The Highlander mythology is punctuated by the recurring line ‘There can be only one,’ but the franchise has spun off into various incarnations since the first movie hit the big screen in 1986. In addition to five movies, there have been both live-action and animated television series, and now an animated direct-to-video feature carries on the centuries-old battle between sword-wielding immortals vying to win the ultimate prize by being the last of their kind. Highlander: The Search for Vengeance is now available at retail from Starz Home Entertainment.
Directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the respected anime master behind the hits Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and the ‘Program’ segment of The Animatrix, Highlander: The Search for Vengeance takes place in the future as Colin McLeod tracks the fellow immortal who killed his lover in the Scottish Highlands centuries ago. Traveling with a wise-cracking ghost named Amergon, Colin finds himself in a flooded New York City, where his quest for revenge is complicated when he encounters survivors in need of a hero.
The film was developed and produced by Peter Davis and the recently departed Bill Panzer, the team behind the live-action films and TV series, and written by series head writer David Abramowitz. Animation was handled by Japan’s Madhouse, whose credits include Satoshi Kon’s Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers. Production was overseen by Hong Kong’s Imagi Animation Studios Ltd., which provided primary animation for DreamWorks’ NBC series Father of the Pride and the CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature, TMNT.
A fifth live-action feature titled Highlander: The Source has been completed but was dropped by distributor Dimension Films and is currently sitting on a shelf while producers seek a new distribution partner. The animated Search for Vengeance has received much better reviews from fans and critics than most of the live-action sequels, offering fans of the franchise hope that it can continue and thrive in the anime style.
To see the trailer for Highlander: Search for Vengeance, go to http://www.highlandersearchforvengeance.com/. Click here to enter to win a free copy of the DVD. (www.animationmagazine.net/highlander_trivia.html)
