DVD review (region 1 & 2)
Directed by Brett Leonard
Starring Adrian Paul, Thekla Reuten, Cristian Solimeno
Release date 7 January 2007 (region 2); 26 February 2008 (region 1)

Duncan MacLeod goes in search of the secret behind his immortality just as the planet appears to be readying itself for certain Armageddon…

The Highlander series has been plagued by awful follow-ups ever since 1991’s hopeless The Quickening and this fourth sequel to Russell Mulcahy’s original does nothing to pull the series out of the gutter. With Christopher Lambert killed at the climax of 2000’s lacklustre Endgame, Adrian Paul takes over the lead role for this entry – continuing the character that he first played in the Highlander television show. Sadly, Paul’s notoriously awful “Scottish” accent has not improved with time and his attempts at mastering the dialect are nothing short of embarrassing.

Fans of the small screen spin-off might enjoy seeing actors Jim Byrnes and Peter Wingfield brought into the fold but it only really succeeds in cementing The Source as a cruddy TV movie, complete with cut-rate special effects. Considering that this is directed by Brett Leonard, who once amazed audiences with The Lawnmover Man, you could be forgiven for expecting some visual eye candy but this outing looks like a 90 minute music video. Apparently unable to hold his camera on a shot for more than two seconds, Leonard’s sequel is not only difficult to follow but instantly annoying.

With this being a Highlander movie you would at least hope for a few messy decapitations and a good swordfight or two but even these vital elements are lacking - with every battle sequence speeded up and haphazardly “enhanced” by ropey CGI. Even the final clash - between Paul and a clunky villain known as “The Guardian” – ends on a cop-out and almost demands that you ask for a refund.

Extras include a short “making of” and a trailer for the movie and Highlander video game. Calum Waddell

VERDICT: 2/10
The worst Highlander sequel to date and that is really saying something…