Highlander II: The Quickening (Highlander 2) (1991)

0% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
36% of users liked it
(51,822 ratings)

At the end of Highlander, Juan Ramirez (Sean Connery) died and Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) was rendered mortal. "Highlander 2: The Quickening begins in 1999 when Connor solves the problem of an ever-depleting ozone layer on the earth by devising a giant shield around the entire planet. The… More At the end of Highlander, Juan Ramirez (Sean Connery) died and Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) was rendered mortal. "Highlander 2: The Quickening begins in 1999 when Connor solves the problem of an ever-depleting ozone layer on the earth by devising a giant shield around the entire planet. The earth is saved, except for the fact that it is now a continual 99 degrees, and the earth is plunged into 24 hours of darkness. 40 years later, Connor is an elderly man with liver spots, heading out for the opera. Then there is a flashback of Connor recalling his halcyon days on the planet Zeist hundreds of years earlier. Back on Zeist, Connor and Ramirez led a futile coup against the ruling dictator, Katana (Michael Ironside), that caused them to be banished to Earth. Back in the future, Katana sends a pair of wacky goons to kill Connor. When Connor lops off their heads, he is now young again...and immortal. Just the right time to meet the attractive scientist Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen), who has discovered that the shield around the earth is no longer needed since the ozone layer has repaired itself. But, unfortunately, the shield is in the clutches of an evil cartel who wants to control the earth's resources. Connor and Louise team up to battle the cartel while Katana sends out more emissaries to get Connor. Ramirez, although supposedly dead, also makes an appearance in the 21st century -- garbed in full Scottish regalia. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
Written By: Peter Bellwood, Gregory Widen
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Nov 1, 1991 Wide
On DVD: Nov 11, 1997
Studio: Davis Panzer

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Audiences unfamiliar with the first film will be hard put to follow the action [from a story by Brian Clemens] as it incoherently hops about in time and space.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Highlander 2: The Quickening is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day -- a movie almost awesome in its badness.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Mulcahy and company don't ask us to suspend disbelief; they ask us to pretend we've all had weed-whacker lobotomies.
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
Feels more like a brainstorm exercise than a feature length film.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Highlander 2 is a mess. Nevertheless, damn it, it's a gorgeous mess...incoherent, but a joy to stare at for 105 minutes, watching as a franchise is epically flushed down the toilet.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The film is desperately overplotted; events and years rush by and pile up like cars in an interstate wreck. It's also terribly overexplained.
, Time Out
Leaden, laden with effects, short on imagination.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Another substandard sequel.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
Now, thanks to the Renegade version, it flows much, much better - a welcome curiosity that's given the royal DVD treatment. It's hard to resist. In a word: stellar.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...[not] as bad as it's been made out to be over the years.
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Seldom are bonus features as enlightening as the ones in this 'Highlander 2: Special Edition DVD.' Check it out if you enoy behind-the-scenes information about moviemaking.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
Incomprehensible doesn't even begin to explain it. This movie is the equivalent of the "Hey look over there!" gag. You look, and the guy you wanted to beat up has run away.
Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com
The director's cut elevates this misconceived sequel from one of the worst stinkers ever to merely dreadful.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Beyond redemption.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
It would be best if we all just agree amongst ourselves that this movie never happened.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Al S

At one part of time i would of said this film was awful and was a dreadful attempt to continue a series and ruin is originality and mythology with its weak science fiction twist. But this directors cut of the film is a much better and exceptional version of Highlander 2, is it a… More
At one part of time i would of said this film was awful and was a dreadful attempt to continue a series and ruin is originality and mythology with its weak science fiction twist. But this directors cut of the film is a much better and exceptional version of Highlander 2, is it a worthy continuation to the series? absolutely not, but as a stand alone movie? yes its terrific and great to watch. An electrifying and explosive action-packed thriller. Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery are back wielding swords, kicking ass and showing off their great chemistry. An exhilarating and fun action flick.
James A

Highlander 2 is the reason people say "there can be only one." -some guy
Conner R

Crazy and bizarre like the first, but this went too far and lost everyone with the opening sequence depicting a dystopian future and revalation that Connor MacLeod and Ramirez are really from Ziest (an alien planet). It sadly isn't goofy enough or entertaining to call a stroke of… More
Crazy and bizarre like the first, but this went too far and lost everyone with the opening sequence depicting a dystopian future and revalation that Connor MacLeod and Ramirez are really from Ziest (an alien planet). It sadly isn't goofy enough or entertaining to call a stroke of accidental genius. Without the Queen soundtrack, flashbacks to Scottland and random sword fights every twenty minutes it becomes something not Highlander. Christopher Lambert still tried and for the most part is the only reason to see this movie. He has some great one-liners and nutty mannerisms.
Brian D

4 stars only for the renegade cut of the movie......very different movie.Ok still not that good but enteraining to watch.
David L

Highlander 2 is a true epic in it's badness, a Citizen Kane of awfulness that can never be truly put into words. You can't be told how bad this film is, you have to see it? But be warned it's not bad in cute way, or like an Ed Wood film, it's bad like having a root… More
Highlander 2 is a true epic in it's badness, a Citizen Kane of awfulness that can never be truly put into words. You can't be told how bad this film is, you have to see it? But be warned it's not bad in cute way, or like an Ed Wood film, it's bad like having a root canal without the novocaine way. Highlander 2 had appeared to come from good pedigree; the original team were in place including the director and the main cast Lambent and Connery. But when a film starts out with an alien world called Ziest you know you are in trouble. Now for sure there are worse films out there, but these are probably student films or what Roger Corman left on the cutting room floor. What takes Highlander 2 into uncharted realms of movie badness is the sheer scale of its drop in quality from the first. It's like having a favorite old sweet frail aunt when you were a child who would give you chocolates and toys, and then all of a sudden she ingests 5 bottles of steroids takes out a chainsaw and hacks all your family and friends to death. This is the kind of shock you get from watching highlander and then moving on to highlander 2. There are no words in any language that can describe just how bad this film is. You also have to wonder what awesome substances must have been past around the studio and cast that no one thought this film was a bad idea and that the best idea was to burn the negative on the spot. With regards spoilers there is no way to spoil this film however this film is the mother of spoilers for the first film. It exterminates the premise of Highlander which was the mystery of the immortals. It's rare that a bad sequel can have such a negative impact on the quality of the first film, but Highlander 2 does a good job of destroying the first film. Once you know who the immortals are you can never look at the first film in the same light, such is the sheer biblical badness of this film and it's so called plot. It will probably take another thousand years before anyone comes close to making another film as bad as this one. Roger Ebert summed this film up the best by saying " it's awesome in it's badness"
A B

This movie doesn't really tie in with the original. Is he from the highlands or from space? It does have some good moments though.
Curtis L

Uh...they need to not make these movies.
Dean M

Good to see Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery reprise their roles as the Highlander and his mentor who have been banished to Earth. Great special effects can't keep one from thinking that something is missing from the film - like a cohesive plot.
Steve K

One of the all time great "what the hell" movies. Completely subverts the narrative of the first film. All eye candy, no brains, and an insult to fans of the original.
Steve B

Suddenly the Immortals are from another planet? Banished to Earth for some insurrection, forced to fight one another -- and then receive a prize? Apparently the "renegade" version is re-cut and this whole other planet subplot is dealt with in a different manner, but it… More
Suddenly the Immortals are from another planet? Banished to Earth for some insurrection, forced to fight one another -- and then receive a prize? Apparently the "renegade" version is re-cut and this whole other planet subplot is dealt with in a different manner, but it hardly matters. Just so much crap.
xGary X

Hopeless sequel that throws out all the elements of the original that made it interesting. The action is reasonably well-handled, and Ironside's gleeful villain is quite watchable but the writer seemed to just be making it up as he went along. Incoherent and non-sensical.
Jason S

Where were they going with this one.
Burger S

They really screwed this one up. Now they're Aliens? What the hell?. If you watch the 3rd one it's almost as if this piece of you know what never happened.
Anthony V

Nowhere as entertaining or as fun as the original.
Barry L

Mo where near as good as the first but see it.