Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame

"Playing Kell, Payne is more fun than either of the stars"
-- Andrew O"Herir, Salon magazine

Oh Jacob, such a naughty boy...

You all know the story. Some Immortals wander around looking for other Immortals so they can lop their heads off till there is only Kell5

One. This never made any sense at any time to anyone who has ever seen the Highlander movies. But no matter. We don’t go to these kind of movies for the plot. If we want plot, we’ll see a Shakespeare play. These movies are all about spurting blood and fantastic swordplay. Well, the TV series did actually have thoughtful stories, interesting characters, and even once in a while, a hint of character development. But the movie versions? Forget that! The plots of the movie versions of the Highlander mythos- are never going to win the Oscar for best screenwriting.

But once again, Bruce Payne comes to the rescue and saves a movie from potential drudgery.

With his larger than life, over the top portrayal of the heinous archvillain Jacob Kell, Bruce gives us a compelling reason to actually pay money for the DVD of Highlander: Endgame. And this movie needs a mainline shot of something powerful to save it. Poor old Connor MacLeod is beginning to look a bit long in the tooth for an (ahem) ageless Immortal. Christopher Lambert, looking tired and moldering around the edges, makes us wince. Mercifully they kill him off in the movie. Not a year too soon. Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod is a cutie who’s OK in this film, but it is Bruce as Kell who utterly and completely steals the show. No contest. And we are not the only ones who think so. "More fun than either of the stars [Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul]," wrote Andrew O’Herir of Salon magazine. "But on its own terms, Endgame is pretty good, largely thanks to Bruce Payne’s efforts as the bad guy," wrote a reviewer at Trashcity.org. "The one in the cast that seems to be having the most fun," writes another Internet reviewer, "is Bruce Payne…Payne contrarily gives a performance where he enunciates every syllable with real relish and dramatic weight, resulting in a performance that is entirely captivating whenever he is on screen."

Revenge has never had a more diabolically delicious and wonderfully wacko champion than Bruce as Jacob Kell. Kell, it seems, is exceedingly annoyed at Connor for killing his mentor centuries ago in a fit of pique (they had just killed Connor’s mother, imagine him getting upset over that). All these centuries, Kell has been picking at Connor in little doselets of revenge. A friend dies here, one there…We do wonder why it took so long for Connor to figure it out though. Then again, if everyone were smart in these movies, we’d have no plot. But finally Kell makes his Big Move and lets Connor know what he’s in for—centuries more of the same. What a drag.

Kell and his colorful band of Immortal henchman find Connor tucked away in a Sanctuary where he has retreated to get away from the stress of being an Immortal whose mortal friends keep dying in unpleasant ways. But do they kill Connor? Oh no, that’s part of

the revenge. He gets to live so he can see some more friends die. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of spurting blood; it’s just not Connor’s. Oops, splat. But why can’t Kell’s henchman figure out that, with Kell’s thirst for blood, their days (and heads) are numbered too. Didn’t they notice that the legend says there can be only One? To say nothing of Kell’s rather serious inroads into the ranks of the Immortals (he’s the reigning champion, with over 600 kills). Like big Duh. OK, so a blazing intellect is not necessary in order to be an Immortal. Whoops, there goes another head. Spurt, spray, splat. Darn, gotta get the carpet cleaned again.

Bruce not only steals the show with his delightfully demonic demeanor, he gets the best lines in the movie. While lopping off one of his henchman’s heads, he declares with droll relish, “I call this decap with a twist, no sugar.” When confronting Faith, his lover,

who has just been, well, unfaithful with Duncan, Kell looking at her with an indolent gaze, enunciates with lazy, sardonic precision: “A woman is a temple built on a sewer. Look what you were when I found you. A whore. Now look at you. A liberated whore.” The rest of this droll dialogue was censored from the Sci Fi Channel version, and, alas, we must too. You can hear if for yourself on the DVD.

From the moment that he saw the script, Director Doug Aarniokoski knew that Bruce was the right actor for the role. Aarniokoski had worked with Bruce several years prior when he was assistant director on The Howling VI. In that movie, Bruce played the creepy circus owner who turned out to be a vampire, the one with the silky sinister voice and scary piercing eyes. Another delicious villain; no wonder Aarniokoski thought of Bruce!

And Bruce is handy with a sword—what could be better? Breathtaking sword fights are a part of the Highlander mystique.

The swordsmanship that Bruce learned at RADA was put to spectacular use in this movie, with slashing, leaping poetry in oh so male motion. We’d like to have seen more of the swordplay between Duncan and Kell and less, if the truth be known,

of the decapitation scenes. A little blood goes a long way. Us gals tend to prefer manly prowess (yum) over yucky gore (yawn).

Bruce Payne is indeed exquisite as the maniacally perverse Kell. Kell, as played by Bruce with matchless perfection, is the very Exemplar of a Villain. Smoothly and thoroughly evil, sensationally sinister, but with a touch of twisted charm. No one could top this performance. Christopher Lee, even you can’t touch this. When it comes to villains, Bruce Payne rules.

Highlander Art Work by Steffi

"Immortal" by CMoon

Doug Aarniokoski, director of Highlander Endgame says, “Bruce Payne is the consummate professional. Bruce was just a great guy and a truly hard worker.” The two has previously worked together on the film “Howling VI” where at the time Aarniokiski was Assistant Director. From the moment Aarniokiski saw the script, he knew that Bruce was the right actor for the role.

"But on its own terms, Endgame is pretty good, largely thanks to Bruce Payne's efforts as the bad guy”
-- a reviewer at Trashcity.org

"The one in the cast that seems to be having the most fun,” writes another Internet reviewer, "is Bruce Payne...Payne contrarily gives a performance where he enunciates every syllable with real relish and dramatic weight, resulting in a performance that is entirely captivating whenever he is on the screen."

“Working with Bruce Payne was the ultimate pleasure for an actor. He is wonderfully talented and the consummate professional”
-- Ian Paul Cassidy, “Cracker Bob” from Highlander: Endgame.