Highlander 4K UHD Review

The original (and still best) Highlander has finally been given the Home Entertainment release it deserves with a stunning 4K restoration. Highlander’s ripping yarn of immortals battling down the ages, fuelled by an awe-inspiring soundtrack from Queen is the stuff of legend, just like the stunning new 4K UHD Collector’s Edition.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy, Highlander is the story of Connor MacLeod (of the Clan MacLeod) played by Christopher Lambert, a brave Scottish warrior who discovers he’s immortal after he’s been struck down by The Kurgen (a deliriously evil Clancy Brown). Having freaked out his family and friends owing to not dying of a mortal wound, Connor is banished from his home and starts a new life for himself. However, he quickly finds himself being trained by fellow immortal Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez (Sean Connery) for The Gathering, where immortals battle to decapitate each other to claim the ultimate prize.

Mulcahy came from a background in directing music videos, and that approach is all over Highlander with its fast cuts and rocking music; as MTV took hold of America, movies started to take notice. I’ve seen Highlander too many times to count, from a grainy overused VHS, to DVD, to Blu-ray, and now finally, 4K UHD; I have owned a copy of this movie in every format. Be that as it may, the restoration here is sublime, and while I know every beat of this film, it is breathtaking to see it look so crisp and fresh. The 4K UHD edition release is fantastic; a wealth of new bonus features take us behind the scenes of the movie like never before.

While there are still plans for a reboot with Henry Cavill from Deadpool 2 director Chad Stahelski, there haven’t been many updates for the last year. Naturally, a reboot of some kind is inevitable, but until then, the original remains the best one; it’s not the only one (they made four sequels and multiple TV shows), but it’s the best.

HIGHLANDER 4K UHD COLLECTOR’S EDITION will be released on October 31.