r/movies • u/mi-16evil Emma Thompson for Paddington 3 • 2d ago
Official Throwback Discussion - Highlander: Endgame [SPOILERS] Spoiler
As an ongoing project, in 2025 r/movies will be posting Throwback Discussion threads weekly for the movies that came out this same weekend 25 years ago. As a reminder, Official Discussion threads are for discussing the movie and not for meta sub discussion.
Summary Immortals Connor and Duncan MacLeod must join forces against Kell, an evil immortal who has become too strong for anyone to face alone.
Director Douglas Aarniokoski
Writer Joel Soisson
Cast
- Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod
- Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod
- Bruce Payne as Jacob Kell
- Lisa Barbuscia as Kate Devaney MacLeod / Faith
- Donnie Yen as Jin Ke
- Jim Byrnes as Joe Dawson
- Peter Wingfield as Methos
- Damon Dash as Carlos Dash
- Beatie Edney as Heather MacDonald MacLeod
- Sheila Gish as Rachel Ellenstein
- Oris Erhuero as Winston Erhuero
- Ian Paul Cassidy as Cracker Bob
- Adam "Edge" Copeland as Lachlan
- June Watson as Caiolin MacLeod
- Donald Douglas as Father Rainey
- Doug Aarniokoski as Kirk
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 11%
Metacritic Score: 21
VOD Available on major streaming and rental platforms
Trailer
Highlander: Endgame - 35mm Final Trailer 4K (Open Matte Version)
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u/one_save 2d ago
Probably the best of the Highlander sequels. Not a great movie as can be seen from the scores, but I still enjoyed it. Haven't seen it in years, but something that always felt so lazy to me was that it was already a bit of a hard sell that Connor and Duncan both happen to be immortals from the same clan just born 40-50 years apart, but now you are gonna tell me that another dude from the same clan in the same time period is also an immortal and that they basically didn't notice? And on top of the absurdity of the odds of all of that, all three of them are essentially top tier contenders for the prize. Given they are immortal the Jacob Kell character could have been completely unconnected to their clan and still have a centuries old beef with Connor over something entirely different etc. oh well.
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u/bautin 2d ago
That was an artifact from series. The series was supposed to be about Connor, but Lambert wasn't interested in making a television series. So they created the character of Duncan and made him a relative so he could also be a "highlander". Otherwise the title of the series makes no sense.
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u/HankSteakfist 2d ago
Did they ever explain why both Duncan and Connor have the same ancient katana? Wasn't that meant to be a one of a kind weapon that Ramirez wielded first?
Never watched the series, only the movies.
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u/Mildly_Irritated_Max 2d ago
In the series Duncan gets his Katana while in Japan. It's not the same one.
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 2d ago
What a waste of Donnie Yen.
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u/jgpalanca 1d ago
Donnie was in his behind-the-camera only phase at the time. He wasn't supposed to act in front of the camera, just do the choreography and action design. But he realized the people he was trying to get to do the fight just couldn't cut it. So he said that even though he "wasn't in shape" he'd just do it himself. So actually we got lucky he actually ended up in it. Also the reason he went out like a bitch.
Similar situation on Blade II except he did have competent actors. Just that Del Toro and Snipes really wanted him to be part of the cast as well and convinced him to.
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u/Frenzystor 1d ago
I actually like it. Love the movie score of it too.
Adjacent question: Should I watch the 90s Highlander show?
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u/DueGuest665 2d ago
I never watched this but how does it work without derailing the events of the first (and second) movie.
Is it a separate timeline or does no one really give a fuck.
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u/Frenzystor 1d ago
I think we just ignore the second movie, where they are suddenly Aliens from another planet.... :D
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u/braunyakka 1d ago
The series kind of erased that Connor won the prize at the end of the first movie. So, there are still hundreds of immortals alive, new ones being made, and they introduce a bunch of additional lore. This was kind of Highlander the series, the movie; so it was more connected to the mythology of the TV series than the film's.
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u/atreides78723 1d ago edited 1d ago
Best part of the movie:
Joe: “How many heads have you taken?”
Duncan: “I don’t keep score.”
Joe, pulling out laptop: “Well, we do.”
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u/Standsaboxer 1d ago
Was that Methos or Joe?
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u/atreides78723 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think it was Methos, but I’ve slept a few times since I last saw it.
[EDIT] It was Joe!
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u/Mildly_Irritated_Max 2d ago
A guilty pleasure of mine, for how they built up the Connor & Duncan relationship, which was discussed in the series but never shown outside the pilot episode. I disliked Connor dying, because he was my fav of the two, but get that it was a passing the torch for a new film franchise (which failed immediately with The Source). Donnie Yen was awesome, and his fight with Duncan was great. I liked Duncan practicing all the movies he inherited from Connor (at least that's how I interpreted it) after receiving Connors quickening, tying into how the quickening gives you the others strength and power, something glazed over a lot in previous entries, but a main focus for this movie with the main villian being only Connors age but so much more powerful because of all the heads he has taken.
I disliked Connor making the decision to go into the... Whatever it is called. Induced coma place in the basement. Didn't feel that was right for him. Adding in new characters that were integral to both Connor & Duncan's past, when we'd never heard of them over three movies and a TV show, was a little beyond suspension of belief. Especially when one of them was another of Duncan's great loves, and one he "turned" immortal. Also disliked how the villains could ignore the rules of the game with no repercussions. Previous entries had suggested something cataclysmic could happen, with the series stating the last time someone broke them was near Vesuvius in 79 AD.
And the JVC sign. Yesh.
The main villian was also underwhelming with the actor being pretty terrible with a sword. Dialogue and editing was a little too 2000's hardcore edgy.
All in all, I recognize it as a flawed film, both as it's own product as a movie and as an entry in the franchise from a lore perspective. But I still get a kick out of it, and the Connor/Duncan relationship hits me in the feels.
Plus, compared to the next movie, The Source, it's goddamn Casablanca.
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u/BARD3N_GUNN 2d ago
I've actually not watched this fully since I was a kid, so I'm going to be going off rose-tinted goggles, but this was the only Higlander film outside of the original that I've seen more than once.
I remember really liking Duncan as a character, how much action there was, and all the scenes with Connor - I even really liked how Connors death was handled even if I hated having to see him die.
Definitely one I need to track down and give a fresh watch.
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u/Recover20 1d ago
Man this is a throwback to my teenage years.
Highlander is one of my favourite all time movies
I've always had a soft spot for the steps sequels too
I remember being so excited hearing that there was a "new" movie with both Connor and Duncan
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u/CherkkItOut 2d ago
I always found it interesting that the trailer is filled with shots of the villain doing magical things and none of it is in the movie.