Highlander - I totally called it

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by backstept, Aug 25, 2008.

  1. galleywest

    galleywest Lovable Flake Premium Member

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    Okay, I came in here all set to make fun of whatever new and awful movie they were going to wring out of the franchise, and you hit me with "revamp of the series."

    I'll watch it. Damn, I'm such a sucker!
     
  2. bryce

    bryce Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Maybe make it a trilogy, with a set 3-part story *concluding* with the final battle of the Gathering.

    Then you can tell a complete story, and give McCloud friends and enemies past and future to make it interesting.

    Also, maybe make the Gathering a HUGE event, with increasingly powerful (and indestructable - except by each other) god-like beings battling across New York (or wherever) leaving massive destruction in their wake.
     
  3. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    That's a great idea. So there's no way they will do that. There's an unwritten rule that all Highlander movie sequels MUST suck! :rommie:
     
  4. Aragorn

    Aragorn Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    So Vin Diesel or Jason Statham as the Kurgan?

    And since he's already been typecast in these type of roles, Liam Neeson as Ramirez.
     
  5. Solariabsg25

    Solariabsg25 Commodore Commodore

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    I think Vin Diesel would make a great Kurgan, Statham has the chops, but not sure on the physical size, though could make the Kurgan more of a cunning warrior, than the brute-force guy from the original. But then again lets face it, the Kurgan has been around for centuries without giving the game away, so he's obviously more cunning than he comes across in Highlander.

    Was watching Pathfinder yesterday, and I thought it's be cool if they could give a cameo to Clancy Brown. Not as an Immortal, but as a different character, maybe a Detective investigating the beheadings, oor even the lead Watcher.
     
  6. Jedi Marso

    Jedi Marso Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    IF the guy who plays Vic in the The Shield was bigger, he'd make an awesome Kurgan. Scary as the guy can look, however, I don't think he's physically imposing enough to pull it off.
     
  7. God Magnus

    God Magnus Commodore Commodore

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    Agreed. This is something most HL stories have been missing. We learn that after taking a head, they gain the Quickening and get more powerful. But how exactly does that power manifest? We've seen some such as the magical powers of the Sorcerer but I think HL lends itself to open up to more fantasy elements. To a large degree, the fights in "Search for Vengeance" approach this level, esp. the one in the mall with the Chainsaw Immortal.
     
  8. backstept

    backstept Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I've always thought of the quickening more in terms of a transference of skills and knowledge, rather than an increase in 'power'
    in the TV show Duncan didn't seem to grow physically stronger, or gain new abilities, but he did continue to train in many fighting styles, and he was always a smart guy, so I think he was continually learning from the quickenings he'd taken
     
  9. highlander

    highlander Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    This sounds like the way to go. I loved the original and the series is what hooked me. The franchise has been handled so badly it needs to get back to basics.
     
  10. God Magnus

    God Magnus Commodore Commodore

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    The problem is that the series and movies were never consistant in telling us just what the Quickening did. "Power" is a very generic term and could refer to knowledge or skills.

    The first movie seemed to infer great strength and some type of internal power (as evidenced by swords cutting more than they normally could in the hands of Immies or flashes of energy). HL3 seemed to imply a direct transference. When Kain killed Nakano, he seemed to just gain all his magic without any training or hint of prior magic powers.

    What the new movie needs to do is firmly establish what a Quickening does to benefit an Immie when he/she gains it - and then make it part of the fights and existence of the characters, otherwise it just looks like a big light show with no follow through.
     
  11. backstept

    backstept Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    yeah but it could get a little too bogged down in the details if they did exposition on all that . . . even more so if they talked about light and dark quickenings, when an imortal takes an inherently good or evil person's quickening who is of greater strength than they are, and they become influenced by the nature of their latest kill . . .

    haha

    I tend to think of Connor and Duncan as somewhat neutral with regards to goodness or badness . . .
     
  12. God Magnus

    God Magnus Commodore Commodore

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    True. I think their best bet is to just show us why they're extraordinary. Is it martial arts skill? Is it the ability to throw fireballs from their hands? Just show *something*. In the beginning of the series they had the swords "sparking" a lot when they fought, an indicator of power. They need hints like that, but on a grander scale.
     
  13. Lapis Exilis

    Lapis Exilis Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    There's a lot that was inconsistent in the various iterations so far that it'd be nice to see addressed. The big problem of Highlander has always been that they had a great premise (Immortals battling through the ages), and a successful formula (follow Immies in the contemporary world while flashing back to their pasts), but a completely all over the board mythology.

    I haven't read the whole thread so my apologies if some of this has come up before. I would assume the idea with a revamp is to go through all the existing material and pull the good stuff, so they need to think through things like:

    How are Immies born? What's with the whole foundling thing? Do you even keep that idea?

    What is the relationship of Immortal power to Sacred Ground? Is that a physical limitation or a "cultural" one (meaning something abided by out of custom)? Is said Sacred Ground of any religion (as implied by the series), or purely Christianity (as implied by the original movie - problematically since Ramirez at least came from a period before Jesus)?

    One of the most interesting ideas from the series was that an Immortal had killed on holy ground only once - and Mount Vesuvius blew as a result.

    Why can't Immies have kids? Just to provide angst with their lovers?

    And then there is the whole Quickening thing. In the original movie it was merely a perception of other Immortals until the winning of the Prize. The "it gives you your opponent's power" was a late addition to things.

    What about the Watchers? They're a great idea so I would hope they would be kept - and there's a lot that could still be done with them.

    Did I miss anything?

    I watched a lot of the series too, but I wouldn't say it was good - fun, yes, but in a fairly cheesy, formulaic way. It had the interesting things about Highlander - I mean the premise is just completely fascinating - and some charismatic actors, but most of the stories were fairly lame, in my humble opinion. I only remember about 8 or 9 of them that had any real punch.
     
  14. backstept

    backstept Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    yeah I loved the show, but it was never on the high end of quality
     
  15. highlander

    highlander Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    IMHO the thing that made the show extraordinary was/were the flashbacks. Seeing where our favorite Immies were and what they were doing during major events in history. The lack of them in The Source made it suck even more, if thats possible.
     
  16. Aragorn

    Aragorn Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    The TV series was the only incarnation that attempted to delve into the whole immortal concept, even if there were just as many bad episodes as good ones. Personally, I don't see what was so great about the original movie. Seemed rather pedestrian to me.
     
  17. Snaploud

    Snaploud Admiral Admiral

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    Does the actor have any sword-fighting skills? I loved the creative sword-fighting on the tv show.
     
  18. backstept

    backstept Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    who knows? but that's what stunt coordinators, choreographers and trainers are for :D
     
  19. Aragorn

    Aragorn Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Since Ray Park has an accent and knows how to kick butt with weapons and his own body, I'm guessing fans will want him to be one of the villains? Or maybe Meethos.
     
  20. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

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    It's true, isn't it? Neeson has filled the void Connery left behind, namely that of mentor/father figure to the hero (usually with unwavering Celtic accent). Think of most of the high profile gigs he's done since The Phantom Menace, then compare them to the sort of roles Connery was doing in the 1980s and 1990s. TPM, Batman Begins, Gangs of New York, Kingdom of Heaven versus The Untouchables, Highlander, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, etc, etc. Make Connery 20 years younger or Neeson 20 years older and you can see them swap roles easily.