Highlander Endgame

[OldPangYau]

So, I know both this and its predecessor, The Final Dimension, have had blus released in Europe... but still nothing here.

But what I'm confused about is... who has the rights in the US? Seems like it could be Lionsgate or Echo Bridge. Aside from that, while the UK blu (German too, maybe?) is the producer's cut, the rare US theatrical cut has actually been playing in HD on Encore on On Demand. Didn't even know they made an HD master of it, and I think its only official release outside of theaters was as a bonus on a German DVD. Could be wrong.

[Wolverine626]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

So, I know both this and its predecessor, The Final Dimension, have had blus released in Europe... but still nothing here.

But what I'm confused about is... who has the rights in the US? Seems like it could be Lionsgate or Echo Bridge. Aside from that, while the UK blu (German too, maybe?) is the producer's cut, the rare US theatrical cut has actually been playing in HD on Encore on On Demand. Didn't even know they made an HD master of it, and I think its only official release outside of theaters was as a bonus on a German DVD. Could be wrong.

According this site Lionsgate owns the U.S. rights to both The Final Dimension and Endgame. Whenever Endgame comes to Blu in the States I doubt it will be the U.S. Theatrical Cut as that is not the Producer's preferred version, due to some major plot hole/continuity error about The Sanctuary, though it could come with both versions but again doubtful. I pray for a Blu release of both films this year, make it happen Lionsgate.

[Guydowood]

and isn't there some slight differences in the international version of Final Dimension which in the UK is known as Highlander III: The Sorcerer?

[TheOneWithThePrize]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

and I think its only official release outside of theaters was as a bonus on a German DVD. Could be wrong.

It was the main feature on the German release, a rather nice set with plenty of extras spread over 2 discs. The Dutch 2-disc set had both the Producers' Cut and the theatrical cut, the back cover reads as if the 2nd disc was the same as the rough cut on the US set but that was b.s. The theatrical cut of Endgame was also issued in Scandinavia (we've yet to get a commercial release of the Producers' Cut here). I own all of the above.

Originally Posted by Guydowood

and isn't there some slight differences in the international version of Final Dimension which in the UK is known as Highlander III: The Sorcerer?

Compared to the original, non-anamorphic "Director's Cut" R1 DVD there are some notable differences. The R1 added some CGI, music changes (both in the film and the end credits) and one alternate line of dialogue. The anamorphic R1 DVD is more or less identical in content with the international releases despite it retaining the "Director's Cut" moniker. Should also be noted that, in regards to music changes, I've identified there are three variations issued commercially (that I know of). It's been a while since I had my head filled with all things Highlander so I might have missed some things.

[Wolverine626]

Originally Posted by TheOneWithThePrize

It was the main feature on the German release, a rather nice set with plenty of extras spread over 2 discs. The Dutch 2-disc set had both the Producers' Cut and the theatrical cut, the back cover reads as if the 2nd disc was the same as the rough cut on the US set but that was b.s. The theatrical cut of Endgame was also issued in Scandinavia (we've yet to get a commercial release of the Producers' Cut here). I own all of the above.



Compared to the original, non-anamorphic "Director's Cut" R1 DVD there are some notable differences. The R1 added some CGI, music changes (both in the film and the end credits) and one alternate line of dialogue. The anamorphic R1 DVD is more or less identical in content with the international releases despite it retaining the "Director's Cut" moniker. Should also be noted that, in regards to music changes, I've identified there are three variations issued commercially (that I know of). It's been a while since I had my head filled with all things Highlander so I might have missed some things.

I think the reason that (all?) home video iterations of Highlander 3 always states that it's a "Director's Cut" is because it was apparently released theatrically with some lame PG-13 rating, at least in the States. Another noticeable change is in the final Prize Quickening where they edited out footage from the first film's final Prize Quickening.

[Ill_Be_Back]

I got this for £2.66 and that wasn't even worth it for this mess of a film. The editing of the sword battle scenes are all over the place...

[OldPangYau]

Originally Posted by Wolverine626

I think the reason that (all?) home video iterations of Highlander 3 always states that it's a "Director's Cut" is because it was apparently released theatrically with some lame PG-13 rating, at least in the States. Another noticeable change is in the final Prize Quickening where they edited out footage from the first film's final Prize Quickening.

Yep, both true. I vaguely remember seeing the PG-13 cut in theaters (at an oh so mature 9 years old ), which missed some of the violence/nudity present in the home/international releases. And for years I was used to seeing the CG in the final quickening, as well as the quick shot showing the quickening from the first film. Years later when it was playing again on premium cable, it threw me off when the final quickening was missing both of those, but this seems to be the same cut that now plays everywhere.

As for Endgame, I guess the only way to see the US theatrical cut in HD is on Encore. DVRs can be quite the thing for film completists

[batman2000]

any word on the transfers of both the uk and hong kong blu rays of highlander endgame?

[willbfree]

Originally Posted by Ill_Be_Back

I got this for £2.66 and that wasn't even worth it for this mess of a film. The editing of the sword battle scenes are all over the place...

In Endgame? Yes, there is a famous sequence in which the very same shot of Duncan and the Big Bad fighting is accidentally used twice, and only about a minute apart so it is totally obvious that the editor just got lost.

There's also a bit when they both somehow "fall" into an area that is totally covered (no way to fall into it).

But, Endgame is still a nice way for the TV series universe to wrap up. (The Source NEVER HAPPENED! - The Source is the TV universe's Highlander 2 in terms of it being disowned by everyone).

[batman2000]

Originally Posted by willbfree

In Endgame? Yes, there is a famous sequence in which the very same shot of Duncan and the Big Bad fighting is accidentally used twice, and only about a minute apart so it is totally obvious that the editor just got lost.

There's also a bit when they both somehow "fall" into an area that is totally covered (no way to fall into it).

But, Endgame is still a nice way for the TV series universe to wrap up. (The Source NEVER HAPPENED! - The Source is the TV universe's Highlander 2 in terms of it being disowned by everyone).

can you answer my question above or point me in the right direction

[willbfree]

Well my Hong Kong copy of Endgame just arrived but it may be awhile before I watch it. Since it is the only region-free option it doesn't really matter if the quality is good or bad. In 2 weeks I have some days off when I can check it out. I will report back.

[batman2000]

willbfree thanks man i just don't know how else to find out. also do you think the websites right and it's a 25gb disc because the other two versions show it to be a 50gb disc. i just wish that you put screenshots from the blu ray and someone who has the dvd put screenshots up so we can compare.
please answer all.

[willbfree]

I don't have a BluRay drive for my computer, so no way to take screenshots.

I expect it is indeed a 25GB disc because its a low budget movie out on a low budget label - http://www.panorama.com.hk/big5/cata...o=PANOB1202050 - so they'd be cutting corners everywhere.

There is no etching on the disc that reveals to me whether it is 25GB or 50GB.

[willbfree]

I've edited my remarks and submitted it into the User Reviews section. Here are my revised remarks:

Blu-Ray review of Highlander Endgame, Hong Kong release
The Story

Endgame is the first Highlander film to feature both Connor McLeod and Duncan McLeod, but it is not the first time these two highlanders have stood by each other's sides - the pilot episode of the television series has that honor.

The producers of Endgame seem to have wanted to make up for Connor's absence from the rest of the tv series by giving fans many flashbacks of Connor and Duncan together, even if it meant that the pace of the film would be a bit languid. The content of the flashbacks is solid though - we see Duncan and Connor both making mistakes across the centuries, which sets up the present day conflict.

When the inevitable super villain threatens impending doom, each of them must try to find forgiveness with those who they'd wronged before it is too late. It is a good, moral story. (The villain himself is suitably loathsome but not too original - a haughty religious figure who now taunts his adversaries with overtly homosexual taunts and hedonistic tendencies. His cliche is fortunately contrasted with the authentic love that Connor and Duncan express for one another).

It is a story that would have worked better as a season of the tv show rather than as a movie. But television in the 1990s did not have the kind of respect it has today; it is unlikely Christophe Lambert would have made himself available to be a recurring character alongside Adrian Paul in even one season of the tv series. If this had been possible it could have been an incredibly dramatic season.

Taken on its own merits as a single film, Highlander Endgame will remind fans of the tv series of the greatness the tv series sometimes achieved, while it fails to rise to that same level itself. As such it is a bit heartbreaking. And fans of the earlier film series will have their own cause for heartbreak - not only for the ultimate fate of a certain character, but also for the somberness with which that fate is foreshadowed.

Video Quality

This Hong Kong release is region free, with the menu (Play, Scenes, and Setup on a still image of the poster art) in English. Only the Chinese anti-piracy warning belies that this is from Hong Kong.

The encode is poorly done. Temporal noise reduction has been applied amateurishly, causing trails (moving objects smear and leave a trail behind them), especially noticeable in darker scenes. Smoothing (grain removal) has also been applied unprofessionally. Dark scenes should have a visible grain structure since low light shooting tends to be grainy, but someone attempted to eliminate the grain and wiped out all detail. Daytime scenes have also had been overly smoothed, and there is some edge ringing too. Blacks never get deeper than a dull grey, and sometimes break up into blocks.

The scan may also have been poorly done, or it may simply be that scans from 2001 were never expected to be used for anything higher quality than VHS and DVD. The print that was scanned has no obvious dirt or scratches, but the lack of detail and some picture unsteadiness calls for a rescan on modern equipment if this film is ever released on BluRay in the United States.

Additionally, the film suffers from many missing frames. The missing frames aren't from damage per se - six editors worked on this film trying to make it gel, and I suspect we are seeing edit points that were reconsidered and patched back together.

Another longstanding problem with this film's visuals is that a very prominent billboard seen throughout a rooftop fight sequence was blurred out after some controversy regarding non-payment for in-film advertising. Once you notice this you can never un-notice it, and this again is something which a restoration of the film should correct. Despite the amateurish blur placed over it, it is clearly an ad for "JVC". Let it say "JVC" without the blur, please, if this film is ever restored.

Audio Quality

The soundscape is acceptable. Simple surround sounds, appropriate to the scenes, nothing distracting, just a nice wrapping around of the sound. Endgame actually had a rather good musical score, and it sounds fine here.

Dialogue is clear. It remains obvious that all the dialogue in the post-script scene (and one line early in the film) are spoken by someone other than Adrian Paul. The producers who worked on this cut of the film must have worked on it after Paul had concluded his work.

Extras

The version of the film presented on this BluRay is what was known as The Producers Cut when it was originally released on DVD in 2001 as part of a 2-disc set. The second disc of that 2-DVD set contained an early rough cut of the film with different scenes. That early rough cut is not included in this BluRay release, indeed there are no extras of any kind. If you have the 2-DVD set, you will want to hang on to it as well. (I actually prefer many of the scenes in the rough cut, and hope that someday the remaining producer will commission a Final Cut of Endgame that will bring some of the best of those missing scenes over.)

Overall

Overall, this is a poor transfer of a film that admirably tried to bring the tv series universe to the big screen, but never achieved the greatness of the tv series. For many fans, this was the final story set in the tv series universe - a sequel shot several years later in the frigid Baltics on an extraordinarily low budget called The Source, which again follows Duncan McLeod, is essentially disowned by all involved.

As the final story told in the tv universe, fans of the tv series will no doubt want Highlander Endgame in their BluRay collection. However, it needs a new scan and a new encode for it to satisfy anyone.

[batman2000]

Originally Posted by willbfree

Ok lads, here it is. I watched the Hong Kong BluRay of Highlander Endgame tonight. Spoilers assume you've seen the film already. If not, skip this paragraph:

First of all, in answer to which version of the film it is, it is the version that was known as the Producers Cut, or disc 1 of the 2-DVD set, complete with the blurred-out JVC billboard during the rooftop Duncan/Connor fight, and the green hills version of the highlands gravestone, and the post script with Duncan and Kate in the Millennium Dome (with the last lines of Duncan's dialogue voiced by someone other than Adrian Paul). As expected it is not the rough cut (which featured the great Christmas tree sequence, and the honorable death of Jin Ke played by Donnie Yen). (The rough cut is not included as an extra on this BluRay; it was included only on the 2001 2-DVD set).

Second of all, the matter of the quality. In short, it is very bad. Even amateurs using Handbrake know that temporal noise reduction needs to be applied minimally to avoid causing trails. (Moving objects smear and leave a trail behind them when it is botched, as it is here, which is much more objectionable than grain). That trailing happens in both light and dark scenes.

Blacks sometimes break up into chunky squares, and the blacks are weak to boot.

Smoothing has also been applied unprofessionally. Dark scenes are somewhat worse in that they have both trails and are excessively smoothed - dark scenes should have a visible grain structure since low light shooting tends to be grainy, but someone attempted to eliminate the grain and wiped out all detail. Smoothing is also a problem in daylight scenes too, though I've seen worse.

And yes there is some edge ringing too, particularly when Duncan visits Methos.

In short the encode is sh*t.

The condition of the print that was used to make the digital master is itself another problem. I'm not sure if the problem is that the print was not in good shape, or if the problem was in the scanning of the print (which occurred in 2001). I suspect both. There is some picture unsteadiness - which would not be tolerated today but perhaps was acceptable back in 2001 when this scan was made. Blacks are weak, detail is ...hazy.

There are no scratches. But there are missing frames. The missing frames aren't from damage per se - six editors worked on this film trying to make it gel, and I think we may all remember that there are missing frames here and there where edit points were reconsidered and patched back together - though it may not have been as noticeable when we only had 19" tv sets. These missing frames are much more jarring now that our screens are 40+".

Highlander Endgame will need a new, modern transfer and a more professional encoding if it is ever released in the USA.

One could hope that the missing frames could be recreated, and the blurring of the JVC billboard could be skipped now that JVC's non-payment of their in-film advertising is water under the bridge. Would be nice if someone asked Adrian Paul to finally dub in the 3 of four lines that were spoken by someone else (the post-script scene, and one line from early in the film when Duncan and Connor have just bought hotdogs from a street vendor).

The soundscape is ok. Simple surround sounds, appropriate to the scenes, nothing distracting, just a nice wrapping around of the sound. Music sounds fine. Endgame actually had a rather good musical score, in fact.

Audio sync seemed to be off a tad, but that could be my setup. It was close enough that I didn't try to adjust it - it always boggles my brain trying to figure out if a sound is starting too early or too late, and it sucks that only sounds that are coming too early can be fixed, so, I didn't bother.

The Hong Kong BluRay's menus are in English, and navigation is simply Play, Chapters, and Setup, over a still image of the poster art. The FBI (equivalent) warning is in Chinese but aside from that and the ridiculous logo of the Hong Kong company that goes up before the film starts, the disc could pass for an English release.

About the story itself, it meanders a bit and feel a lot like the producers wanted to make up for Connor's absence from the tv series by giving fans as many flashbacks of Connor and Duncan together as they could - even if it meant that the pace would be a bit languid. The content is solid though - Duncan making mistakes. Connor making mistakes. Watchers making mistakes. And a supervillain threatening impending doom, prompting everyone to try to find forgiveness and make apologies before it is too late.

It's a good story. Would have been better as a season of the tv show rather than as a movie, but, tv didn't get much respect back in the 1990s so it is unlikely Christophe Lambert would have made himself available to be a recurring character in even one season of the tv series. Would have been something, if he had.

I really should wrap this up. I just have to say that I really miss many of the bits that were in the rough cut (which is NOT included in this BluRay release). The Christmas tree sequence, the sacrifice - these were moments from the rough cut that should have become part of the producer's cut. Maybe the remaining Highlander producer will someday see fit to commission a new, Final Cut of Highlander Endgame, and add these back in and fix the various shortcomings - the accidental repetition of some of the shots in the Duncan/Kell fight sequence, and the fall from a second floor into a sewer tunnel (how???) are longstanding errors that need to be patched up. With modern effects the sewer tunnel could be given a hole in the ceiling to make THAT make sense. Also in need of a fix is the unacceptable repetition of Kell turning back to Duncan with a surprised look on his face, twice, only moments apart, during the final showdown.

All in all, Highlander Endgame reminds me of how much I loved the 2nd season of Highlander: The Series. There will never be a villain as good as Horton. Highlander Endgame's Kell may have taken more heads, but he's a bit of a cliche - a religious figure with overtly gay and hedonistic tendencies, as if that contrast was anything surprising or original. Horton from the tv series was original and nightmaringly frightening.

Ok, enough. Short answer: yeah, buy it, but expect it to be disappointing. Hope for a new scan and a new encode if it is ever released in the United States or Europe, because this just isn't how a BluRay is done.

so is this one basically the same transfer as the uk and if so then i just would like to know how it compares to the spain version

[willbfree]

Originally Posted by batman2000

so is this one basically the same transfer as the uk and if so then i just would like to know how it compares to the spain version

You'd have to ask someone who has both this and the UK version, and I don't know if there is such a person.

Could you trim that quote please? I've reedited my review so best to toss that excess verbiage. Thanks!

[willbfree]

One more thing about Endgame.

You know what made Lambert look old in the film? His hair! His hair looked so dry. If the makeup team had just put in some leave-in moisturizer and gave him some sheen, he could have passed for younger. But the dry, frizzy hair just ruined it.

[Wolverine626]

Originally Posted by willbfree

One more thing about Endgame.

You know what made Lambert look old in the film? His hair! His hair looked so dry. If the makeup team had just put in some leave-in moisturizer and gave him some sheen, he could have passed for younger. But the dry, frizzy hair just ruined it.

So very true. I remember watching films like Beowulf and Resurrection, both of which came out about a year before Endgame and Lambert looked so much better in those movies.

[Mikezilla3k]

So does the UK release use the same transfer as the HK release?

[Socko]

Which version is the one where

[Show spoiler]Donnie Yen loses his head by his own doing?

.
I thought it was the european theatrical as far as I remember it, but I think you can only see that scene in the rough cut that's on disc 2 on the two disc DVD release.