Highlander Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Highlander" delivers an appreciable and uneven 1080p/VC-1 transfer that accentuates the film's high-definition aspects while manifesting notable inconsistencies. Certain scenes, particularly the historical segments set in Scotland, exhibit remarkable sharpness and clarity with well-saturated colors. The wrestling sequence at the beginning exemplifies this uptick in visual quality, showcasing fine object details and textures brilliantly. However, this crispness is sporadically interrupted by scenes characterized by noticeable softness and a significant digital noise, hinting at potential variances in the film stocks used.

Contrast management appears inconsistent, with lower-end contrast resulting in murky shadows that obscure details. Despite this, black levels maintain accuracy for most of the presentation. The film's characteristic grain structure remains intact, fostering an authentic filmic experience. Color grading reveals primary colors as bright and bold, while other hues maintain pleasant accuracy, with flesh tones appearing natural and lifelike. Unfortunately, resolution dips frequently, and these instances of softening can detract from the overall experience.

While the Blu-ray successfully preserves many aspects of the film's visual allure, the persistent fluctuation between sharpness and softness may be jarring for the discerning viewer. Nevertheless, for an 80s cult classic, "Highlander" retains enough visual fidelity in its Blu-ray iteration to provide an enjoyable viewing despite its imperfections.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix for "Highlander" is commendable given the film's age. The dynamic range is impressive, showcasing thundering lows and pristine fidelity without any distortion. Dialogue tends to stay front and center, maintaining clarity throughout. The ambient environmental noise and sound effects, especially in historically placed scenes, add a layer of atmospheric depth. The standout feature is undoubtedly the Queen score, which sounds fantastic in lossless audio, allowing Freddie Mercury’s powerful vocals to shine.

However, while the soundtrack offers some strengths, it also has notable shortcomings. The mix has been expanded from its original stereo track, leading to inconsistent surround activity. Some vocals are occasionally overwhelmed by loud action scenes, and ADR issues are noticeable. Though there is some effective use of rear channels, the overall mid-range can feel hollow, and the low bass does not consistently add weight during action sequences. Despite these flaws, the music score by Michael Kamen and Queen significantly benefits from the higher resolution, occasionally bleeding into rear channels with some discrete effects, albeit without always seeming natural or convincing.

Overall, while the DTS-HD Master Audio mix for "Highlander" shows strong elements with an impressive fidelity and a robust Queen score, the expansion to 5.1 presents several consistency challenges that prevent it from being a knockout experience.

The Blu-ray release of "Highlander" features a modest selection of extras that fans may find interesting, although it lacks the Queen music videos that some had hoped for. The Audio Commentary by director Russell Mulcahy offers insightful anecdotes on the production and his reflections on the story, although it is marred by occasional long pauses. Additionally, there are five Deleted Scenes (6:14) available, presented without audio and accompanied by the film's underscore. While these scenes provide an interesting glimpse into what was cut, they might not hold significant value for all viewers.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary: Director Russell Mulcahy discusses production challenges and story insights.
• Deleted Scenes: Five scenes without audio, set to the movie’s score, totaling 6:14 minutes.

Russell Mulcahy's Highlander has gone on to achieve considerable cult status despite its initial critical disdain and uneven narrative execution. The film uniquely meshes fast cuts, tracking shots, and time-period transitions that are handled with surprising ingenuity. Remarkable sequences such as the transition from an icy stream to two different centuries and the evolution of star Christopher Lambert's face into the Mona Lisa showcase Mulcahy's visual creativity. Significant among the film's assets is the vibrant cameo by Sean Connery, whose performance injects much-needed energy and humor, albeit in a hammy manner. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast delivers wooden performances, with Christopher Lambert falling flat due to his limited English proficiency during production and a lack of dynamic presence.

The film's Achilles' heel is its uneven tone and execution. While certain sequences like the opening flyby of a wrestling arena are handled impressively, they are sharply contrasted by poorly choreographed fight scenes such as the ludicrous parking garage showdown. The film's pacing, further complicated by erratic edits, often leaves viewers struggling to follow plot developments. Still, Clancy Brown stands out as an effectively menacing antagonist, bringing visceral intensity to his role as Kurgan. Coupled with a fantastic song score by Queen and Michael Kamen, which defies overused Celtic motifs in favor of lush multilayered harmonies, the film's auditory experience remains one of its enduring strengths.

Highlander's appeal lies in its imaginative concept—immortals locked in a cryptic game throughout centuries—and its visually arresting blend of modern and historical settings. However, this 1986 fantasy-action feature embodies the quintessential 80s charm and drawbacks: a mix of intriguing ideas marred by lackluster execution. Despite these flaws, it retains its place as an enjoyable cult favorite for those who relish imaginative fantasy actioners from the era.

Russell Mulcahy's "Highlander" seems destined for cult status, even with its uneven execution. The film's intriguing concept of immortals battling through centuries is compounded by its unique visual style and iconic '80s flair, featuring standout sequences with Sean Connery and Clancy Brown. However, the flaws are striking: the narrative is choppy and disjointed, which can make the story difficult to follow, and the performances, particularly from Christopher Lambert, often fall flat.

The Blu-ray release of "Highlander" presents a mixed bag in terms of technical quality. The picture quality is clearly an upgrade from previous editions, offering sharper images and better clarity. Yet, the image quality is inconsistent, with some scenes displaying noticeable grain and lack of detail. The audio also improves on past releases but still feels strained and hollow in some areas, failing to provide the robust sound experience that fans might expect. Additionally, the supplemental materials are sparse and underwhelming, lacking in-depth behind-the-scenes content or director’s commentary that could provide more context for this cult classic.

Why do certain films attain cult status after their release? In the case of "Highlander," it's even harder to fathom than it usually is. This is a film with an intriguing concept and great bridging sequences, but some absolutely leaden dialogue and performances, especially by star Christopher Lambert. If an immortal Scotsman traipsing through 16th-century Scotland and 20th-century New York is your plate of haggis, "Highlander" is probably must-see cinema, though this film's spotty Blu-ray image quality may argue against a purchase and more for a rental.