AgentFauxMulder Reviews

The X-Files: Pilot (1993) Season 1, Episode 1

One of the best TV pilots ever

[10/10 · 17 October 2016]

The X-Files started out with an unusually strong pilot episode, which is now remembered as one of the best episodes in the series. While many pilots have prototypes of characters, Mulder and Scully's first case together doesn't feel like clumsy prototypes - the characters are already strongly defined and the show's style is established.

The show was risky, though, and the network tried to meddle with it in strange ways, such as insisting Scully have a love interest and marketing the series as being based on true events. But Chris Carter won out, and all the remained was a disclaimer at the start of this episode that it was based on actual cases.

The episode introduces some major characters, mainly Mulder, Scully, and CSM. Mulder is at first suspicious of Scully, assuming she is a plant sent to discredit his work, and Scully is eager to work with the notorious "Spooky Mulder." Much of the plot is really just Mulder and Scully getting to know each other and starting to work together.

Their first case is stitched together from UFO lore, and is the story of a group of young people possibly being abducted by aliens. This plays out as a mystery, which gives very few answers but raises a lot of questions. It becomes clear that someone is interfering with their work, but never really states who or why. It's that mysterious and ambiguous nature that made The X-Files what it was - it was a show about questions. The pilot captures that quite well.

Highlander: Endgame (2000)

A attempted bridge between two kinds of fan

[7/10 · 17 October 2016]

In the 90's, Highlander fans had split into 2 camps; those who loved the movie, and those who loved the TV series. The TV series retconned the movies and took things in a different direction with a different character: Connor's cousin, Duncan. This meant there were two Highlanders, and two fan bases that saw the same movie differently. It raised the usual fan question of who would win in a fight. In this case, Connor or Duncan? The best thing I can say is how much attention it gave the original movie. It uses the same flashback style that the original used, and even used the same cast (somehow Rachel and Heather had not aged a day, making you wonder who the real immortal is). This time, the flashbacks tell a different story than the first, the story of Connor's time with Duncan and their travels together. The flashbacks are definitely the most interesting part of this movie.

The villain, though, is not particularly interesting. Bruce Payne plays a fallen priest who is immortal, who is intent on breaking the rules of The Game. It brings up a big question: if a couple of immortals just decided they could ignore the rules, why has it taken them so long to band up and kill the others? The character's story in the flashbacks contrast with his modern appearance - he stops being a believable character and becomes more cartoonish. He is surrounded by thugs, any of which would have been a more compelling nemesis. It also makes you wonder what is so special about Glenfinnan that is produces more immortals than anywhere else in the world.

Does the movie resolve the rift between fans? Well, it tries. But it also retcons the central plot to the first movie: The Gathering. It never happened. Connor is at home in the flashbacks, but in the modern scenes acts like he really don't want to be there. Endgame is really an ending to the TV series that connects it to the original movie, and telling it from the perspectives of both characters. This is Duncan's movie, as Connor is removed for periods of time.

Honestly, if the modern scenes were cut from this movie completely, it would actually be a good Highlander film.

Highlander (1986)

A great film marred by sequels

[10/10 · 17 October 2016]

The original Highlander was a good movie, the kind of action movie that could only have been made in the 80's. It takes a novel premise, and explores it without taking itself too seriously.

The movie follows the life of an immortal swordsman in a battle to the death with other immortals. So the movie cuts back and forth between two stories. One is a modern day tale about The Gathering, a final battle of immortals. The other is Connor's life story, beginning with the day he discovered he was immortal, and the events that shape him into the bitter and cynical loner he's become.

I find the flashback parts to be more enjoyable, especially when Sean Connery shows up. He portrays Connor's best friend and mentor at a critical time in his life, and he manages to feel like he's in the entire movie when his screen time is actually quite small. His performance is a good fit for the movie, unlike the campy acting in the sequel, as he manages to be light-hearted and fun at the same time he's a fierce and capable warrior, who could easily win The Prize himself.

The modern story follows three plot threads: a police investigation into the murdered immortals, The Gathering, and a love story that bridges the other modern two plots. The police are brutal, bigoted, corrupt and unsympathetic characters ,and there is a very isolated feel to Connor's world. It gives a dark seriousness to the movie.

Mulcahy did a good job with this movie visually. This movie was his transition from music videos, and the influence of that medium is noticeable. Working in an artform without dialogue and having to tell a story in 3 minutes means knowing how to tell the story visually and keep the pace going. There are a lot of visuals that might be iconic, such as Connor walking down the street, Kurgen's tower duel, and the final battle. That video feel is helped by the soundtrack. The movie famously features Queen and Michael Kamen, and introduces the song Who Wants To Live Forever.

It's a bit campy and ridiculous at times, often over-the-top, but one of my favorite movies. The sequels, however, ruin the film, as all of them retcon the ending and other details of this movie. Whatever kind of magic made this film work is not in the sequels at all, and this movie should stand by itself.

Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)

One of the worst movies of all time

[1/10 · 17 October 2016]

This was a very troubled film. The original creator, Gregory Widen, was not involved. Davis, Panzer, and Mulcahy appeared to not understand the rules of their own movie, and decided to do two huge things: change the series into science fiction, and make it topical.

So, Connor uses The Prize to ruin the world in order to stop climate change, reveals he's an alien, and resurrects his old friend.

The troubles were not just in writing. Production was a disaster, the movie went over budget, there were conflicts with backers, and eventually Mulcahy and the others had the movie taken away, completed and edited without their involvement. As a result, a weak movie became truly unbearable.

The movie is just bad. I've sat through Troll 2, Plan 9, Boggy Creek, and a number of so-bad-they're-good films. This is not one of those. It's inconsistent, full of plot holes, switches from serious to cartoonish randomly, the acting is bad (although Virginia Madsen went on to win an Oscar, McGinley, Madsen, Ironside, and Connery are more than competent actors). The film takes away everything great about the original, and that is the worst thing a sequel can do: retroactively make the original worse.

The movie has its moments, but they are rare. Any time Sean Connery was on screen makes it feel like a different movie, but his screen time is minimal. Very.

Because of the badness, the movie has been remade twice. A recut called Renegade Version replaced the alien plot line to a time travel one, among other changes, but the movie couldn't be saved. A special edition cut was made that updated the effects (which are the least bad thing in this movie).

And despite having 3 following movies, none of them even acknowledge this movie. It was removed from Highlander's timeline entirely (as was The Final Dimension). You are not missing anything by skipping this movie.

Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994)

The most consistent Highlander sequel, but still a mess

[7/10 · 17 October 2016]

Highlander sequels are notorious for being awful, and for ignoring the previous movies. This movie, however is different in how not different it is: it's basically a campy remake of Highlander. But now with magic.

The plot is Connor has won The Prize, but has done nothing with it. Centuries before, a Japanese mage removed 3 immortals from The Game by cursing them and trapping them in a cave. An excavation releases them, taking away The Prize and resuming The Game.

Mario Van Peebles tries to replace Clancy Brown's Kurgan, but his villain just isn't that interesting, except for his periodic sorcery. His character feels like a weak ripoff.

There's good stuff for fans in here, the Holy Ground fight for instance. There's an incredible sequence set to Bonny Portmore. The movie tries to recapture the original, but in ridiculous ways and with a classic movie sin: introducing a kid.

The name didn't help the movie: it was called both The Sorcerer and The Final Dimension, the latter having nothing to do with the film, and the box wrongly suggests it involves time travel.

This movie isn't amazing, and it's nowhere near as good as Highlander, but it washed the taste of Highlander 2 away (as much as it could), and in my opinion is the true sequel to Highlander.