Highlander II : Three Versions Of A Film In Search Of Its Identity By Sean Murphy

Editor's note : Writing this article for Video Watchdog Magazine led to me interviewing one of the producers of the Highlander franchise (Peter Davis) and I sent him a copy of the article. He was so impressed by what I had done that he asked if I'd like to do the liner notes for the Renegade version of Highlander II on laserdisc. I jumped at the chance. You can find what I did for the laserdisc liner notes here.

If you would like to see the Shot-By-Shot breakdowns I did for each version of the film for this article, check out these pages : American Shot-By-Shot Breakdown, European Shot-By-Shot Breakdown, Renegade Shot-By-Shot Breakdown.

Sources:

HIGHLANDER 2 : THE QUICKENING (Panned and Scanned)

1990, Hemdale Home Video #8222, CX encoded, Dolby Surround Laserdisc, 89m 53s, 2 sides, Chapter stops.

HIGHLANDER 2 : THE QUICKENING (Letterboxed)

1990, Bootleg Videotape of British version, 100m 30s

RUSSELL MULCAHY'S RENEGADE VERSION - HIGHLANDER 2 : THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, (Panned and Scanned)

1995, Hemdale Home Video #7280, Dolby SR Videotape, 109m 27s

HIGHLANDER 2 : THE DIRECTOR'S CUT (Letterboxed)

1995, BMG Video #BVLE-18 (74321-32143-6), CX Encoded, Dolby SR Laserdisc, 109m 27s, 2 sides, No Chapter Stops

Fans of the original HIGHLANDER are fond of saying, "There should have been only one," playing on the Immortals claim that, "There can be only one." Most fans would likely be taken aback if they realized that they were partially responsible for the story created in HIGHLANDER II : THE QUICKENING. How, you may ask yourself, could I have been responsible for the story that claims itself as a sequel? According to Bill Panzer, who co-wrote the script and produced the film with Peter Davis, "The question we were most asked by fans after the first film was, 'Where did the immortals come from?' It made sense to answer that question in the second film. What we didn't realize at the time was that the fans didn't really want to know their (the immortals) origins because then the romanticism and mystery of the story was stripped away."

Change is a necessary thing for any sequel to remain fresh so that it does not just copy the original film. Russell Mulcahy, the director of HIGHLANDER and HIGHLANDER II, summed it up very well at the time when he said, "All I can remember about (the original) HIGHLANDER is lots of guys in various eras bashing swords about. That worked the first time, but HIGHLANDER II has to transcend that with more originality and the ability to turn unknown corners." (Cinefantastique, April 1991, Volume 21 Number 5, Page 11). Mulcahy didn't want to just remake the first film, he wanted to expand on it and create a new vision.

The story for HIGHLANDER II takes place in the year 2024 when the world is encased in an electromagnetic Shield designed by Conner Macleod and his friend Alan Neyman. The Shield was built in 1999 in response to the depleting ozone layer and the devastating radiation it was letting through. When the film begins, Conner is an old man and the world around him has fallen apart after 25 years under the Shield. A woman named Louise Marcus heads a terrorist groups which believes the radiation above the Shield is normal. She needs Conner's help to bring down the Shield. A second storyline concerns General Katana, an Immortal from Conner's past, who wants to make sure that the Highlander does not return to his home world, a planet called Zeist. When Immortals from Zeist arrive to assassinate Conner, he defeats them. In the process he becomes a young Immoral again and his mentor, Ramirez, is resurrected. The stage is set for a final battle with Katana and the destruction of the Shield.

This approach to the sequel, i.e. taking the story in a radical new direction, made sense since the ending of the original HIGHLANDER (with Conner having received the Prize and becoming mortal after killing all of the other Immortals) didn't really leave too many open storylines to explore. The fans dislike of the American version of HIGHLANDER II is almost unanimous and with good reason; the editing confused the story and the events in the sequel contradict much of what the original film established. There were no flashbacks scattered throughout the sequel (a staple of the first film) and it is very hard to determine where, geographically, the characters are located throughout the film. The blame for the atrocious editing of this version cannot be laid at the director's feet since neither he nor the producers had final cut on the American version.

A different version of HIGHLANDER II : THE QUICKENING appeared in Britain around the same time in 1990 and the editing for this version was funded by Nigel Green of Entertainment Productions along with Panzer and Davis. The British version had the input of the director and producers and is much truer to the original script. The film contains the original ending along with ten minutes of additional footage which helps the story immensely (including what happened to Brenda, Conner's girlfriend from the first film) and the narrative is edited together much better than the American version. Unfortunately, both the American and British versions were streamlined for "easier viewing" with all of the flashback footage (as found in the script) put into chronological order and placed at the beginning of the film. The British version of HIGHLANDER II has only been seen in America on a poor quality bootleg so most fans are not aware of its existence.

The American version of HIGHLANDER II failed at the Boxoffice but with the growth of the HIGHLANDER franchise, including a second sequel called HIGHLANDER III : THE FINAL DIMENSION as well as a TV show in it's fifth season and an animated cartoon, the time was ripe in 1995 to reassess the first sequel. This manifested itself in the creation of a Russell Mulcahy's Renegade Version of HIGHLANDER II : THE DIRECTOR'S CUT. This radically re-edited and digitally remastered version of the film is a full 18 minutes longer than the American version (and 8 minutes longer than the British Version) and the flashbacks have finally been restored to their proper places within the film. There is, however, one very major difference between this Renegade version and the previous two releases of the film; the decision was made to remove all references to the planet Zeist, the home planet of the Immortals from the Renegade Version. This was done in order to bring the film in line with the HIGHLANDER mythos that has grown since the sequel was originally released. This bit of revisionist history is understandable in view of the original fan backlash to HIGHLANDER II : THE QUICKENING but removing all references to the planet Zeist while keeping the same footage in the film dilutes the original story and makes for a slightly confusing viewing experience.

This article will cover the differences between the American, British, Renegade and script versions of HIGHLANDER II. The sources used for this article are the panned and scanned American Version of HIGHLANDER II : THE QUICKENING (hereafter referred to as the AV), the letterboxed British version of HIGHLANDER II : THE QUICKENING (hereafter referred to as the BV), the letterboxed Renegade version of HIGHLANDER II : THE DIRECTOR'S CUT (hereafter referred to as the RV) and the HIGHLANDER II script.

The Editing and Structure of HIGHLANDER II

What's the best way to approach the American, British and Renegade versions of HIGHLANDER II? Make sure that you understand right from the start that they are three different films in terms of structure (editing), story and footage.

The AV is nothing but a butchered mess of the original story. There are two flashbacks found in the script that were supposed to occur during the film and only one of them, when Conner and Alan launch the Shield for the first time, is found here. This flashback is stuck unceremoniously at the beginning of the film, thereby changing its status from flashback to prologue. The second flashback of Conner's wife Brenda dying is only found in the BV and RV. Some of the footage in the AV has been rearranged so that two separate fights between Conner and Katana, from the middle and end of the film, are cut together for the climactic fight. This fight ends up looking very silly because their swords and clothing change between the two sequences although only minutes were supposed to have passed. The confusing editing makes the security prison MAX and the Shield Corporation (TSC) seem to be the same place, even though they are in two different locations, because footage was removed of Conner and Louise leaving MAX to go above the Shield and then return to TSC. A major narrative flaw in the AV has Conner Macleod originally from another planet called Zeist and promising to return there, although at the end of the film he does not. Avoid the AV of HIGHLANDER II at all costs.

The BV, if you can get your hands on it at a Science Fiction convention, includes the footage of Brenda dying but, unfortunately, this footage is crammed together with the other flashback at the beginning of the film. This version fixes the fight footage mentioned above so that there are two separate battles at different points in the film. Conner and Louise go above the Shield, but this footage occurs earlier in the film than it is supposed to and this alters the storyline from its original flow. The other ten minutes of extra footage, although enlightening, still doesn't hold the entire film together because of the misplaced flashbacks and "above the Shield" footage. The BV includes the original ending where Conner returns to Zeist as he had promised and this is the only place that you'll ever see it.

The RV builds upon the better aspects of the AV and BV to create the cohesive storyline and structure that was always meant to be there as found in the script. This version has Conner Macleod's home planet Zeist changed to "A Long Time Ago" and he does not promise to return. The new footage in the RV, including the flashbacks in their proper places as well as the "above the Shield" footage where it belongs, helps the storyline make more sense. There are, however, still problems brought on by the removal of all references to the planet Zeist.

What follows is a side by side comparison of the three versions of the film. Pay special attention to the new footage in italics and the different arrangement of the footage in each version.

American Version The Sun rises (August 1999) The Shield goes up Conner driving his car and thinking An old Conner at the opera FLASHBACK : Conner remembers Zeist Katana and Conner talk with the eels Ramirez and Conner are sent to Earth Louise discovers that the ozone layer is normal Conner in the Bar Corda and Reno are sent to Earth by Katana Conner kills Corda and Reno and becomes young Ramirez appears in Scotland Conner and Louise kiss, then talk about saving Earth Conner visits Alan Katana lands in the train and drives it into a wall Conner visits Brenda's grave and finds Katana Ramirez gets a new suit of clothing Ramirez on a plane talking to woman Louise sees Conner's past in his mementos Katana is dropped off by a cab David Blake in a Board meeting of TSC when Katana arrives David Blake sends Alan to MAX Conner talks to Louise about his past Reunion between Conner and Ramirez Conner and Ramirez drive into MAX Conner and Louise find Alan Ramirez saves everyone from fan blade and disappears Blake is killed by Katana Conner and Louise at TSC (or maybe MAX?) Conner and Katana fight in an empty warehouse Conner and Katana fight at the Shield Conner destroys the Shield Conner stays on Earth with Louise British Version The Sun rises (August 1994) Conner's wife Brenda dies The Shield goes up An old Conner at the opera FLASHBACK : Conner remembers Zeist (Missing : Katana and Conner talk with the eels) Ramirez and Conner are sent to Earth Louise discovers that the ozone layer is normal Conner driving his car Corda and Reno are sent to Earth by Katana Conner in the Bar where his wounded hand heals Conner kills Corda and Reno and becomes young Ramirez appears in Scotland Conner and Louise kiss, then talk about saving Earth The Psychic Cook commercial in the train station Katana lands in the train and drives it into a wall Ramirez gets a new suit of clothing Ramirez on a plane talking to woman Katana is dropped off by a cab (Missing : Conner visits Brenda's grave and finds Katana) Conner visits Alan Conner and Louise talk about the blue sky Conner and Louise get above the Shield Conner and Katana fight in an empty warehouse Conner talks to Louise about his past David Blake in a Board meeting of TSC when Katana arrives David Blake sends Alan to MAX Reunion between Conner and Ramirez Conner and Ramirez drive into MAX Ramirez saves everyone from fan blade and disappears Conner and Louise find Alan Blake and Katana talk about Conner Blake is killed by Katana Conner and Louise at TSC (not MAX) Conner and Katana fight at the Shield Conner destroys the Shield Conner and Louise go to Zeist Renegade Version Prologue An old Conner at the opera FLASHBACK : Conner remembers Zeist Katana and Conner talk with the eels Ramirez and Conner are sent to the future Conner driving his car Conner calls Alan and is approached by punks Several Guards miss Louise breaking into TSC Louise discovers that the ozone layer is normal The Priests talk to Katana about Conner Corda and Reno are sent to the future by Katana Conner in the bar where his wounded hand heals Conner kills Corda and Reno and becomes young Ramirez appears in Scotland Conner and Louise kiss, then talk about saving Earth Ramirez gets a new suit of clothing Conner and Louise talk about the blue sky Katana decides to go to the future himself The Psychic Cook commercial in the train station Katana lands in the train and drives it into a wall Conner visits Alan Conner visits Brenda's grave and finds Katana FLASHBACK : The Shield goes up (1999) Katana is dropped off by a cab Ramirez on a plane talking to woman FLASHBACK : The Sun rises (New York City, 1998) Conner's wife Brenda dies Louise sees Conner's past in his mementos Conner and Katana fight in an empty warehouse Conner talks to Louise about his past Reunion between Conner and Ramirez David Blake sends Alan to MAX David Blake in a Board meeting of TSC when Katana arrives Conner and Ramirez talk about Shield Conner and Ramirez drive into MAX Conner and Louise find Alan Ramirez saves everyone from fan blade and disappears Conner and Louise steal a truck from MAX Conner and Louise get above the Shield Blake and Katana talk about Conner Blake is killed by Katana Conner and Louise at TSC (not MAX) Conner and Katana fight at the Shield Conner destroys the Shield Conner stays on Earth with Louise

The Major Impact Of Minor Changes And Footage

In order to understand how significantly different the RV of HIGHLANDER II is to the previous versions, it's best to first see which elements were eliminated from the film. This included the removal of all references to the December Installation, the Quickening, and, most importantly, to the planet Zeist. On the surface these deletions may not seem like much but the reverberations caused by the removal of these elements, particularly the Zeist references, are felt throughout the film.

The name of the December Installation was most likely changed to "Shield Control" to make it less confusing to the audience when talking about where the Shield generator was housed. In the script, there are other Shield generators around the world named for the different months of the year. Unfortunately, the name "December Installation" was never explained in the film and therefore became confusing in the minds of the audience, so it was changed in the RV.

The deletion of any mention of the Quickening in the RV is very significant since "The Quickening" was the subtitle of the American and British versions of the film. The decision to drop any reference to the Quickening must have been an easy one since the Quickening is never explained in any version of the film and it really didn't have much to do with the story. This deletion, though interesting in light of the prominence it held in previous version, does not really disrupt the RV in any significant way.

The removal of the planet Zeist is a major change within the RV. All the footage that was seen in the AV and BV as taking place on Zeist is included in the RV, but the setting is changed to a time and place "A Long Time Ago" in Earth's past. This particular revision in the HIGHLANDER II story creates inherent problems and questions in the film. If the Immortals are from "a long time ago" on our planet, how did they get here? Where did their technology come from? Since they are no longer transporting their criminals from Zeist to Earth, the RV changes the story so that they have the ability to send criminals into the future. Where did they get the ability to travel through time? Why would they send their criminals in to the future? These questions are never addressed in the RV.

This "unknown origin" of the Immortals is more in keeping with the HIGHLANDER mythos that has grown along with the TV series but the removal of Zeist harms the actual film more than it helps. At the time HIGHLANDER II : THE QUICKENING was originally created, before the TV show, the focus of the film was to show where the Immortals originated. Removing this element from the RV weakens the overall purpose and impact of the story. The insertion of new footage, dialogue and re-editing throughout the RV had to be done to remove any mention of Zeist. This was successfully accomplished for the most part although there are still some awkward moments, such as when Ramirez makes a toast "To Zeist" and no sound comes from his lips (18:28 on Side 2 of RV).

There are many instances of minor "set up" footage throughout the RV, some of which lasts only a few seconds. This includes shots of various different locations such as places around the city and TSC which help to better orientate the viewer as to where the action is taking place, which was a problem found in both the AV and BV. After the Shield is destroyed, there are shots of the Earth, the city, and the bar Conner had gone to earlier in the film each with a sky full of stars behind them helping to reinforce the changes brought on by the removal of the Shield. One especially nice touch worth noting is a shot of a portrait of Heather, Conner's first wife (9:32 on side 2 of RV) which Louise makes reference to later when she talks to Conner about his past. Although none of this footage is exceptional by itself, all of it adds to the overall flow of the film immensely.

Rearranging Dialogue And Footage To Change The Focus Of The Film

Two of the storylines found in all versions of HIGHLANDER II involve the sentencing of Conner and Ramirez and the question of whether or not the ozone layer has repaired itself. Each version of the film handles these changes in different ways with results that impact the overall narrative.

The original script explained very clearly why Conner and Ramirez were immortal on Earth when they were sentenced.

JUDGE : I sentence you to exile from Zeist. You will be transported to the planet Earth. Each of you to a different time and place. There to be reborn. Once you have grown to the age you are now, time itself will take on a new meaning for you. One year on Earth is like one day on our planet. So on Earth you will be immortal. Furthermore, your memory of this planet and your lives here will be gone. Until the time of the Gathering. (Page 9 of the HIGHLANDER II script)

This information explained what is going to happen to Conner and MacLeod on Earth and why they are Immortal. This whole sequence was cut out of the script before filming started, according to Bill Panzer, when it was realized that using the "one year on Earth equals one day on Zeist" explanation would need more of a set up than just having one character mention it in passing. This excerpt also showed why the Immortals in the first film would not have recognized each other when they met or why they hadn't remembered Zeist. The AV (with the words in parenthesis) and the BV (with the words in italics) handled this scene differently.

Priest : "Leaders of the rebellion, you have been found guilty of treason against our government. We hereby sentence you to exile from Zeist. You will be transported (sent) to the planet Earth. Once there, you will be reborn and on Earth you will be immortal (you will be immortal). You can only die if your head is cut from your body."

Katana : "Priests."

Priest : " When one of you becomes the last of us on earth, he will claim the Prize, to grow old and die on Earth or to return to Zeist. "

Conner : "Will we be together on earth?"

Ramirez : "Well, not at first but we are joined in a way that can never be broken. Not even by death. When you need me, you'll only have to call my name. I'll always find you."

Conner : "If I win the Prize, I'll be back."

Ramirez : "Just remember, the Quickening."

Conner : "It sounds like magic."

Ramirez : "Oh, it is. Hmmm, kind of."

Priest : "Prepare yourselves. There can be only one." (12:07 on Side 1 of AV) (13:26 on BV)

Conner and Ramirez only become Immortal in the AV when they are sent to Earth and no explanation is given as to why this occurs. The speech given in the BV is closer to the original script. The explanation about their rebirth also explains how they could arrive on Earth without any memory of Zeist, or each other, and how their arrival would not cause any suspicion among those to whom they were born. Note here that while Conner makes a pledge to return to Zeist in both versions he does return in the BV but does not in the AV. The RV handles this same sequence in a radically different way and helps to set the new tone and direction of this version.

Katana : "Let's get on with it. The punishment for rebellion is death. Judge them guilty and I'll execute them here. Now."

Priest voice : "You forget yourself General Katana. As you well know for many years we have exiled those rebels and criminals who, like you, possess this unholy immortality. Therefore I sentence you both to this same exile. An exile into the future."

Katana : "What?"

Another priest : "Silence General Katana."

Priest voice : "In that distant future you will face other immortals in trial by combat which only one can survive. And, as is your way, you will die only when your head is cut from your body."

Conner : "Will we be together on earth?"

Ramirez : "Well, not at first but we are joined in a way that can never be broken. Not even by death. When you need me, you'll only have to call my name. I'll always find you."

Priest voice : "Finally, the last one to survive will have a choice."

Katana : "Choice? What choice?"

Priest voice : "Grow old and die in the future or return here with his freedom and faith restored."

Katana : "Priests."

Priest voice : "Now go. And remember, there can be only one." (11:26 on Side 1 of RV)

This footage establishes that Conner and Ramirez will be sent into the future (since Zeist is no longer a part of the film), and the root of their immortality, which they already possess, remain a mystery even where they originate. Of particular note is the missing footage of Conner's pledge to return if he wins the Prize. Now he can choose to remain on Earth with Louise, no strings attached, since the Priest mentioned that the winner of the Prize could return if he chose to. In the AV, Conner remains on Earth and it appears that he has forgotten his pledge. In the BV, Conner returns to Zeist, fulfilling his promise.

Central to the plot of HIGHLANDER II is the need to destroy the Shield that Conner helped to create. What was lost in the AV, and restored in the BV and RV in different ways, is the method used to determine if the atmosphere above the Shield is safe. The AV basically sidesteps the issue when Conner visits his old friend Alan, the President of The Shield Corporation (TSC) and Alan types the following on his computer screen: "The ultraviolet radiation above the Shield is normal" (39:04 on Side 1 of AV) The need to go above the Shield, as found in the script, is discarded in the AV and therefore a major subplot is lost. This is particularly felt when Conner, Ramirez and Louise break into the security prison called MAX to rescue Alan and when he dies there, all he can say is, "We did right to build it, didn't we?" (20:20 on Side 2 of AV) This comment doesn't make much sense since Alan already knows that the radiation above the Shield is normal and the most probable reason why is because they built the Shield.

The BV, on the other hand, tackles the Shield problem head on and introduces the need for Conner and Louise to go above the Shield to confirm that everything is all right. The way this is accomplished, however, also deviates from the script and changes the structure of the film.

Computer screen (Alan typing) : The ultraviolet radiation above the Shield is normal."

Computer screen (Conner) : How can we be sure?

Computer screen (Alan) : "You have to go above the Shield.

Computer screen (Conner) : Where?

Computer screen (Alan) : Remember the old service tower in sector F?

Blake then walks in and interrupts them.

Blake : "Forgive me Alan." (54:38 on BV)

When Alan gives Conner this information, a reason is created for Louise and Conner to go above the Shield (extra footage in the BV reveals that Louise wants to see the blue sky and Conner takes her with him.) Alan's death in MAX is slightly different because of this new situation and he asks, "Did you get through the Shield? Was it O.K.? Was, was the sky like before?" and Conner says"Yes." (85:37 on BV) Now Alan's death doesn't seem so meaningless now that he knows the ozone layer has repaired itself.

The RV moves the footage of Conner and Louise going above the Shield after Alan's death in MAX and this is the way it was laid out in the script.

Computer screen (Alan typing) : The ultraviolet radiation above the Shield is normal.

Computer screen (Conner) : How can we be sure?

Computer screen (Alan) : You have to go above the Shield.

Computer screen (Conner) : Where?

Computer screen (Alan) : 33o 28' North Latitude.

Blake then walks in and interrupts them.

Blake : "Forgive me Alan." (55:58 on Side 1 of RV)

When Alan gives Conner this information, he is only able to reveal half of the coordinates for the location to go above the Shield. This fact is reinforced in the scene where Conner and Ramirez are informed that Alan has been taken to MAX.

Ramirez (Looking at the Shield) : "MacLeod. You created that monstrosity? Why?"

Conner : "It was necessary at the time."

Ramirez : "So was Noah's flood, but that at least served its purpose, it cleansed the Earth from evil and gave it a fresh start."

Conner : "33 degrees, 26 minutes north latitude. That's where Neyman said there was a system failure."

Ramirez : "Meaning what?"

Conner : "Meaning we can go above the Shield."

Ramirez : "We will still require a longitude."

Louise : "MacLeod."

Louise : "Alan Neyman's been taken to MAX."

Ramirez : "MAX? Who's MAX?"

Louise : "A high security prison."

Ramirez : "MacLeod, your time is now!"

Ramirez's hand shatters the glass Shield around the model of Earth. (23:29 on Side 2 of RV)

This scene is followed by Conner, Ramirez and Louise breaking into MAX and finding Alan where he reveals, "Listen, other coordinate - 60 degrees, 42 minutes west. You can get through the Shield there. You must see for yourself. Mac." (9:21 on Side 2 of RV) Alan's death in MAX becomes much more significant when he is able to share the rest of the coordinates with Conner before he dies since he will never know for sure if the ozone layer has repaired itself. The RV follows this scene with Conner and Louise stealing a truck to go above the Shield to see if the ozone layer has repaired itself. Once they discover that the ozone layer has returned to normal, destroying the Shield becomes more important to Conner than defeating Katana.

The "Missing" Flashbacks

Flashbacks were always a part of the Highlander II script but the editing of the AV and BV moved the flashbacks to the beginning of the film to make the time line of the story "easier" to follow. The AV begins in August, 1999 with the launch of the Shield by Conner and Alan, and is followed by the title "25 Years Later" when an old Conner is driving to the Opera in the year 2024. Following that is a flashback to Zeist "500 Years Ago." The British version begins with Brenda's death in August, 1994, is followed by the Shield launch "5 years later" then by Conner at the Opera "25 Years Later" and finally ending on the flashback to the planet Zeist "500 Years Ago." Rearranging the flashback footage like this was supposed to make the film easier to follow? Not likely. The RV mercifully restores the flashbacks to their proper place in the narrative.

The footage found at the beginning of the AV and BV shows Conner and Alan launching the Shield for the first time. This flashback was supposed to occur when Conner first visits Alan in his office at TSC, as it is now placed in the RV.

Alan : "Do you remember the dreams we had?"

There is a shot of a model of Shield Control as Conner and Alan walk towards it.

Alan : "Remember the day?" (52:17 on Side 1 of RV)

The Shield Control model has a plaque on it that reads, "December 1999" (which is consistent with the fact that in the AV and BV "Shield Control" is known as the December Installation), as well as a pair of goggles sitting next to it. Conner puts on the goggles and the camera moves around him to do a "time transition", which begins the flashback footage found at the opening of the AV and BV.

Male Radio Announcer : "Good Evening. Only a few months now until the ozone layer is completely gone. A team of international scientists led by Dr. Alan Neyman and supervised by Conner MacLeod work around the clock. This may be the last chance for planet Earth."

Shield Technician : "This is TSC, we are standing by for Shield launch."

Title : Shield Control, 1999

Alan : "They'll remember this day for a thousand years. The day we protected the planet from the sun."

The Shield is launched and Conner takes off his goggles and hugs Alan. (53:22 on Side 1 of RV)

The camera then pans down from the ceiling (a new transition for the RV) from Conner and Alan hugging in the past to Conner and Alan at the desk in the present.

Alan : "What a day. What a great day. It was a great idea, wasn't it Mac?"

Conner : "It still is." (55:58 on Side 1 of RV)

The second flashback to be restored in the RV has to do with the death of Conner's wife Brenda. (This footage was first seen in the BV where Brenda dies of radiation poisoning in August, 1994. Her death becomes part of Conner's motivation for building the Shield.) This flashback finds its rightful place in the RV when Conner visits Brenda's grave. The headstone says that she died in 1995, but this year of death is immediately contradicted in the RV during the flashback footage, as will be seen.

Voiceover by Brenda as a long shot of the rising sun is shown : "Forgive me, my husband, for leaving you so soon. I'm so scared Conner."

Title : New York City, 1998

Brenda is lying in a bed with her eyes bandaged and Conner sits next to her

Brenda : "I wanted to stay and love you. The sun is killing us. Help the ones that are still alive. Hold my hand. Promise me, Conner."

Conner : "Anything."

Brenda : "Promise me you'll do something to stop this."

Conner : "Aye Love, I will."

Brenda dies

Conner - "I love you."

Conner stands up and walks away and we get the long shot, found at the beginning of the AV, where hundreds and hundreds of beds with radiation poisoning victims are seen filling a large warehouse. The shot ends with a billboard that says, "Area F. 6 South Solar Radiation Ward"

Back in the present at Brenda's grave site, Conner says, "It was all going to be so good, so clean. And for one brief moment it was. I used to wish you were here to see it, but not anymore. Not after what its become, what its done to us." (4:35 on Side 2 of RV)

The BV had the same footage as the RV with one addition; when Brenda dies, a futuristic bracelet on her wrist starts flashing and beeping to let the doctors know she is dead.

When Conner talks to Louise later in the RV about his past, he reveals that his wife Brenda "died in New York 29 years ago." (14:55 on Side 2 of RV) If you do the simple math (the year 2024 minus 29 years) you get the year 1995, the year that it says she died on her headstone. So why make her death occur in 1998 in the RV? Are we supposed to believe that Alan and Conner were able to build the worldwide Shield in one year? The time line of four years (from 1994 to 1999) in the BV seems slightly more reasonable.

Major New Footage Found In The RV

Since the AV of HIGHLANDER II was a poorly edited mess and very few Americans have seen the BV, the RV offers the first real chance to see 18 minutes of new footage and the correctly edited structure of the film. This includes new scenes exclusive to the RV as well as additions to existing scenes. What follows is an examination of the major new scenes and other footage found in the RV.

The RV begins with a text prologue that is unnecessary for anyone who actually pays attention to the film. (All new footage is denoted by italics).

TEXT :The year is 2024. Industrial pollution has destroyed the ozone layer, leaving the planet at the mercy of the sun's ultraviolet rays. An electromagnetic Shield now protects the earth. A small group believes that the ozone layer has repaired itself and that the Shield is no longer necessary. But no one knows for sure. (0:45 on Side 1 of RV)

This prologue was obviously added so that there was no chance that the audience would get lost when they were introduced to the world in the year 2024. The reasoning behind this is unfortunate, since most of the fun of watching a film is trying to figure everything out as the story unfolds. No other version of HIGHLANDER II has a prologue.

Following the prologue, the RV shows a shot of a statue outside of the decrepit opera house with a plaque that reads "25 years under the Shield, 1999-2024". This opening is consistent with the script and is the way the film was always meant to begin.

Conner is awakened in the Opera House after the show is over and he then drives his car into the city. The television monitor in his car shows him a news announcer for TSC.

"Good evening and welcome to TSC's nightly report. Today's satellite readings from above the Shield confirm that highly dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation continue to bombard the planet in the absence of the ozone layer. But here below the Shield we're protected and safe. At a press conference held earlier, the corporation's chief financial officer, David Blake, denied growing rumors of a management shake-up. Alan Neyman, president of TSC, was unavailable for comment and he seems increasingly isolated." (13:24 on Side 1 of RV)

By mentioning Alan and the threats of a management shake-up at TSC, Conner is motivated to call his old friend from a pay phone in the following scene. What's interesting about this news report is that it is significantly different from what appeared in the AV. The footage of Conner driving his car was placed before he arrives at the opera house and only in the AV does he think the following thoughts, "The Shield. Twenty-five years ago it was our savior. Now, no sun, no stars, only heat and humidity. It drains the energy from the whole world. We're falling apart, going backward. Old cars, old planes, old dreams. The cure is worse than the disease." (3:27 on Side 1 of AV) Conner's thoughts were immediately followed by the TSC announcers broadcast on the TV.

"Good evening and welcome to TSC's nightly report. Today the Shield Corporation, the world's largest private company was accused of monopoly and price fixing. Alan Neyman, president of TSC was unavailable for comment. At its regular monthly report the Shield Corporation announced record profits for its fiscal year ending November, 2024. And now for the weather. The temperature at 97 with humidity constant at 97. No rain, no clouds, no thunder, no lightning, no nothing, as usual under the Shield." (4:00 on Side 1 of AV)

The voice over of Conner's thoughts in the AV is an attempt to orient the audience to this new version of planet Earth, much like the prologue found in the RV. Much of the editing in the AV was done to make it easier for the audience to follow the narrative. This meant changing dialogue and footage and even adding more voiceovers by Conner. The information revealed by the TSC spokesman in the AV was changed for the RV to reflect the original storyline which has Conner trying to get in touch with his old friend.

Conner stops at a public videophone and tries to give Alan a call in this footage exclusive to the RV.

Woman on Video Monitor : "Shield Corporation, may I help you?"

Conner : "Alan Neyman please."

Woman at TSC : "Who may I say is calling?"

Conner : "Tell him it's a friend. Tell him it's MacLeod."

Woman at TSC : "Please hold."

Conner : "Thank you."

Woman at TSC : "I'm sorry, he's not accepting any calls at the moment. Any message?"

Conner : "No. No message.'

Woman at TSC : "Thank you for calling."

Conner : "Thank you."

A couple of punks who have been attempting, unsuccessfully, to get oxygen out of a decrepit machine approach Conner as he walks to his car.

Main punk : "Hey Grandpa. You got some change for the oxygen machine? Hey, hey you cheap fuck, you deaf or what?"

The punks stop and actually look at Conner for a moment.

Other punk : "You, you're MacLeod, aren't you?"

Conner : "So what?"

Other punk : "Yeah right, so what. O.k., o.k. C'mon, we're outta here."

All the other Punks : "Let's go. Let's forget it, let's go." (14:00 on Side 1 of RV)

This scene helps to reinforce Alan's isolation even from his friends and the fact that at this point in his life there may be little Conner can do about it. Then again, the audience is given a hint of what is to come when, even as an old man, Conner still has enough of a presence to scare off the punks when he glares at them.

Louise Marcus leads an environmental terrorist group called Cobalt that breaks into TSC to discover that the ozone layer has repaired itself. Their first appearance in the RV is preceded by new footage of the Shield generator and a title that reads, "Shield Control" (15:00 on Side 1 of RV) Two guards are standing on a platform when they hear the sound of a truck pulling up in this footage exclusive to the RV.

Guard #1 : "What was that?"

Guard #2 : "What was what?"

Guard #1 : "I heard something. I'm calling it in."

A shot of a security guard in the control room

Security Guard : "Security."

Guard #1 : "I heard something. You see anything?"

Security Guard (Looking at his monitors) : "I don't see nothing. Could be fish. Fish live in the lake."

Guard #1 : "Not in this lake."

Security Guard : "Yeah, well I've seen them. It was a fish." (15:17 on Side 1 of RV)

There are several other instances throughout the RV which contain extra establishing shots of Shield Control and the guards that protect it. All of this extra footage helps to helps to maintain the image of Shield Control having a military force as well as orienting the audience to where the action is taking place.

Conner drives to a local bar after failing to get a hold of Alan on the phone. We see a video screen showing Conner getting out of his car at the bar and discover that he is being watched by Katana and the priests. The title on the video screen says, "New York City July 16, 2024."

Katana : "What now gentleman?"

Priest voice : "Isn't that your friend MacLeod, General? He's getting older but he's still alive."

Katana : "I know that, I'm not blind."

Priest voice : "Good. Then you can also see that he hasn't made his choice yet. He still has time to come back to us."

Katana : "Wonderful." (19:00 on Side 1 of RV)

Katana then goes in search of his two assassins, named Corda and Reno. The words in parenthesis are those found in the AV, the words in italics are new in the RV.

Katana : "Corda, Reno. Where are you? There you are. I want you to leave for the future (planet Earth) immediately. Find MacLeod and kill him."

Corda : "But I thought you said MacLeod was mortal and will (can) never return."

Katana : "Do me a big favor Corda. Don't think."

Reno : "He's an old man now, he'll be dead in a couple of weeks."

Katana : "I don't care. Find him for me. Kill him." (19:29 on Side 1 of RV)

The BV added two extra lines for Katana to what is found in the RV. After Reno's last line, Katana says, "And then the people's memory of him will finally be gone. But, maybe he'll try to get back to Zeist before that happens. Find him for me. Kill him." (39:05 on BV) These extra lines help to reinforce Katana's paranoia about Conner and add a motivation for his desire to keep Conner from coming back.

Once inside the bar, Conner has a drink and is approached by a woman who is unhappy with the Shield that Conner helped to build.

Conner : "Who are you?"

Woman : "Me? I'm nobody, All right? I work all day and my life stinks and it's your goddamn fault you old bastard. Don't turn your back on me."

Conner : "Hey, hey, hey, hey. There are some people in this world who know when to stop and some people who don't. Which kind are you?"

Jimmy : "O.K. Ms. nobody, you're outta here." (22:29 on Side 1 of RV)

Right after this conversation the woman attacks Conner with a bottle and cuts his hand. Since Corda and Reno are now on the Earth in Conner's time, Conner's hand heals by itself and he realizes that he is immortal again. His response to this is desperate.

Conner : "Oh no, not again." (24:01 on Side 1 of RV)

When Conner steps out of the bar, he is confronted by Louise Marcus, who has escaped from her break-in at TSC.

Louise : "Mr. MacLeod."

Conner : "Yes?"

Louise : "I'm Louise Marcus."

Conner : "Terror is a dangerous business Ms. Marcus."

Louise : "I'm not a terrorist."

Conner : "Well, whatever you are Ms. Marcus, you'll have to excuse me. I've had some very disturbing news."

Louise : "Did somebody die?"

Conner : "Unfortunately not. Goodbye Ms. Marcus." (24:34 on Side 1 of RV)

These extra few lines between Conner and Louise are not found in the AV because the AV was edited so that Corda and Reno arrive after Louise confronts Conner for the first time. This means that Conner wouldn't realize he was Immortal until after his meeting with Louise in the AV so the extra dialogue was dropped.

Conner fights Corda and Reno, killing them both and in the process he becomes young and Immortal again. When Conner and Louise go back to his place, they talk about the formerly blue sky, setting up the fact that later in the film they will be going above the Shield to see the actual blue sky.

Louise : "Have you ever seen the blue sky?"

Conner : "Sure."

Louise : "What was it like?"

Conner : "It was, it was the deepest blue you ever saw. But it was more than that. White clouds suddenly turning dark with rain. Oh, and the smell of grass after the storm. Red leaves in fall, snow in winter. It was beautiful. And we thought it would last forever. I wish you could have seen it."

Louise : "So do I. I'd like to. Just once before I die." (44:34 on Side 1 of RV)

The video screen that Katana watches makes a second appearance when Katana watches the battle between Conner and Reno.

Katana : "Ah, yes. Yes. "

Conner kills Reno

Katana : " I guess if you want something done, you have to do it yourself." (46:26 on Side 1 of RV)

Katana sends himself into the future to confront Conner. This scene is immediately followed by the TV commercial for the Psychic Cook on a TV located in the train station.

TITLE : Psychic Cook

"It's the wackiest show on TV. The Psychic Cook. Step into the paranormal pantry with the special guest ghost and prepare meals from beyond the grave. Spooky sauces to ghostly goulashes. It's a whole lotta fun. The Psychic Cook. Weekdays at 5. Brought to you by Zenon, the world's highest grade, non-emission gasoline. Available at service stations everywhere. Only $55 dollars a gallon." (46:56 on Side 1 of RV)

While this TV commercial is playing, a train pulls into the station. When Katana comes crashing into the Earth, it is in this train that he will end up.

Conner finally goes to TSC to see Alan. The sequence begins with a shot of the TSC logo and a lone guard, then a shot of the entrance to TSC.

Conner's car pulls up to a stop in front of several guards and he walks into building. The title transposed over the shot says, The Shield Corporation. Conner walks up to a guard behind a desk and puts his hand on a scanner. The light on top of the hand scanner goes green. (51:41 on Side 1 of RV)

Later in the film, Conner and Louise eventually find Alan after he has been imprisoned in MAX and when this happens, Blake and Katana are watching on a video monitor.

Conner on the screen holding Alan

Conner : "I won't forget you."

Louise : "MacLeod."

Katana : "How very touching."

Blake : "You don't have to worry. No one gets out of MAX."

Katana : "But you said nobody would get in either. Who's that?"

Blake : "Louise Marcus, the head of Cobalt."

Katana : A powerful enemy I'm sure."

Blake : "It doesn't matter now because they're both dead."

Katana : "Show time." (29:52 on Side 2 of RV)

Conner and Louise steal a truck from MAX to take them to a place where they can get above the Shield.

Conner knocks out a guard at MAX and takes a truck.

Conner (to Louise) : "C'mon."

Katana appears in the roadway and stands in the way of the truck. Conner has no choice but to drive over Katana

Louise : "Outstanding."

Conner and Louise are drive the truck out on an open road in a desert setting. Katana, who has clung to the bottom of the truck, climbs up from the back and pulls himself along the side to get to Conner, who is in the driver's seat.

Katana : "Time for your bitch to die."

Conner (to Louise) : "Whatever happens, don't stop."

Louise : "What?"

Conner climbs out of window and Louise takes the driver's seat. Conner and Katana fight on top of the truck and then on the hood as the truck barrels down the road.

Louise : "MacLeod!"

Katana punches through the windshield at Louise and Conner eventually pulls Katana off and kicks him from the truck. Conner gets back into the truck and continues driving. He looks at Louise.

Louise : "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Louise notices she has a bloody nose.

Louise : "Oh, great." (33:07 on Side 2 of RV)

The truck pulls up to a sign that reads, "Danger Shield Ceiling - Authorized Personnel Only".

Conner says, "Let's go" and they climb up past the sign. We next see them climbing a ladder in a tunnel that rises up through the mountain. Sparks of electricity and explosions surround them as they climb through the Shield.

Conner : "Hold on. That's it. C'mon." (35:44 on Side 2 of RV)

While Conner and Louise are climbing the ladder, there is a cut to new footage of Blake and Katana talking in an office with a long table.

Katana : "Life is going to be quite predictable without MacLeod."

Blake : "Aren't we getting just a little over-confident, partner?"

Katana : "You are betting on me, aren't you?

Blake : "Oh, yes. You see, I always play the favorite." (37:00 on Side 2 of RV)

Back on the ladder in the mountain, Conner and Louise come to the top and find beautiful snowcapped mountains and blue sky.

Conner : "Alan was right."

Louise : "The Shield's got to come down."

Conner : "There is only one way." (37:32 on Side 2 of RV)

The BV dealt with this same footage in a visually different way. When we see the shots of the mountains and the blue sky, we also see the Shield below Conner and Louise, cutting off the bottom of the mountains. The Shield is not seen in the RV when they are above it on the mountains.

When Conner and Louise get to TSC after being above the Shield, Katana kills Blake but the circumstances leading up to this death are different in all three versions. Since there is no "above the Shield" footage in the AV, when Conner and Louise escape from MAX, the following dialogue occurs between Blake and Katana.

Katana is looking out the window towards the December Installation.

Blake : "Guess it looks as though you fucked up, eh partner?"

Katana : "You really think so?"

Blake : "Well."

Katana : "Maybe."

Katana kills Blake by throwing him out of a window.

Blake's death makes some sense in the AV but Katana's motivation behind this decision is unclear, unless you subscribe to the idea that he is just a nut case. This same sequence is extended in the BV after Conner and Louise have escaped from MAX.

Katana is looking out the window towards the December Installation.

Blake : "Well, where the hell are they?"

Katana : "Not to worry, he'll come."

Blake : "Ah, partner, you , ah, may want to see this."

Katana looks out the window at the December Installation as a truck drives towards the tower

Blake : "Now I'm certainly no expert but it doesn't look to me as though they're coming here, does it? It would seem they're headed for December, don't you agree? Guess it looks as though you fucked up, eh partner?"

Katana : "You really think so?"

Blake : "Well."

Katana : "Maybe."

Katana kills Blake by throwing him out of a window. (87:00 on BV)

With the footage in the BV we can see that Katana's motivation for killing Blake is somehow tied to the fact that Katana was wrong about Conner coming to him. Blake basically just said the wrong thing at the wrong time. The RV extends the scene even more, showing Katana even more confident of Conner's imminent arrival than in the BV and probably all the more enraged by Blake's comments that end up getting him killed.

Blake : "I haven't any idea where they are. I mean, for God's sake, they dropped off the screen almost 24 hours ago."

Katana : "Everybody's got to be someplace. Relax, at this point in his life he's a man with a mission. And all his roads lead to me."

Blake : "Right, I understand that but I do beg to differ. What if he did get to Neyman before he died and what if he did get the coordinates?"

Katana : "What of it?"

Blake : "Well, just maybe, um, they could figure it out, about the ozone layer. And if that's the case, well, suffice to say the company would be spiraling into Chapter 11."

Katana : "Will you be quiet. It's MacLeod."

A truck drives towards the Shield tower

Blake : "Guess it looks as though you fucked up, eh partner?"

Katana : "You really think so?"

Blake : "Well."

Katana : "Maybe."

Katana kills Blake by throwing him out of a window. (38:54 on Side 2 of RV)

The final bit of extra footage we are treated to in the RV occurs after the Shield is destroyed and Conner and Louise walk on a beach while the Shield generator burns in the distance. There is a voiceover by Ramirez that is the same as the one found at the end of both the AV and BV, "Remember HIGHLANDER, you've both still got your full measure of life. Use it well. And your future will be glorious." This shot of Conner and Louise on the beach is actually from the original ending of HIGHLANDER II as found in the BV.

Footage Found Only In The BV (Including The Original Ending)

One of the most striking differences about the BV that should be mentioned is the different music found on the soundtrack of the film. There are several sequences where soundtrack music, created on synths, is different on the BV including the scene where Ramirez has his suit made and when Conner and Ramirez fight when they meet up for the first time. The changes to the soundtrack for the AV and RV of these scenes were an improvement. Even more interesting is the fact that when Conner goes into the bar early in the film and puts a quarter into the jukebox, we hear a version of "A Kiss Is Just A Kiss" by a female singer. This song gives the scene a totally different feel than the Queen song "Princes of the Universe" used in the same scene on the AV and RV. This version of the song "A Kiss Is Just A Kiss" is found on a HIGHLANDER II soundtrack that was released only in Britain.

For the most part, all of the extra footage in the BV is incorporated into the RV, although some of the scenes were changed in order to remain consistent with the new editing and removal of Zeist in the RV. Some footage can only be found in the BV. One example of this occurs when Katana is talking to Conner and taunting him before they fight in the warehouse. All of this dialogue occurs while Conner is walking up the stairs of the abandoned warehouse and includes some extra footage of Conner talking as he comes to the top of the stairs.

Katana : "MacLeod! I knew you'd find me. It was always meant to be this way. We've both been given a great responsibility. Power. I have risen to it while you have been crushed by it's weight. I will survive. You will not. You're a very lucky man MacLeod. Few men know when they're about to die."

Conner : "You're right!"

Katana laughs

Katana : "There can be only one." (63:40 on BV)

This is not essential footage to the film by itself although it does give us an interesting insight into Katana's character.

By far the most interesting aspect of the BV is that fact that it contains the original ending of HIGHLANDER II as it was found in the script. Bill Panzer said that he and Peter Davis had paid out of their own pockets at the time to shoot this ending. They did this because they believed so strongly in the ending but its reception by audiences was apparently less than overwhelming. The scene takes place on the beach after Conner has destroyed the Shield and the Shield Generator burns in the distance.

Louise : "Will you show me your home? Can you see it from here?"

Conner : "See that little star next to the moon? That's where I'm going. Come with me."

Louise : "I can't and you know it."

Conner : "Sure you can."

Louise : "Well, how?"

Conner : "It's a kind of magic. C'mon, we can do it."

Conner and Louise become transparent as they float into the night sky.

Ramirez (Voice Over) : "Remember HIGHLANDER, you've both still got your full measure of life. Use it well. And your future will be glorious."

Conner and Louise kiss and there is an explosion of light, then the final credits. (93:14 on BV)

Oh Where, Oh Where Did planet Zeist Go?

Even though most fans hated the fact that the Immortals were from another planet called Zeist, this was part of the narrative and internal logic of HIGHLANDER II and deleting this from the Renegade version throws off the whole story.

Do I like the Renegade version of HIGHLANDER II? Yes, it gives the fans a much better film to enjoy and is totally different from what was originally released in America.

Do I have problems with the Renegade version? Yes. I understand why Russell Mulcahy, Peter Davis and Bill Panzer made the choices they did regarding the removal of Zeist from the Renegade version (i.e. to make the fans happy) but I wish they had stayed true to the script. I guess a part of me will always want a "true" director's cut of HIGHLANDER II that would have the references to Zeist intact.

There will finally be an official US laserdisc release of the letterboxed Renegade Version of HIGHLANDER II : THE DIRECTOR'S CUT in March, 1997. The supplements on this disc will include an audio commentary by Russell Mulcahy, Peter Davis and Bill Panzer, and a HIGHLANDER Collector's book with "behind-the-scenes" production photos, costume and set designs, production notes, original movie poster artwork, and "the real story behind the creation of the Renegade Version."

Special thanks to my wife Conchi, my friends Elyse Egan and Hal Looby, and the producers of HIGHLANDER II, Bill Panzer and Peter Davis.