The Movie

Highlander: The Source is the fifth installment in the motion picture series Highlander. "The Source" includes characters from the adapted for television show Highlander: The Series -- some of whom have appeared in past movies -- and is about the quest for the truth. A team of immortals and humans venture into the unknown to identify the source of immortality. The movie is nothing special. It lacks the same punch as earlier films in the series, and even the television series. The major problem with "The Source" is its lackluster, uninteresting storyline. Needless to say, Highlander: The Source is movie with limited appeal. For another opinion, refer to Brian Orndorf's theatrical review of Highlander: The Source.

"The Source" is set sometime in the distant future. Life for Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) is at an all time low. He has been roaming aimlessly without purpose since losing the love of his life. He fell in love with a mortal, Anna Teshemka (Thekla Reuten), and then she learned the truth about him, she left him. The thought of Duncan not growing old and the inability to father a child was too much for her. Meanwhile, Methos (Peter Wingfield) has teamed up with other immortals Zai Jie (Stephen Rahman Hughes), Reggie Weller (Stephen Wright), and Cardinal Giovanni (Thom Fell) to unlock the mysteries of immortality.

Methos and team are a small group who has acted on rumors about the source of immortality. They quest to unlock the truths of who and what they are. In the opening on the film, Zai is close to the truth. He has found the location of the Source. Unfortunately, he also awaked the Guardian (Cristian Solimeno). The Guardian is an immortal with super strength and speed who protects the secret of the Source. While Zai tries to relay the information about the Source to his teammates, the Guardian takes his life.

The team having only received a portion of Zai's information about the Source is forced to reconsider their strength. Methos decides that only the Highlander can stand up to the Guardian. He recruits the former Watcher Joe Dawson (Jim Brynes) to locate Duncan. Eventually, they find Duncan and are able to recruit him to their cause. With the team's batting lineup formed, they embark on their journey. The intel from Zai indicated that the elder of a remote monastery has information about the Source. Ironically, Duncan's ex-wife had a vision that led her to them. She joins their team, as the truths about the Source and the Guardian are revealed.

Next, they are off to another remote place -- an island that has been overrun with cannibals. It is a scary place, as all visitors who have attempted to claim a stake hold have been killed. The team learns that the closer they get to the Source, the weaker they become. The immortals lose their immorality and sanity. Thoughts of ultimate power corrupt their minds and leave some willing to betray the others. Along the way, some die and others sacrifice for the ultimate truth.

As an overall movie, Highlander: The Source is pretty lackluster. From start to finish, there is little appeal. The movie suffers from a couple facets: storyline and performances. The storyline is uninteresting. At times there is some appeal -- like Duncan's character development, but most of the time there is little of interest. I suppose having a strong background with the television series made it hard to appreciate, as the show was traditionally less dark. At the same time, I also had difficulty understanding or even caring why the quest for the source was important. Another major pitfall was the characters. Adrian Paul, Peter Wingfield, and Jim Brynes are good in my book. However, the other secondary characters just failed to impress. For example, Cristian Solimeno plays the big bad guy and is very unconvincing. He tries to be funny yet powerful, and it does not fit.

In the end, Highlander: The Source tries to be something it is not, entertaining. It is no wonder this movie, while released in theaters internationally, was only aired on cable television in the United States. There is not enough appeal in its storyline or characters. For fans of the Highlander franchise and newcomers alike, consider skipping this one.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in 1.85 ratio anamorphic widescreen color format, although the actual picture has a theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The picture quality is generally good with a slight grain and ghosting during high-paced action scenes.

Audio:
The audio in this release is in English Dolby digital 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo. The 5.1 track offers a better experience, as the movie makes good use of the surround sound capability. Still, both tracks sound great for dialogue. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

Extras:

• A Tribute to Bill Panzer (15:23): is a featurette about Bill Panzer, his life, friends, career, etc. It opens with friend/co-worker Peter Davis talking about their initial works and continues with others sharing their stories.
• Highlander: The Process (1:21:44): is a long running featurette about making of Highlander: The Source. It contains interviews, behind the scenes footage, candid material, special effects, set design, production meetings, etc. If you are interested in seeing how the movie was put together (I sure wasn't) then it will be worth a watch.
• Storyboard Comparisons (6:32): is a split screen comparison of actual footage and storyboards for various scenes from the end of the movie.
• Trailers: are included for "Highlander Video Game", Forbidden Kingdom, In the Shadow of the Moon, Highlander 2: Special Edition, War, and Saw IV.

Final Thoughts:
Highlander: The Source is the fifth installment from the Highlander movie franchise. The story is about a group of immortals uncovering the truth about their immortality. At the center is Duncan MacLeod, who has since stumbled down a path of misery and self-hate. As an overall movie, "The Source" is pretty lackluster with a uninteresting developments and a few poor characters. In the end, it is not worth the time or the money to watch.