Highlander: Endgame

RATING: R

STARRING: Adrian Paul, Christopher Lambert and Bruce Payne

DIRECTOR: Douglas Aarniokoski

DISTRIBUTOR: Dimension Films/Miramax/Disney

GENRE: Fantasy

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and young adults

SUMMARY This film pits Immortals Conor Macleod (Christopher Lambert) and Duncan Macleod (Adrian Paul) against Kell, an Immortal priest bent on fulfilling revenge against Conor for killing his mentor hundreds of years before. Conor and Duncan must find a wayto defeat Kell, who has grown very powerful by killing and absorbing the life energy of hundreds of his fellow Immortals in a deadly game for survival where "there can be only one."

Despite redemptive elements of unifying good to defeat evil, Highlander. Endgame has a pagan worldview with occult and antiChristian elements. The violence eventually becomes gratuitous and numbing, although fans of the past Highlander movies and the TV series may find it exciting to see Lambert and Paul together on screen. Also, an extended scene of depicted sex between Duncan and his estranged, Immortal wife further spoils the proceedings.

CONTENT Mythic pagan worldview with occult and romantic undertones, plus priest condemns woman who then renounces God, villain wears crucifix on heels of his shoes, many romantic references such as "anything can be forgiven over time," and redemptive elements where man sacrifices himself so good can defeat evil; 5 obscenities, 3 references to hell; extreme violence including multiple swordfights with depicted blood and decapitations and depictions of limbs cut off, very bloody slow-motion gun fight, woman burned at stake while son watches helplessly, corpse falls on man, man kills unarmed priest flashback scenes of men dying in battle, woman dies in explosion, and extended kung-fu-type fighting scene; depicted sex between estranged married couple; upper and rear male and female nudity and models in lingerie; alcohol use; man injected with drugs through nose; and villain bent on revenge by murdering innocent people, profane use of Christian symbols.

Quality: * * Acceptability: -3

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Sep 15, 2000
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