There can be only one

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils all Highlander movies.

Unfortunetaly there can be more than one Highlander movie. I haven't seen original for ages but I have seen it many times. I watched all sequals back to back few days ago. I like to do this because there usually is some story progress from movie to movie. However this is not the case with Highlanders. I can't remember any other series of films that forget so much of previous films than Highlander movies do.

At the end of first movie there was only one and Highlander got his reward. Second movie had two separate stories in it. Interresting science fiction story and Highlander related story which didn't much to do with first one.

On Highlander story we learn that immortals are actually prisoners send to earth from different world. For some reason immortals had same names on their home world than in earth. Earth names made sense because they were names from places they were born. I can't think any good reasons why they had same names in their home world. Price was to grow old or get back to home world. Highlander chose to grow old.

Villain of the movie send two hitmen to kill now aged Highlander. Highlander manage to kill one of them which makes him immortal again. After killing second one Ramirez appears again. In this context that doesn't make any sense but I won't complain because I like Sean Connery. Then movie happens and in the end there is again only one. Michael Ironside played villain. Always good to see him.

Third movie is set between first two movies and it forgets that second movie ever happened. Nothing from second movie is ever heard in Highlander movie. Here we learn that there were three immortal burried under in cave when first movie happened. When they got out of cave Highlander becomes immortal again and game begins. I really don't understand how there were only one in first movie when there were still three other in cave. Maybe it had something to do that they were underground. Anyway the movie happens again and in the end there is only one.

Fourth movie doesn't have number in its name. It is called Highlander: End Game. In this movie pretty much none of previous movies ever happened. There never were only one. In this movie Highlander have old enemy that he have had almost since he realised he was immortal and his best friend is few hundred years old. In this movie some immortals take themselves out of the game by going to sanctuary underground. This destroys reasonings why in third movie Highlander had won the price even if there were other immortal underground.

During fourth movie new Highlander kills old Highlander. Earlied mentioned best friend is new Highlander. In the end there are more than one which make easier to set sequel. But makers of fifth movie Highlander: The Source didn't want to have it easy. Fouth movie happened in modern day world. Fifth movie was set to apocalyptic future and didn't bother to tell much what had happened. Movie had new Highlander and few other familiar cast members from fourth movie.

In fifth movie we learn that there are different generations of immortals. Planetary allignment somehow affects immortals and immortals lose their immortality in certain places. In the end there still might be more than one.

There is not sixth movie yet. There was plans to make that but that was some time ago. If that is ever made I have to see that to see where this series can still go.

Bitch Slap

SPOILER WARNING!!!! This post spoils movies Bitch Slap and The Usual Suspects.

I have hard time understanding why anyone would like to steal their movies main twist from another movie in way that any one who have seen original movie knows what will happen after twist is started to build. Bitch Slap does this by stealing Keyser Söze story from movie The Usual Suspects.

Bitch Slap is story about three women who try to steal from gangster. But on the way things go wrong and things appear not to be what they appear to be. The gangster tells that he works for mysterious Pinky. Nobody knows what Pinky looks like. Pinky leave torture people horrible. One time other criminals tried to kill Pinky but Pinky managed to kill then with sword.

This sounds lot like Keyser Söze. Out of three women one is useless bimbo while others can take care of themselves in violent situations. Who Pinky could possible be? The Usual Suspects work even if you have seen the movie and know who Keyser Söze is. There are lot of hints which you didn't see first time and big twist at the end is not only good thing in movie.

Bitch Slap is just boring after first hints of Pinky are given because any one seen The Usual Suspects can clearly see who Pinky is. Did movie makers think that people haven't seen one of the best and most respected crime thrillers there is? Or did they think people have forgotten the main twist of that movie? I can't understand why they didn't bother to make Pinky little more different. Not telling killing with sword thing would have helped. After that it is just waiting for major twist at the end.

To be honest Bitch Slap doesn't try to be too serious. Stealing major twist from another movie and building it similar way is not only problem of the movie. Flashbacks and Playboy video like scenes break the rhytm of movie. Unlike Playboy here stars keep their clothes on.