CinemaSerf

So what - we've got Frenchman (Christopher Lambert) playing a Scotsman; a Scotsman (Sean Connery) playing a Spaniard and an American (Clancy Brown) playing a maniacal Russian - what could possibly go wrong? Well, actually despite the odd casting, this isn't an half bad fantasy adventure that introduces us to a group of immortals who are having to deal with the "quickening" - a process that has driven them throughout history to combat (and decapitate) others of their race in search of the ultimate "prize". Lambert is "Connor McLeod" who has come a bit late to this party and is ostracised from his Highland village after he miraculously survives battle wounds that would have slain an elephant. Luckily, he encounters and gets a bit of training from the thousand year old wily and flamboyant "Ramirez" (Connery) so he can be fit to fight the 'Kurgen" (Brown) - their mightiest (if not brainiest) warrior. The script is pretty dreadful, to be honest - but the story is fun. It's got loads of action, some of the best sword fights since Errol Flynn, and even a soupçon of romance as modern day science tries to explain his longevity. It is infinitely better than any of the derivatives it spawned - and a great Queen soundtrack makes for an enjoyable couple of hours of escapism with some fine Scottish scenery thrown in too.