Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers (WGA):

Gregory Widen (characters)
Brian Clemens (story) ...

Release Date:

1 November 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's a kind of magic.

Plot:

In the future, Highlander Connor MacLeod must prevent the destruction of Earth under an anti-ozone shield.

Plot Keywords:

Immortal | Ozone Layer | Highlander | Sequel | Flashback

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Connor MacLeod
Sean Connery	...	Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Virginia Madsen	...	Louise Marcus
Michael Ironside	...	Gen. Katana
Allan Rich	...	Allan Neyman
John C. McGinley	...	David Blake
Phil Brock	...	Cabbie
Rusty Schwimmer	...	Drunk
Ed Trucco	...	Jimmy
Steven Grives	...	Hamlet (as Stephen Grives)
Jimmy Murray	...	Horatio
Pete Antico	...	Corda
Peter Bucossi	...	Reno
Peter Bromilow	...	Joe
Jeff Altman	...	Doctor

Also Known As:

Highlander II: The Renegade Version (UK) (director's cut) (USA) (video title (director's cut))
Highlander - Le retour (France)
Highlander 2 (Argentina)
Highlander 2: The Quickening (USA) (video box title)
Highlander II (USA)
Highlander, le retour (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, and some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

91 min | USA:109 min (director's cut) | Argentina:92 min | UK:86 min (DVD version) | UK:100 min (theatrical version) | Sweden:100 min (theatrical version)

Country:

France | UK | Argentina

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | France:Unrated | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 (director's cut) | Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut) | USA:R | Norway:15 (video premiere) (1991) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1990-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company:

Lamb Bear Entertainment

Trivia:

In unused scenes, it is explained that the Kurgan from the first film was also a resident of the dreaded planet Zeist, hired by General Katana (Michael Ironside) to kill Connor MacLeod ('Lambert, Christopher'). The final battle between MacLeod and the Kurgan from the 1986 film is shown on a large screen to Zeist bettors, and when the Kurgan fails, Katana sends down the two assassins featured in the final cut of the film to take out MacLeod.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez was killed in the prison he had the Samurai sword with him and Connor MacLeod runs out of the prison with his other sword. In the final fight Connor MacLeod has the Samurai again.

Quotes:

Louise Marcus: You're nothing but a tired old man.
Conner MacLeod: More than you know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Undergrads: Rivalries (#1.8)" (2001)

There should have been only one!

Ug!

This movie runs the decathlon of stupidity and comes in first in every event. In every other area it gets the booby prize with high honors. As much as I hate to admit it, I saw this movie in a movie theater without having seen the first movie. Grudgingly I visited the first Highlander expecting the same torpor that I that got here, but to my surprise I actually like that movie. That depressed me because it made me hate this movie even more! I didn't see Highlander III, I just thought I would quit while I was ahead.

Highlander 2: The Quickening is a movie that doesn't require suspension of disbelief so much as it requires a full-frontal lobotomy with a chainsaw. The script was edited with a cheese grater and written with the wan hope that anyone watching the film wouldn't ask too many questions. We're not supposed to shake our heads when the movie begins in 1999; shift ahead 25 years then shifts backwards 500 years to medieval Scotland and then to another planet. I make it a practice not to dismiss a movie right off the bat but when the movie shifts time three times 15 minutes, I begin finding a better use for the cinema light to examine my ticket for the refund policy.

It begins 500 years in the past on the Planet Zeist and I assume that the rotation works on that same time table as earth even though it's sun is so close that the inhabitants should be deep fried. It coincides with earth time so that it can explain why the movie shifts to medieval Scotland to explain how Connor McLoed, one of the planets "immortals", has found himself in a kilt on horseback. He is sent to Scotland as punishment for leading a rebellion and as a term of his sentence, he's immortal. But not really. Well sorta.

Actually the movie tries to explain this in a bit of dialogue that isn't much help. A character says: "You're mortal there, but you're immortal here, until you kill all the guys from there who have come here, and then you're mortal here. Unless, you go back there, or some more guys from there came here, in which case you become immortal here, again." It's pretty bad when the characters are as confused by the plot as we are.

Also, in 1999 there's some business about the O-Zone finally collapsing and threatening to fry mankind. Connor offers up a shield called Shield (?) to keep the rays of the sun from turning us into charcoal. The idea of the shield isn't quite as difficult to explain as that immortality thing but it isn't any more logical. McLoed's big idea involves concentrating the planet's energy into a "lay-zur" and is shot up into a satellite. Therefore Earth is saved from solar radiation (proving, I suppose, that if we would have depended on solar power, there would be hell to pay).

But, there's a drawback, there is no sun and the temperature consistently 99 degrees. Being 99 degrees raises another question of why, in 2024, we find Conner attending the Opera surrounded men in tuxes who should all be passing out from the heat. Furthermore there would be a major loss of food production and the land would be desert, but hey at least the arts are finally getting a boost.

Sean Connery puts another dent in his reputation by appearing as Ramirez, a Zeist- banished warrior now clanking swords in medieval Scotland. He doesn't appear much in the movie and I wasn't surprised given the material. But then I saw Highlander and I wondered how managed to fit into this movie since we last saw him in the previous film minus a head. Maybe Zardoz had something to do with that.

Maybe it's asking too much, but this movie has to be seen to be believed. Nah, that's asking too much, don't see it and just believe me, it sucks.