Neither of the first two "Highlander" movies were big on logic, so why should No. 3 strive to be any different? In fact, if it's possible, "Highlander: The Final Dimension" is the most illogical of the trilogy.
Frenchman Christopher Lambert is back as Connor McLeod, the Scotsman cursed with eternal life (and a muddled accent), still haunting the slick streets and backlit alleyways of New York City, circa 1994.
As was the case in the first two films, McLeod looks forward to his eternal life with a certain amount of dread. (Of course, Lambert has a perpetual look of doom and gloom about him, only broken by his occasionally looking perplexed.)
And this time, he doesn't even have Sean Connery to help out — with either the heroics or the acting — as McLeod finds himself pitted against an adversary who also has eternal life, a wild-eyed sorcerer named Kane (played with malicious glee by Mario Van Peebles, complete with a ring in his nose).
It seems that 400 years ago, McLeod was being tutored by a mentor, Nokono (Mako), deep inside a mountain somewhere in Japan, when they were attacked by Kane.
Nokono was killed by Kane, and Kane and his henchmen were trapped by a rockslide inside the mountain. Only McLeod escaped. (Kane has all kinds of magical powers, but apparently not the one needed to get you out of a mountain.)
Now, in 1994, Kane is inadvertently released by a Japanese excavation crew, led by American archaeologist Alex Johnson (Deborah Unger), who just happens to strongly resemble the love of McLeod's life, Sarah (also played by Unger).
As it happens, McLeod is in Marrakesh with his young adopted son, but when he sees lightning in a sky without clouds, he realizes that Kane is loose and returns to New York City. (Why New York? Don't ask.)
Alex also travels to Manhattan in search of McLeod, having traced him through a bit of cloth found in the Japanese mountain. (I said don't ask.)
Anyway, McLeod and Kane battle each other to a draw a couple of times, with the big climax taking place in one of those warehouses with metal ladders and scaffolds and steam blowing from somewhere . . . apparently a generic battleground that is rented to villains in action pictures like this.
Lambert is his usual stiff self, and Unger isn't much livelier. But Van Peebles does try to have some fun with his character, rolling his eyes, dropping one-liners in a threatening gravelly voice and generally dancing around everyone else.
But even his antics can't breathe life into this tired formula piece, in which even the swordplay is routine.
Jackie Chan, where are you when we need you?
"Highlander: The Final Dimension" is rated PG-13, but has apparently been edited from an R-rated version, with toned down violence, sex, nudity, profanity and vulgarity.
The editing was quite sloppy, by the way . . . but at least it's in keeping with everything else about this film.