Highlander (1986) currently sits at 7.1/10 on IMDB, but its rating has fluctuated wildly over the years. It bombed on release but was one of those movies that found its glory in the halcyon days of Blockbuster video, like many products of its time. Weirdly enough they kept putting the sequels in the cinema and they kept bombing but always making enough money on video to make more sequels.
I saw the original back in this time as well but it never sat as a personal classic for me and I haven't seen it since. Apparently people are now complaining that it hasn't aged well. Well… I dunno. For me it still sits in that strange void between liking and not liking it, but not indifferent. I'd defend it as a classic of the era but I wouldn't stand in the way of someone ripping the piss out of it, within reason and assuming they're not just ragging on accents or other banal crap.
It's a quasi-time travel sword and sorcery film but lacks the sorcery element and, at some point about half-way, devolves into the comic book movie downfall of just waiting for the good guy to have the end-fight with the bad guy, which seems to take much too long to get too.
The first half was fab though as we cycle between the medieval era and a modern city-scape all the time being gradually introduced to the lore of the film's universe. The directing is bold and interesting, the atmosphere rich and detailed. Then Sean Connery shows up for a bit and everything suddenly feels much grander than it actually is. It is no coincidence it starts to fade as soon as Connery exits almost as quickly as he arrived.
Interestingly, this film was also well ahead of the curve as regards modern sensibilities as it presents us with immortal heroes from 'all of the races' in a kind of 'one-of-each' method:
Wonder Woman (2017), commonly regarded as one of the better post-Nolan DC comic book movies, currently sitting at 7.4/10 on IMDB, I found to be very similar to my experience of Highlander, for almost all of the exact same reasons.
It even seems to have almost the exact same quantity of flashing between the medieval and the modern city-scape and, again, starts to wander into clock-watching territory just after the half-way point as the plot essentially ends and we just sit and wait for the big end-battle.
It even has the dodgy accent of the leading character. Robin Wright plays the short-lived Connery Trainer part. A big emphasis is put on a sword. This one goes that extra mile though by also channelling Conan The Destroyer and giving us a party of six characters who explore mysterious castles and fight evil wizards! One of whom is sometimes in loincloths!!!! [all too rarely, sadly].
While I absolutely loved all the high points for Wonder Woman and duly succumbed to all the intended big emotional moments for her, I finished the movie a bit disappointed that her character seemed to be mostly oppressively subdued by the oppressive browns of the World War One aesthetic. As if The Wonder was constantly trying to break free from the… Pine.