Highlander/Endgame

Highlander
Release Date	September 1, 2000
Screenplay by	Joel Soisson
Story by	Eric Bernt and Gillian Horvath & William Panzer
Based on	characters created by Gregory Widen
Directed by	Douglas Aarniokoski
Produced by	Peter Davis, William Panzer
Distributor(s)	Miramax Films
Running Time	100 minutes
Origin	USA
← Season Six	→ The Source
Highlander

Highlander: Endgame is the first film based on the Highlander TV series, and the fourth film overall in the Highlander franchise.

Adrian Paul

and Christopher Lambert

Bruce Payne, Lisa Barbuscia, Donnie Yen, Jim Byrnes, Peter Wingfield, Damon Dash, Beatie Edney, Sheila Gish, Oris Erhuero, Ian Paul Cassidy

Special Guest Star Edge

Cast In Order of Appearance: Sheila Gish (Rachel Ellenstein), Christopher Lambert (Connor MacLeod), Bruce Payne (Jacob Kell), Mihnea Trusca (Villager), Beatie Edney (Heather), June Watson (Caiolin MacLeod), Donald Douglas (Father Rainey), Liviu Timus (Executioner), Oris Erhuero (Winston), Christopher Leps (Hooded Monk), Ian Paul Cassidy (Cracker Bob), Damon Dash (Carlos), Vernon Rieta (Manny), Donnie Yen (Jin Ke), John Medlen (Monk #1), Adrian Paul (Duncan MacLeod), Douglas Aarniokoski (Kirk), Thomas Lockyer (Matthew Hale), Peter Wingfield (Methos), Lisa Barbuscia (Faith/Kate), Charmian May (Lady), Edge (Lachlan), Paul Bigley (Knave), Daniel Parker (Puffer), Jim Byrnes (Dawson), Jessica Mann (Rachel #1 (8 years old)), Robert Hewett (Photographer), Kananu Kimiri (Faith's Assistant), David Nicholls (Drunk Friend), Abigail Kingsbury (Rachel #2 (12 years old)), Candace Hallinan (Rachel #3 (19 years old)), Wendy Partridge (Colleague)

Plot Overview

Someone from Connor's past has been waiting centuries to unleash his revenge. It's up to fellow clansman Duncan to help defeat this new force.

Notes

The Game

• Kell violates the rules about killing on holy ground and one-on-one fights. However, nothing comes of this and none of the characters even acknowledge it despite Duncan reminding Connor of these two rules when he threatens to violate them himself.

Villain pronounced with a K

• Jacob Kell

• Jin Ke

• Carlos

• Cracker Bob

Music

• "Songs of the Pooka" (Traditional)

Trivia

The Show

• This is the last Highlander film to star Christopher Lambert and, to date, the last time he has played Connor MacLeod.

• Has a rather intentionally deceptive trailer. Footage was shot exclusively for the trailer to amp up the threat of Kell, by showing him dividing in two after Connor cuts him vertically and stopping an arrow in midair, as well as a shot of Connor and Duncan jumping out of a portal.

Behind the Scenes

Alternate Versions

• There are three distinct versions of the film: the theatrical cut, producer's cut, and workprint cut. Notable differences include:

• The producer's cut goes from the opening credits to Connor's narration, while the workprint version opens with an unattributed text quote before moving on to what one might argue is a better title card (there are no credits in this version).
• The workprint version immediately opens with the flashback scene of Connor rescuing his mother, instead of flashing back after introducing Connor in the Sanctuary in the producer's cut.
• The theatrical cut drops the initial scene between Duncan and Connor that was restored for the producer's cut. The workprint version goes on to show Connor drop off a Christmas tree to an orphanage, which he's done for over a century.
• The video of Duncan with Rachel over the years is black-and-white in the workprint version instead of sepia in the producer's cut.
• The shots of Kell just before and after blowing up Rachel are not in the workprint version.
• Connor does not provide any narration in the workprint version.
• The workprint version shows Kell trying to learn which of the immortals is Connor from a monk asleep on duty of watching over them, explaining who he is supposed to be monologuing to in the producer's cut.
• The aftermath of the Sanctuary slaughter that introduces the Watchers is only in the producer's cut.
• Mentions of the Sanctuary being on holy ground was cut from the producer's cut after upset from fans in the theatrical cut.
• The flashback to Connor and Duncan with the highwaymen and Kate is inserted in as Duncan is on his way to Connor's loft, whereas the workprint version has it set up as Faith's much later.
• The flashback to Connor teaching Duncan is longer in the workprint version and includes more of the effeminate man who is shown tickling Duncan's ass with a feather.
• The fight between Duncan and the other immortals is longer in the workprint version.
• The cemetery scene in the workprint version is longer with different shots and takes and is slightly extended, most notably as Kell mentions others Connor has lost (accompanied with brief flashbacks).
• The workprint version goes from the cemetery scene to Duncan visiting Faith at the fashion shoot instead of inserting their wedding as in the producer's cut.
• After this scene, both the producer's cut and workprint versions have scenes where Faith talks with Kell. However, they are both different in terms of setting and dialogue. Neither were in the theatrical version. Whereas the producer's cut goes from this to her visiting Duncan, the workprint version then segues this to Faith having a flashback to her wedding to Duncan.
• The producer's cut goes from this scene to Faith with Ke before moving on to the Last Supper scene. The workprint version instead jumps to Duncan finding Connor on the roof. The fight between the two and the Last Supper scene are interwoven. Key differences are that the workprint version lacks the VFX shot of Connor after Duncan cuts his neck and Ke is shown defying Kell by taking his own head after stabbing his sword into the wall. The biggest difference is that the workprint version makes it explicit that Kell let's Faith go.
• After this, the workprint version shows Kell in bed with two naked women before cutting to Duncan in the aftermath of taking Connor's quickening. We then see a slightly extended version of the confrontation between Joe and Matthew where Matthew is taking aim at Duncan to take him back to the Sanctuary instead of this being edited into the climatic fight.
• The brief montage of Duncan training is not in the workprint version.
• The fight between Duncan and Kell differs considerably. The theatrical cut edits out a good portion that was restored in the producer's cut. The workprint version is largely the same as the producer's cut (minus reusing footage) until the climax, which doesn't include the brief face-morph, Duncan leaping over Kell, and has a different one-liner before taking Kell's head (playing off something Kell said earlier in the workprint version).
• Another one of the biggest differences between the three versions is the final scene following Duncan at Connor's grave in Scotland where the theatrical cut simply ends. The producer's cut has a similar scene that segues to Duncan elsewhere later where he sees Faith still alive who wants to be Kate again, giving hope that the two may be together again. The workprint version's final scene, instead, has Duncan carrying on Connor's tradition of dropping a Christmas tree off at the orphanage.

Goofs

• When Duncan asks "Are you sure you're gonna be alright, Connor?" it is an obvious ADR line as it's clearly not done by Adrian Paul. This also happens again with multiple lines in the final scene when talking to Kate.

• It's revealed that Duncan was married to Kate when it was established in the series that Duncan had never been married.

• Carlos tells Duncan "Told you I was gonna cut you." He didn't. At least not in the producer's cut. A part of the fight where Carlos mentions cutting Duncan was edited out, making the punctuation left in this version seem nonsensical.

• The fight between Duncan and Kell begins on ground level before moving onto the platforms where Duncan drops down. The fight that follows for the next several seconds is literally the exact, shot-for-shot fight they just had.

• After Duncan's fall, he ties a tourniquet on his leg. This makes little sense since, as an immortal, he would instantly heal.

Quotes

• Methos: (handing over Duncan's katana) I managed to liberate that from the lost and found.

Duncan: It has blood on it.

Methos: I didn't say it was easy.

• Kell: Even now, you're afraid. Afraid you'll lose. That's your true fear, isn't it? The thought of giving up your essence to me, making me even stronger by it! What's wrong? Don't you want to be inside me?