small piece of voiceover work by Lambert.
Reactions to the updated versions of the film have been more positive. Reviewing the 2004 "Special Edition" DVD, David Ryan of DVD Verdict gave it a score of 69 out of 100 and said that "[this] is the best version of this film that [the producers] can make with the material they have on hand. It's still not a particularly good film—but it's infinitely superior to the original version. ... What was once a horrible, horrible film has become downright tolerable, and actually somewhat entertaining at times."