Highlander III: The Final Dimension
Encyclopedia
Highlander III: The Sorcerer, also known as Highlander III, Highlander III: The Magician, Highlander III: The Final Dimension, Highlander: The Final Dimension and Highlander 3: The Final Conflict, is the third installment in the Highlander film series. It was first released on November 30, 1994. A stand-alone alternate sequel to the original film, it is the final Highlander movie that focuses on Connor MacLeod
as the main protagonist.
Some time after the death of his wife Heather, Connor travels to Japan
to request training from the Immortal Japanese sorcerer Nakano. Nakano holds his residence in a cave of Mount Niri, and has gained a reputation as a master of Illusion
. However, another Immortal named Kane is also interested in mastering the power of Illusion. He is making his way across Asia in order to reach Nakano again, with two henchmen in tow (Khabul Khan and Senghi Khan). Entering a nearby village seeking information, they proceed to burn it to the ground, and massacre its population. Eventually, they reach the cave. Kane soon manages to defeat and decapitate Nakano, despite Connor's attempts to prevent this. However, the energies released during the Quickening
cause the cave to collapse. The Highlander manages to escape in time, but Kane and his men are left trapped inside the depths of the mountain. Their situation prevents them from participating in "The Gathering" of 1985.
18th century
In 1788/1789, Connor was in France, where he makes the acquaintance of Sarah Barrington, an Englishwoman visiting relatives there, and who happens to resemble the future Alex Johnson. The two eventually become lovers. However, when the French Revolution
begins, MacLeod becomes involved.
MacLeod is captured, and sentenced to death by guillotine for treason against King Louis XVI of France. His Immortal friend Pierre Bouchet explains that he was tired of his immortal life, and dupes the guards into executing him in his place. Connor is falsely reported deceased. Believing her lover dead, Sarah is left grieving. After his escape, MacLeod returns to discover that she has moved on with her life by marrying another man, and having children.
Modern day
In 1994, Connor is living with his adopted son John in Marakesh. It is revealed that in 1987, Brenda Wyatt, the woman he married after the Gathering, was killed in a car accident. Although he survived the accident himself, he still believes that "The Game" is over. Meanwhile, in Japan
, two archaeologists have started excavating a cave in order to discover whether the legend of the sorcerer Nakano was based on fact. One of these archaeologists is Dr. Alexandra Johnson, whose interests in the legend eventually lead her to Connor MacLeod. Connor is intrigued by Alex due to her resemblance to Sarah.
The excavations free Kane, who immediately sets out in pursuit of Connor. MacLeod leaves John in the care of his friend Jack Donovan, and then departs to New York City to engage in the final showdown for the Prize. However, as Khabul's decapitated body is found in a hospital washroom, Lt. John Stenn goes on the trail of the main suspect of the 1985 "headhunter" case, Russell Nash. Russell Nash was the alias used by MacLeod during the time of the Gathering. As Alex investigates a piece of cloth found on the site, she discovers that it is a shred of a kilt, with a design that designates a branch of the MacLeod family. This leads her to Nash Antiques, where Connor has returned in preparation for the battle against Kane. The Highlander is confronted on Holy Ground at a former Buddhist shrine by Kane, who proceeds to challenge him. The resulting fight is a violation of the Immortal Golden Rule; the battle ends when MacLeod's katana blade is shattered. Kane flees, and Connor decides to return to Scotland to build another sword though his initial attempts are unsuccessful. Alex tracks him down to give him a bar of finely refined steel that she found in Nakano's cave with which he is able to forge a new sword, and the two then become lovers. However, the trip is cut short, as MacLeod learns from Jack Donovan that his son John is on a plane bound for New York. MacLeod returns as quickly as possible, but he's too late. Kane abducts John, and holds him hostage to lure MacLeod to him. MacLeod meets Kane in an old church mission, and then follows him into an abandoned power plant for their final battle. The Highlander defeats Kane, wins the Prize by receiving the final Quickening, and returns to Scotland with Alex and John to live out the rest of his natural life.
, based on 20 reviews.
Stephen Holden
of The New York Times
remarked, "How could an action-adventure film that cost $34 million, most of which clearly went into pyrotechnics, computerized special effects and scenic locations, end up looking cheap, silly and lifeless? [The film is] an incoherent mess [and] has performances that are one-dimensional even by the undemanding standards of the genre."
The BBC
's review gave the film a score of two stars out of five, saying: "This is a far superior film to Highlander II
[but] it is really a copy of the first one
. ... It really feels as if the Highlander story has no more to give us—but that would be very wrong. Perhaps the best thing this third movie did was promote the generally better TV series
."
Christopher Null
of FilmCritic.com also gave Highlander III two stars out of five, saying: "The third in a line of increasingly perplexing Highlander movies, Highlander: The Final Dimension steals wholesale the plot from the original, just throwing in some fresh faces. ... Ultra-fans will rejoice in the face of the third installment—and it's nowhere near as bad as Highlander II—but most of you can give it a pass."
was such a radical departure from what the first film established. The movie completely ignores the events of Highlander II and makes no mention of them. Also, in a 1996 Cinefantastique interview, Highlander producer William Panzer mentioned that several references to the TV series' continuity were inserted into this film as a means of linking it to the TV universe.
Many of the locations in Scotland
from the original film were revisited for this sequel. Several scenes were shot in province of Quebec
in Canada
: the medieval Japanese village and the building in which Nakano's cave is found were shot near Montreal
. Plus, many sequences in New York were actually shot in Montreal, as well. Other scenes for this film were shot in Morocco.
The U.S. theatrical release was rated PG-13 (the rating is slightly noticeable in the poster featured on this page), and a slightly-longer R-rated Special Director's Cut was later released on home video with two sex scenes trimmed for theatrical release restored. Aside from this, additional violence was reinstated, mainly the shot of Kane's head rolling off. The PG-13 theatrical cut originally only showed Kane's head wobbling from side to side, then cutting immediately to the extreme close up on Connor saying "There can be only one."
Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is a fictional character in the Highlander film series, as well as the television programs Highlander: The Series, and Highlander: The Animated Series...
as the main protagonist.
Plot
16th centurySome time after the death of his wife Heather, Connor travels to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to request training from the Immortal Japanese sorcerer Nakano. Nakano holds his residence in a cave of Mount Niri, and has gained a reputation as a master of Illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
. However, another Immortal named Kane is also interested in mastering the power of Illusion. He is making his way across Asia in order to reach Nakano again, with two henchmen in tow (Khabul Khan and Senghi Khan). Entering a nearby village seeking information, they proceed to burn it to the ground, and massacre its population. Eventually, they reach the cave. Kane soon manages to defeat and decapitate Nakano, despite Connor's attempts to prevent this. However, the energies released during the Quickening
Quickening (Highlander)
The Quickening is a phenomenon in the Highlander films and television series. When an Immortal is beheaded, there is a powerful energy release from their body which is called a Quickening. Lead Highlander: The Series actor Adrian Paul explains, "The Quickening is the receiving of all the power and...
cause the cave to collapse. The Highlander manages to escape in time, but Kane and his men are left trapped inside the depths of the mountain. Their situation prevents them from participating in "The Gathering" of 1985.
18th century
In 1788/1789, Connor was in France, where he makes the acquaintance of Sarah Barrington, an Englishwoman visiting relatives there, and who happens to resemble the future Alex Johnson. The two eventually become lovers. However, when the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
begins, MacLeod becomes involved.
MacLeod is captured, and sentenced to death by guillotine for treason against King Louis XVI of France. His Immortal friend Pierre Bouchet explains that he was tired of his immortal life, and dupes the guards into executing him in his place. Connor is falsely reported deceased. Believing her lover dead, Sarah is left grieving. After his escape, MacLeod returns to discover that she has moved on with her life by marrying another man, and having children.
Modern day
In 1994, Connor is living with his adopted son John in Marakesh. It is revealed that in 1987, Brenda Wyatt, the woman he married after the Gathering, was killed in a car accident. Although he survived the accident himself, he still believes that "The Game" is over. Meanwhile, in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, two archaeologists have started excavating a cave in order to discover whether the legend of the sorcerer Nakano was based on fact. One of these archaeologists is Dr. Alexandra Johnson, whose interests in the legend eventually lead her to Connor MacLeod. Connor is intrigued by Alex due to her resemblance to Sarah.
The excavations free Kane, who immediately sets out in pursuit of Connor. MacLeod leaves John in the care of his friend Jack Donovan, and then departs to New York City to engage in the final showdown for the Prize. However, as Khabul's decapitated body is found in a hospital washroom, Lt. John Stenn goes on the trail of the main suspect of the 1985 "headhunter" case, Russell Nash. Russell Nash was the alias used by MacLeod during the time of the Gathering. As Alex investigates a piece of cloth found on the site, she discovers that it is a shred of a kilt, with a design that designates a branch of the MacLeod family. This leads her to Nash Antiques, where Connor has returned in preparation for the battle against Kane. The Highlander is confronted on Holy Ground at a former Buddhist shrine by Kane, who proceeds to challenge him. The resulting fight is a violation of the Immortal Golden Rule; the battle ends when MacLeod's katana blade is shattered. Kane flees, and Connor decides to return to Scotland to build another sword though his initial attempts are unsuccessful. Alex tracks him down to give him a bar of finely refined steel that she found in Nakano's cave with which he is able to forge a new sword, and the two then become lovers. However, the trip is cut short, as MacLeod learns from Jack Donovan that his son John is on a plane bound for New York. MacLeod returns as quickly as possible, but he's too late. Kane abducts John, and holds him hostage to lure MacLeod to him. MacLeod meets Kane in an old church mission, and then follows him into an abandoned power plant for their final battle. The Highlander defeats Kane, wins the Prize by receiving the final Quickening, and returns to Scotland with Alex and John to live out the rest of his natural life.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Christopher Lambert Christopher Lambert Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name... |
Connor MacLeod / Russell Nash Connor MacLeod Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is a fictional character in the Highlander film series, as well as the television programs Highlander: The Series, and Highlander: The Animated Series... |
| Mario Van Peebles Mario Van Peebles Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:... |
Kane |
| Deborah Kara Unger Deborah Kara Unger Deborah Kara Unger is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles in the films Crash , The Game , The Hurricane , White Noise , Silent Hill and 88 Minutes... |
Dr. Alexandra Johnson / Sarah Barrington |
| Martin Neufeld | Lt. John Stenn |
| Mako Iwamatsu | Nakano |
| Raoul Trujillo Raoul Trujillo Born Jose Raoul TrujilloAlso known as Raul Trujillo and Max Cheblon|parents= Luis and Lorraine TrujilloHis official website is raoultrujilloinfo.com, created by Charmaine deValois in London.... |
Senghi Khan |
| Jean-Pierre Perusse | Khabul Khan |
| Daniel Do | Dr. Fuji Takamura |
| Gabriel Kakon | John MacLeod |
| Louis Bertignac Louis Bertignac Louis Bertignac is a French guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. An ex Shakin' Street member and a founding member in 1976 of the rock band Téléphone, he formed Bertignac et les Visiteurs after Téléphone split in 1986... |
Pierre Bouchet |
| Michael Jayston Michael Jayston Michael Jayston is a Nottingham-born English actor.- Early life :He attended the Becket Grammar School in West Bridgford, then worked briefly as a trainee accountant at the offices of the National Coal Board before obtaining a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to train as an... |
Jack Donovan |
Reception
Critical reaction to Highlander III has been negative. It holds a 5% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 20 reviews.
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
remarked, "How could an action-adventure film that cost $34 million, most of which clearly went into pyrotechnics, computerized special effects and scenic locations, end up looking cheap, silly and lifeless? [The film is] an incoherent mess [and] has performances that are one-dimensional even by the undemanding standards of the genre."
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's review gave the film a score of two stars out of five, saying: "This is a far superior film to Highlander II
Highlander II: The Quickening
Highlander II: The Quickening is the second installment to the Highlander film series, released on January 31, 1991.-Plot:In August 1994, news broadcasts announce that the ozone layer is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of...
[but] it is really a copy of the first one
Highlander (film)
Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
. ... It really feels as if the Highlander story has no more to give us—but that would be very wrong. Perhaps the best thing this third movie did was promote the generally better TV series
Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
."
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Christopher Null is a film critic, columnist and former blogger for Yahoo! Tech, editor of Drinkhacker.com, and is the founder and editor in chief of Filmcritic.com.-Publications:...
of FilmCritic.com also gave Highlander III two stars out of five, saying: "The third in a line of increasingly perplexing Highlander movies, Highlander: The Final Dimension steals wholesale the plot from the original, just throwing in some fresh faces. ... Ultra-fans will rejoice in the face of the third installment—and it's nowhere near as bad as Highlander II—but most of you can give it a pass."
Behind the scenes
Reportedly, Christopher Lambert considered this film to be the "real" sequel to the original film, since the actual Highlander II: The QuickeningHighlander II: The Quickening
Highlander II: The Quickening is the second installment to the Highlander film series, released on January 31, 1991.-Plot:In August 1994, news broadcasts announce that the ozone layer is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of...
was such a radical departure from what the first film established. The movie completely ignores the events of Highlander II and makes no mention of them. Also, in a 1996 Cinefantastique interview, Highlander producer William Panzer mentioned that several references to the TV series' continuity were inserted into this film as a means of linking it to the TV universe.
Many of the locations in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
from the original film were revisited for this sequel. Several scenes were shot in province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: the medieval Japanese village and the building in which Nakano's cave is found were shot near Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Plus, many sequences in New York were actually shot in Montreal, as well. Other scenes for this film were shot in Morocco.
The U.S. theatrical release was rated PG-13 (the rating is slightly noticeable in the poster featured on this page), and a slightly-longer R-rated Special Director's Cut was later released on home video with two sex scenes trimmed for theatrical release restored. Aside from this, additional violence was reinstated, mainly the shot of Kane's head rolling off. The PG-13 theatrical cut originally only showed Kane's head wobbling from side to side, then cutting immediately to the extreme close up on Connor saying "There can be only one."
Goofs
- "Bienvenue à Montréal" ("Welcome to Montreal") sign supposedly at Newark International Airport (now Newark Liberty International AirportNewark Liberty International AirportNewark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
) in New Jersey, showing where the scene was actually filmed.
- US Navy Submarine Service insignia pin (Dolphins) on Japanese security guard's hat.
- When Connor is escaping from the psychiatric ward, the cameras running tracks on the floor can clearly be seen.
- When Connor's sword is shattered by Kane's sword, it shatters all the way down to the tsuba, or guard. In subsequent scenes with Connor holding the broken sword, the blade extends 2-3 inches out from the tsuba.
- When MacLeod arrives in New York City, he is seen walking down Broadway, and the streets and sidewalks are clean. Then he turns into a side street, and it is ankle-deep in snow.
- When MacLeod is back in his antique shop, saying "Welcome back, MacLeod", a silhouette of a crew member is visible in lower right.
Music
- "Ce He Mise le Ulaingt? The Two Trees" by Loreena McKennittLoreena McKennittLoreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
's CD entitled "The Mask and Mirror" - "Bonny Portmore" by Loreena McKennitt
- "God Took A Picture" by Suze DeMarchiSuze DeMarchiSuze DeMarchi is an Australian singer/songwriter best known for fronting the band Baby Animals .-Biography:...
- "BluebeardBluebeard (song)Bluebeard is a single by the Cocteau Twins. It was released by Fontana Records in February 1994. It was the second single to be released from the Four-Calendar Café album....
by Cocteau TwinsCocteau TwinsCocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals... - "Dr. FeelgoodDr. Feelgood (song)"Dr. Feelgood" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released as the first single and is the title track to their fifth album. Although it is the title track, some versions of the album do not include it, such as the Korean edition...
" by Mötley CrüeMötley CrüeMötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
(instrumental riff) - "Dummy CrusherDummy CrusherDummy Crusher is a song by Kerbdog and a single released in July 1994, taken from their self titled debut album. The single was released on four different formats, two CDs, 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl. The 12" single was a limited edition picture disc....
" by KerbdogKerbdogKerbdog was an alternative rock band from Kilkenny, Ireland who formed in 1991. Following two albums released on Mercury Records, the band split up in 1998...