By Jonathan Klotz
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When you ask a mean Highlander fan what the worst a part of the collection is, they’ll say Highlander II. If that’s the reply, I believe they haven’t seen Highlander: The Supply, the 2007 made-for-TV SyFy unique that ought to have recognized higher. Each movies made some disastrous missteps, however in between the discharge of every of them got here a spin-off that, on paper, sounds completely insane: a Highlander cartoon set within the post-apocalypse far future with no blood however nonetheless included implied beheadings.
Highlander: The Animated Collection aired for 40 episodes, and regardless of the insane idea, it was forward of its time with higher characterization than the live-action motion pictures.
Immortals After The Apocalypse
Highlander: The Animated Collection follows Quentin Macleod (“Similar clan, completely different classic,”) centuries after a meteor struck Earth and worn out nearly all life, which brought on the Immortals to alter their mission from combating for “the Prize” to preserving the information of humanity. Calling themselves Jettators, they specialised in several facets of data, from historical past to nuclear energy, which could possibly be handed on by way of a non-bloody Quickening with no beheadings. One of many Immortals, Kortan, refused the Oath and dominated over the wastelands as a tyrant, beheading different Immortals in accordance with the previous methods, however he was destined to be defeated by The Highlander.
This could not have labored; in spite of everything, the central tenet of the Guidelines of Highlander is “There Can Be Solely One,” however Highlander: The Animated Collection is predicated totally round “What if we work collectively for the better good?” It really works as a result of even the nice guys aren’t excellent, and a lot of the unhealthy guys have both sympathetic backgrounds or wind up being morally ambiguous. The cartoon doesn’t shrink back from muddying the waters between good and evil.
Shades Of Gray In A Cartoon Collection
Malone, the wild sidekick to Kortan, is the one which has stayed with me as a result of after watching him be a continuing annoyance for a number of episodes, we lastly see his origin and the way he went loopy. It’s a darkish episode and turns one of the annoying characters and his annoying snort right into a tragic determine. Highlander: The Animated Collection by no means shies away from the tragic backstory, proper all the way down to the Immortal Shepard, with the information of satellites, selecting a lifetime of exile as a result of he blames himself for the meteor that struck the planet.
The Ups And Downs Of Highlander
Highlander: The Animated Collection aired concurrently with the famed tv collection, starring Adrian Paul as Duncan Macleod, in what we are able to acknowledge now was a golden period for the journey franchise. After Highlander: Endgame bombed in theaters, and The Supply was disowned by everybody concerned, the franchise went into hibernation as quickly because it aired. Till Henry Cavill, dwelling the dream of nerds in all places, was connected to the remake that’s been in manufacturing for what seems like endlessly, and we nonetheless know almost nothing about it.
Although the franchise has seen higher days, Highlander: The Animated Collection is out there on a number of streaming platforms at this time, together with Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Amazon Freevee. No prior information of the franchise is required to take pleasure in it because it discards all the principles of the unique film and live-action collection, which makes it an amazing entry level for brand spanking new followers.
When you’re a disillusioned fan of the franchise, it’s additionally a breath of contemporary air, exhibiting how, when performed proper, the story of Immortals and The Supply might be deep (for an afterschool cartoon), with loads of room for excellent characters, and naturally, a tremendous soundtrack.
