Highlander: Best of the Best (Ultimate Collection ) [DVD]

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.com ---- Curious about the enduring popularity of the Highlander television series? You can rent its entire six-season run, or you can indulge in this six-disc set, which compiles its best episodes (as determined by its loyal fan base) and packages them with some intriguing behind-the-scenes featurettes. Adrian Paul starred as Duncan MacLeod, clansman to the character played by Christopher Lambert in the theatrical Highlander features, and like him, an Immortal being who aided in the balance between good and evil among other Immortals. The show's mix of action and mysticism found favor with a large audience of science-fiction fans, and developed the life and history of MacLeod and the other Immortals beyond the of the films. Included in this Ultimate Collection are fifteen episodes culled from the entire series run, including the debut episode, "The Gathering," which introduces Duncan MacLeod and features an appearance by Lambert; "Comes a Horseman," which pits MacLeod against a villain named Cronos; and the two-part series finale, "To Be" and "Not To Be," which brings the saga to an impressive close. It's safe to say that the collection serves best as a sampler from which viewers can get a taste of the show, rather than a representative overview, since the continuity is thrown off by the leapfrogging of episodes. But as far as picking and choosing the best that the series had to offer, most fans would probably agree that the 15 collected here are on the mark. The final disc in the set is what will attract longtime fans to this collection; it's chock full of featurettes that cover many aspects of the show's production, as well as the myriad of fans and offshoot projects. Two featurettes focus on the s wielded by MacLeod and the other Immortals; viewers get to see how they're made and how the actors were trained to use them. Also included is a glimpse behind the scenes of episodes that were in Paris, as well as a preview of the Highlander video game, and a look at the worldwide fan phenomenon which keeps the adventures of the MacLeod clan alive. -- Paul Gaita