Highlander II - The Return

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Highlander II - The Return
Original title Highlander II - The Quickening
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1991
length 91 minutes
Age rating FSK 18
Rod
Director Russell Mulcahy
script Peter Bellwood
production Peter S. Davis ,
William N. Panzer
music Stewart Copeland
camera Phil Meheux
cut Anthony Redman ,
Hubert C. de la Bouillerie
occupation
chronology

←  Predecessor
Highlander - There can only be one

Successor  →
Highlander III - The Legend

Highlander II is an American film by director Russell Mulcahy from 1991. The world premiere took place on January 31, 1991 in Germany.

content

In 1994 the ozone layer was destroyed, so that many people died from the ultraviolet radiation . Brenda, Connor MacLeod's friend, also succumbs to the radiation, but asks Connor to take care of the problem beforehand. Connor, once immortal, builds a protective shield with the help of scientists that will protect people from radiation from 1999 onwards.

In 2024 people have been living under the protective shield for 25 years and Connor MacLeod has become an old man. Connor remembers his origins in a theater. The viewer learns that he does not come from the Highlands , as shown in the first film , but from the planet Zeist. From there he was banished to earth together with other aliens by the evil general Katana: All immortals who once populated the earth were rebels who fought against Katana on Zeist under the leadership of Ramirez. On earth they were forced to fight each other as immortals until there was only one left. He would then be allowed to return to Zeist if he so wished. That last survivor is Connor MacLeod.

Katana fears MacLeod's return and sends his henchmen to Earth to kill him. Through their presence, Connor becomes an immortal young man again and can defeat the henchmen. A little later the journalist Louise Marcus approaches him and tells him that the protective shield is no longer needed because the ozone layer has recovered over the years; But this is being kept a secret from people by David Blake, the operator of the sign, who does not want to forego his income.

Connor wants to investigate the matter, but he has to find out that Katana came to earth herself and has entered into a partnership with the operators of the protective shield. Together with Ramírez, who was brought back to life by a spell, he takes action against katana. Ramírez sacrifices his life before Connor can kill Katana and the operators of the protective shield and destroy the shield. He then returned to Zeist with Louise.

Cut versions

The following versions of the film exist:

  • the US theatrical version
  • the German theatrical version, the shortened compared to the US version to some violence peaks and over 16 released and the alternate ending described below provides
  • the so-called Renegade version, which contains major changes to the plot compared to the theatrical versions (for example, the immortals are no longer aliens.)
  • the Special Edition , which has been changed slightly compared to the Renegade version

The reason for the existence of the Renegade Version and the Special Edition is that shortly before the project was completed, both the director and the producer were deprived of their rights to the film. The donors cut the film for theatrical release according to their own ideas. Director Mulcahy was only able to edit the theatrical version according to his ideas in 1995 and thus create the Renegade version. In 2004 the producers William Panzer and Peter Davis finally decided to make some changes to this version again and created the special edition.

Alternative ending

In almost all film versions that were shown in European cinemas, the film ends differently than in the American one: After Connor and Louise turn their backs on the destroyed shield generator and walk along the bank, Louise asks where the Highlander would go now, Connor shows her a star in the sky and after a short dialogue both magically return to Zeist. In the Renegade version, this scene was not used again because the entire "Zeist story" was eliminated in this film version, instead it was said that the immortals come from the "distant past".

Trivia

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.
  • Most of the film was shot in Argentina .
  • The situation between the sponsors and director Russel Mulcahy was extremely tense even in the first phases of filming. When the shooting was finished, Mulcahy was excluded from the post-production process and the film was cut by investors and financiers in order to achieve maximum profit, as inflation in Argentina was then deteriorating.
  • Christopher Lambert disliked the rewritten script so much that he tried in vain to get out of production.
  • Overall, the shooting time with Sean Connery lasted only nine days, for which the actor received a fee of $ 3.5 million.
  • Russell Mulcahy was so dissatisfied with the original theatrical version that he left the premiere after 15 minutes.
  • Christopher Lambert is extremely myopic, but he was not allowed to wear glasses or contact lenses while filming. This also had its consequences during filming: When shooting the final fight scene with Michael Ironside, Lambert almost chopped off his opponent's right thumb. Lambert also injured his arm during this fight scene.
  • Director Russell Mulcahy made a cameo in Highlander II. He plays one of the technicians on Shield Control in the 1999 flashback.
  • In an early draft of the script, it was stated that Kurgan (the archenemy of the Highlander from the first part) was also a renegade immortal who was banished by Zeist. Katana made a pact with Kurgan in which it said he should kill Connor MacLeod and Ramirez, after which Katana would let him return to Zeist. When Kurgan finally failed in the fight against Connor, Katana sent the assassins Corda and Reno to kill MacLeod. This scene was partly used in the Renegade version, but the hologram doesn't show the final battle between Connor and Kurgan, only Connor as an old man. Clancy Brown was actually offered such a cameo, but turned it down.
  • Originally it was planned that Katana would send away three, not two, assassins to kill Connor.
  • Ramírez was supposed to mention in a dialogue that one day on Zeist lasts a millennium on earth.
  • In the UK Version of Highlander II, the two fights between Connor and Katana were cut together. In the Renegade edition and in numerous other European versions, however, it was left with two duels.
  • Christopher Lambert and Michael Ironside did many stunts themselves, stunt doubles were hardly used at all.
  • Russell Mulcahy was so frustrated with the investors' cut that he tried to use the code name " Alan Smithee " for the credits , but this was not allowed for legal reasons.
  • The model for the "flying skateboard" that Connor MacLeod used to kill an assassin was the hoverboard from Back to the Future II .
  • Virginia Madsen auditioned for the role of Heather in the first Highlander film.
  • Because of the bizarre plot, Highlander II is not part of the official Highlander timeline. Therefore, Highlander III was filmed as if the second part never happened.
  • The role of Ramírez in Highlander II was not originally planned. The donors, but also Christopher Lambert, insisted on resurrecting Ramírez, because they really wanted to have Sean Connery on board again.
  • Highlander II was originally supposed to be a prelude to the first part.
  • John C. McGinley spoke his lines of dialogue in the original as deeply as possible, so he imitated actors like Orson Welles or James Earl Jones , this should make his role seem more threatening. He later said it was a bad idea.
  • It was planned to shoot flashbacks in which Connor and Ramírez arrived on earth after their exile (Ramírez in Egypt and Connor in Scotland) and how they took on their new identities.
  • Also, according to a draft of the script, Ramírez's sword, which was crushed with him when he saved MacLeod and Louise, should later "magically" return to the hands of the Highlander shortly before the final battle with Connor and Katana. However, this scene was never realized.
  • Despite the negative press, the film grossed $ 15,556,340 in American cinemas (more than three times the first film), making it the most successful part of the Highlander franchise to date. He grossed $ 9,319,978 in the UK, $ 1,128,132 in Spain, $ 2,616,414 in Australia, $ 1,377,109 in France and about $ 7 million in Germany.

Reviews

“As in the first“ Highlander ”film, Russell Mulcahy eagerly plunders recent film history, but no longer succumbs to the same extent to the (surface) charms of the video clip aesthetic. The story, which is extremely confused in the system, gives Sean Connery the opportunity to make brilliant comedic interludes in a supporting role. "

- Lexicon of international film

“Highlander II is the most incomprehensible film I've seen in a long time - a film that is almost eminently bad. Wherever science fiction fans will meet in the next decades and generations, this film will be remembered as one of the low points of the genre "

- Roger Ebert

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ World premiere. Internet Movie Database , accessed August 30, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Doc Idaho: Highlander II - The Return. In: schnittberichte.com . September 6, 2009, archived from the original on June 2, 2011 ; Retrieved June 3, 2011 .
  3. ↑ Highlander II - The Return. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 24, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. ^ Roger Ebert: Highlander 2: The Quickening . Rogerebert.suntimes.com. November 1, 1991. Retrieved April 5, 2013.

Web links