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Firstly, a bit of a run-down on that wishy-washy plot that
got fans of the first film’s knickers all knotty. The
immortal Connor McCloud (Christopher Lambert) and buddy Ramirez
(Sean Connery) are leaders of a rebellion on a mission to
take down an evil General.
They fail, and as a consequence and sentenced to do time
on that ghastly far-far-away planet named Earth.
Flash-forward to 2025, McCloud’s been hired to construct
an energy shield, which protects the inhabitants of Earth
from the rays of the Sun. The above-mentioned General gets
wind of McCloud’s still living-breathing existence and
makes travel arrangements for the rogue squadron to come to
Earth and deal with him.
Next thing you know, swords are flying, heads are rolling
and Sean Connery’s left the picture.
The Renegade version pretty much offers the same storyline;
except now there isn’t much reference left on McCloud’s
home planet (thankfully, it was duller than a 24-7 'Saved
by the Bell' marathon) and both he and Ramirez seem to have
discovered personalities. In addition, there are a couple
of cool action sequences that near save the film.
In short: “Highlander 2” plays a lot better now
in its special edition guise, but it’s still a shade
on the original.
DVD Extras
On the first disc, there’s the film (it looks amazing
by the way – spotless, sharp, sounding as sweet as Mandy
Moore whistling from the back bedroom), and a pop-up icon
feature that enables the viewer to see how particular scenes
were done as they view the film.
On disc 2 there are a slew of goodies. There’s a doco
that features interviews with near everyone and anyone involved
with the film, several featurettes that focus on one aspect
of the film: i.e. the digital effects of the film, the design
of the costumes, the cinematography and the music. The original
promo-reel from Cannes (1991) is on here too, a selection
of deleted scenes (including an alternate ending) and a trailer.
More to the point though, how is this new ‘Special Edition’?
In a word: stellar.
Conclusion: Movie 65% Extras: 90%
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