Highlander reboot slated for 2014
By
Acemace,
Posted on: 2011-03-14 07:50 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Meh, more reboots buuuut.. who knows, maybe this one'll be alright (as if!) + sorting out the mess of all those bad Highlander movies, it can only be for the good really.
Still, who knows.. liked the first movie, snoozed through the second and the rest were bleh so here's to hoping something decent will come out of this. 
There cannot be only one!!! (Because there's money to be made on sequels, reboots and tv series).
Personally, I just pretend that there was only the first Highlander, and none of the other dreck that goes by the name Highlander ever happened. The first movie was very well done, and had a satisfying ending. There never should have been any sequels, etc.
As for this reboot? Meh. I probably won't see it. Exactly what new or different take are they going to bring to the story that won't actually diminish it?
Having seen Highlander 2 before the original Highlander, I personally don't hate it.
Seeing Highlander 2, was what got me to go look for the first one.
That said, I can see why those who did see the original first don't care for #2.
I don't mind them rebooting Highlander. It's a movie that can easily be rebooted without to much of a problem imo.
I say that having loved the series...though not caring for the "The Source".
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Yeah I'm pretty firmly in the "I thought the first movie was good and pretend nothing else was made after it" camp.
If they are remaking the first movie and sticking only to the story of the first movie then this "reboot" might be OK.
Beyond that I really don't want to see anything else from this franchise.
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Think if they do a reboot they'd at least have Christopher Lambert in it? Maybe replacing Ramirez?! 
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I enjoyed the first movie and series, and how the series expanded on certain concepts as well as bringing in new things such as the Watchers. I think the original plan for the series was that it would be about Connor but they decided to create the Duncan character instead which prompted the retcon that states Connor killed Kurgan but it wasn't the final gathering.
Still there is one glaring error from the first movie to the series in regards to the final prize.
It's stated by Ramirez that if someone like Kurgan gets the Prize that mankind is doomed to an eternity of darkness. So that sounds to me like Kurgan lives forever and dominates humanity. So how come when Connor gets the prize that he gains mortality and can allegedly have kids yet also have access to basically all knowledge on earth?
Connor also reminds Duncan that if one like Slan Quince gets the prize that mankind is doomed, same line regarding Kurgan getting the prize.
About the only thing that can be confirmed is that the Prize is indeed all the quickenings and knowledge of all the immortals in one. What effect that would have is open to interpretation.
The problem is that the whole 'can be only one' is just a really stupid premise when you think about 'why?'. The first movie's explanation was a hand-waving non-explanation which amounted to 'that's just the way it is with us.' Which is stupid. But, can be good entertainment if you put that aside and see what would happen if that were the case.
To extend the story past a single movie means either an extended refusal to explain why, which will only make the lack of explanation more and more glaring, or, you'll try to explain it and just appear really stupid. Not to mention that 'only one' precludes sequels unless you want to continually go "oops, there's really just one more!"
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Plus in the series there were about as many immortals as there were mutants in Marvel, so the final gathering was still a long ways off |
Originally Posted by Zombie Man
The problem is that the whole 'can be only one' is just a really stupid premise when you think about 'why?'. The first movie's explanation was a hand-waving non-explanation which amounted to 'that's just the way it is with us.' Which is stupid. But, can be good entertainment if you put that aside and see what would happen if that were the case.
To extend the story past a single movie means either an extended refusal to explain why, which will only make the lack of explanation more and more glaring, or, you'll try to explain it and just appear really stupid. Not to mention that 'only one' precludes sequels unless you want to continually go "oops, there's really just one more!" |
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That's pretty much why the first movie, if you take it in isolation to anything else, works more or less perfectly.|
Originally Posted by Zombie Man
The problem is that the whole 'can be only one' is just a really stupid premise when you think about 'why?'. The first movie's explanation was a hand-waving non-explanation which amounted to 'that's just the way it is with us.' Which is stupid. But, can be good entertainment if you put that aside and see what would happen if that were the case.
To extend the story past a single movie means either an extended refusal to explain why, which will only make the lack of explanation more and more glaring, or, you'll try to explain it and just appear really stupid. Not to mention that 'only one' precludes sequels unless you want to continually go "oops, there's really just one more!" |
With just the simple premise "There can only be one" the first movie worked without having to "explain" too much or without having to worry about sequels. Basically as soon as they realized they wanted to create sequel movies they ruined the core of the story by having to try to retool/re-engineer the "There can only be one" paradigm into a larger overall story.
There really -should- have only been one.
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I think the there can only be one premise works, of course, that means some work is needed to become "the one" when others can pop up.|
Originally Posted by Zombie Man
The problem is that the whole 'can be only one' is just a really stupid premise when you think about 'why?'. The first movie's explanation was a hand-waving non-explanation which amounted to 'that's just the way it is with us.' Which is stupid. But, can be good entertainment if you put that aside and see what would happen if that were the case.
To extend the story past a single movie means either an extended refusal to explain why, which will only make the lack of explanation more and more glaring, or, you'll try to explain it and just appear really stupid. Not to mention that 'only one' precludes sequels unless you want to continually go "oops, there's really just one more!" |
Those like Krugen are likely to go hunting, while those like Connor and Duncan would be the opposite.
The failing it seems to be the no fighting on Holy Ground.
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The Third Movie expanded the Holy Ground rule a bit: Kane confronts Connor in a Buddhist Monastery in New York aka Holy Ground. Connor reminds him of the rule, Kane doesn't care and the fight begins. Kane goes for the kill, Connor blocks but his sword shatters and the shrine starts glowing this rather ominous red glow....Kane then says "After 400 years, patience IS a virtue" and flees with Connor also fleeing the scene as neither wanted to be there for what may have been coming. |
Originally Posted by BrandX
I think the there can only be one premise works, of course, that means some work is needed to become "the one" when others can pop up.
Those like Krugen are likely to go hunting, while those like Connor and Duncan would be the opposite. The failing it seems to be the no fighting on Holy Ground. |
Season 5 of the series, episode Little Tin God. Villain of the week has a messiah complex and is killing pre immortals and pretending to be God as they wake up as immortals. He teaches them a twisted version of the rules and tells them Duncan is the personification of the devil. He's chased into a cemetary where they still tried to kill him until one remembered that they were told not to kill in holy ground. Joe Dawson of the Watchers later tells Duncan of a legend in their Chronicles of two immortals fighting in a temple right before Mt. Vesuvius wiped out Pompeii. Villain of the week is beheaded off holy ground but near the old church he based out of and a lightning bolt struck the cross on the church which glowed ominously. Duncan sees it and decides its a good idea to leave the area......
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I remember this, I think the failing is just in the fact that, if it did come down to just two of them, one could hide out on Holy Ground and wait for more immortals to come about.
|
Originally Posted by Nericus
The Third Movie expanded the Holy Ground rule a bit: Kane confronts Connor in a Buddhist Monastery in New York aka Holy Ground. Connor reminds him of the rule, Kane doesn't care and the fight begins. Kane goes for the kill, Connor blocks but his sword shatters and the shrine starts glowing this rather ominous red glow....Kane then says "After 400 years, patience IS a virtue" and flees with Connor also fleeing the scene as neither wanted to be there for what may have been coming.
Season 5 of the series, episode Little Tin God. Villain of the week has a messiah complex and is killing pre immortals and pretending to be God as they wake up as immortals. He teaches them a twisted version of the rules and tells them Duncan is the personification of the devil. He's chased into a cemetary where they still tried to kill him until one remembered that they were told not to kill in holy ground. Joe Dawson of the Watchers later tells Duncan of a legend in their Chronicles of two immortals fighting in a temple right before Mt. Vesuvius wiped out Pompeii. Villain of the week is beheaded off holy ground but near the old church he based out of and a lightning bolt struck the cross on the church which glowed ominously. Duncan sees it and decides its a good idea to leave the area...... |
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Quite true. But....Ramirez did explain that one day they would feel an irresistible pull to a far away land to fight for the Prize. So presuming that is true then hiding in Holy Ground may not be viable. |
Originally Posted by BrandX
I remember this, I think the failing is just in the fact that, if it did come down to just two of them, one could hide out on Holy Ground and wait for more immortals to come about.
|
Now the Watchers in Highlander 4 Endgame seemed to circumvent that with the Sanctuary by keeping immortals in drug induced comas. Talk about a gross violation of the non interference oaths of the Watchers. Too bad that Endgame suffered from sloppy editing as well as a weak script. There are I think three versions of Endgame and I'm not sure which is considered accurate, but I think they all failed to properly convey if Sanctuary was on Holy Ground considering that Kell came in and destroyed the place and all but Connor. The movie doesn't show if Kell took them all outside or not or just killed them inside so if it WAS holy ground then he broke the prime rule of the immortals.
Also I think we are to presume that IF it indeed comes down to the last two, and one walks away with the Prize that no new immortals can ever be born again.
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Well, time has passed between the series and Endgame. I'd guess that oath got left behind, when they realized, staying in the background and just watching could easily lead to an eternity of darkness.|
Originally Posted by Nericus
Quite true. But....Ramirez did explain that one day they would feel an irresistible pull to a far away land to fight for the Prize. So presuming that is true then hiding in Holy Ground may not be viable.
Now the Watchers in Highlander 4 Endgame seemed to circumvent that with the Sanctuary by keeping immortals in drug induced comas. Talk about a gross violation of the non interference oaths of the Watchers. Too bad that Endgame suffered from sloppy editing as well as a weak script. There are I think three versions of Endgame and I'm not sure which is considered accurate, but I think they all failed to properly convey if Sanctuary was on Holy Ground considering that Kell came in and destroyed the place and all but Connor. The movie doesn't show if Kell took them all outside or not or just killed them inside so if it WAS holy ground then he broke the prime rule of the immortals. Also I think we are to presume that IF it indeed comes down to the last two, and one walks away with the Prize that no new immortals can ever be born again. |
Personally, I'm still suprised so very few Immortals use guns.
Shoot em, they fall over dead. Then take their head.
I know the show had a one or two do this, but you'd think one would be well trained to really make use of this.
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As someone who, for nostalgia, just recently re-watched 1 - 4 (and believe the show was far and away better than the movies combined) am sad, yet curious, there is a 5th out there? I had no idea.|
Originally Posted by Nericus
Apparently it will be called Highlander: The Reckoning and it is a reboot film for old and new fans alike.
No official word on the overall plot and casting but it is a reboot. Given how the Highlander universe is currently a bit messed up from some lousy movie sequels, this is a time when I would support a reboot for this franchise more then others. Current Highlander continuity is: Original movie with retcon so that yes Connor kills Kurgan but it was not the final gathering, then comes the series, the comes Highlander 4: Endgame. Highlander 2, Highlander 3 are ignored and Highlander 5: the Source was worse then Highlander 2. |
For the movies, I almost consider them strictly parallel-world stories. It's about the only way I can see how they bothered to call them Highlander movies in the first place. 4 would have been a fine made-for-tv movie since it was just an extended version of the show format and (IMO) was better than the original movie. Hell, I prefer the flashbacks over most of the rest of the stories in the movies as it is.
A semi-reboot is much needed for the franchise because of how poorly the movies were made. The source material is basically infinite; any time line can be used to show a past or future incarnation of the idea behind the Immortals, but the title limits you to the lineage of the MacCloud bloodline. Though I really dug how the TV series/4th movie expanded and used the backstory more, including the Watchers and Methos/Horseman. More of that please.
Lambert can't act and has no range of any kind; I think the movies could have done better with someone else in the key role. Duncan >>>>>>>>>>> Connor in every conceivable category (IMO). But for a true reboot, I guess they'd have to bring in completely new actors.
Either way, I can't forsee it being a worthwhile theater viewing but most definintely a rental.
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The question that always pops up in my head is what's the difference between cutting off the head, and shooting them in the head with a large enough calibur bullet so that it effectively obliterates the head?|
Originally Posted by BrandX
Well, time has passed between the series and Endgame. I'd guess that oath got left behind, when they realized, staying in the background and just watching could easily lead to an eternity of darkness.
Personally, I'm still suprised so very few Immortals use guns. Shoot em, they fall over dead. Then take their head. I know the show had a one or two do this, but you'd think one would be well trained to really make use of this. |
The only thing I can think of is that one would have to be close enough so that one could recieve the quickening.
And speaking of the quickening, in the first movie, Ramirez decribed it entirely differently from what was shown in the series. Even the whole lightning storm, floating cars and breaking windows in the movie wasn't actually called or referred to as a quickening. I don't think even movie 2 or 3 acutally called that event a quickening. We were just led to belive that this is how immortals passed their power from on to another.
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skip the 5th (the source), your life will be better for it. The anime one (search for vengeance) was watchable but far from good.
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Originally Posted by VoodooCompany
As someone who, for nostalgia, just recently re-watched 1 - 4 (and believe the show was far and away better than the movies combined) am sad, yet curious, there is a 5th out there? I had no idea.
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If there was ever a series that needed rebooted ..its Highlander. For all those saying should only been one, sorry then we d never had the TV series if it stopped there. (at very least should left them separate continuities from each other though like they did for the cartoon. We'd gotten atleast one storyline that didnt suck..) The show was superior to the movies and like other said Duncan was a much better character. I saw show first and was greatly disapointed when I watched the movies...(especially the second one.)
I fail see how they can ultimately do anything worse than how first storyline played out over all. A reboot can only go up from that convoluted mess.
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Always figured that was more of a budget dfference, and the series trying to change a few things to make it work better for them.
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Originally Posted by Samothrake
The question that always pops up in my head is what's the difference between cutting off the head, and shooting them in the head with a large enough calibur bullet so that it effectively obliterates the head?
The only thing I can think of is that one would have to be close enough so that one could recieve the quickening. And speaking of the quickening, in the first movie, Ramirez decribed it entirely differently from what was shown in the series. Even the whole lightning storm, floating cars and breaking windows in the movie wasn't actually called or referred to as a quickening. I don't think even movie 2 or 3 acutally called that event a quickening. We were just led to belive that this is how immortals passed their power from on to another. |
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I might be interested in a reboot, but I can take it or leave it. This is primarily because the first movie is the only one I've seen. Having seen it, I saw no need for there to be any sequels, particularly along the lines that I've heard about the plots of the various sequels.
For me, there really IS only one. Therefore, a "reboot" is not necessary but might be interesting if they put a new twist of some kind on the original story.
Personally, I'd like to see a reboot where it's explained that the immortals fight until there's only one, and that one becomes mortal but can often use their knowledge to lay out a path for the upcoming age.
When that last immortal dies, the power is released back out into the world, and new immortals emerge to start the whole thing all over again. All they know/remember are the basic rules of how it works, the rest is up to them.
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Duncan took a bullet in the back of the head execution style in Season 1 and regenerated from it. Granted his head was still intact except for the wound, but he did heal and regenerate with no brain damage. |
Originally Posted by Samothrake
The question that always pops up in my head is what's the difference between cutting off the head, and shooting them in the head with a large enough calibur bullet so that it effectively obliterates the head?
The only thing I can think of is that one would have to be close enough so that one could recieve the quickening. And speaking of the quickening, in the first movie, Ramirez decribed it entirely differently from what was shown in the series. Even the whole lightning storm, floating cars and breaking windows in the movie wasn't actually called or referred to as a quickening. I don't think even movie 2 or 3 acutally called that event a quickening. We were just led to belive that this is how immortals passed their power from on to another. |
The floating cars, or floating body of the beheaded immortal from the movie was the quickening, but TV show budget precluded some of those FX, though there was the Season 4 Ep when Duncan returned to Scotland to slay Kanwulf the Viking and Kanwulf's body was seen starting to float before all the pyrotechnics started. I think the producers stated that the floating is either off camera or else is a rare event.
However the series DID confirm that proximity will count. In Season 1 Duncan fights a mafioso immortal on the villains yacht. They bumped the engine controls and the propellers start spinning. The villain gets knocked off the ship with his head still attached but got chewed up by the engines and the power still flowed into Duncan.
Season 4 had the episode with the "rain man" immortal that knew all about trains but was otherwise mentally impaired. He gave his life by lying on a railroad track and letting the train behead him. Richie was within range and received the power.
Season 5 Episode #100 with the Four Horseman establishes why fights are one on one. It was presumed to be a "code of honor" among the immortals. But Silas (War) and Caspian (Famine) double team Duncan. The plan was that IF Duncan got one of them, the other would finish off Duncan during the Quickening or just after as Duncan was recovering. Duncan got the fight to a bridge and dispatched Caspian and as Silas was closing in for the kill, Duncan dove off the bridge and Caspian's Quickening was following Duncan into the water despite Silas being only a few feet away. So the power goes to the one that does the kill.
The series also establishes that the age of an immortal is no major advantage in a fight. Darius was 2000+ years old before Horton killed him and he used to be a great warrior-general and conqueror similar to Alexander the Great. Yet had Darius decided after centuries of staying in his church preaching peace to reenter the game, he would have been beheaded by the first capable immortal that came along. Why? Because Darius hadn't taken a head in centuries and he was NOT practicing his combat skills. Not saying Darius would have been an easy kill but he still would have fallen.
Grayson: 1800 years old compared to Duncan's 400 and used to be Darius' lieutenant. Grayson fights Duncan and nearly wins until he got a bit over confident and Duncan then blocks the attack and beheads him. Duncan almost lost but he trains regularly and is an active player of the "immortal game". Also being the star of the show helps too.
Methos: 5000+ years old, allegedly the oldest living immortal. Possibly he is now that the three other horseman are gone. Tells Duncan he hasn't taken a head in 200 years which makes Duncan cringe since Kalas was at least as good in a fight as Duncan. Methos defends himself but is out of practice and doesn't have the will to fight like Kalas or Duncan would and nearly tricked Duncan into taking his head so that Duncan would have more then enough power to take down Kalas
Highlander: Great movie except for you cast the penultimate Englishman, Sean Connery, as a Spanard..... in Scotland!!!! Srsly? WTF?
Highlander 2: *waves hand* This isn't the movie you are looking for.
Highlander 3: Supposed an apology movie for the previous Highlander, but I thought Highlander was pretty good. *wink wink nudge nudge*
Highlander the Series: I'll waffle on this one. Some episodes were really good, and others just sucked. Lacked flow and felt too episodic with not enough carry over to keep the story from feeling disjoined.
Does it need a reboot? Not really. This is just cash ******* at its finest. I am not impressed nor looking forward to it.
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Having just now gone to IMDB and read the plot summary of The Source, I can only feel justified in having stuck to a policy of "Anything after Highlander never actually happened"...
Some stories just don't require sequels.
Just for curiosity's sake - What relation is Duncan (who I presume to be the hero from the TV series) to Connor?
Apparently it will be called Highlander: The Reckoning and it is a reboot film for old and new fans alike.
No official word on the overall plot and casting but it is a reboot.
Given how the Highlander universe is currently a bit messed up from some lousy movie sequels, this is a time when I would support a reboot for this franchise more then others.
Current Highlander continuity is:
Original movie with retcon so that yes Connor kills Kurgan but it was not the final gathering, then comes the series, the comes Highlander 4: Endgame.
Highlander 2, Highlander 3 are ignored and Highlander 5: the Source was worse then Highlander 2.
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