Legend (1986)

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  May 6, 2012

  yona71

  Something different this way comes...
  Having said that, you'd possibly expect more than what you get here. However, good special effects and various creature creations always gathers my interest. We don't really get that anymore, so this is an example of something you look back o... read moren and think hey, this is kind of cool.

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  January 2, 2012

  ironclad1609

  Ridley Scott's 1980s fantasy epic brings a lot of cheese and kitsch into the genre, which is also the aspect of the film that didn't age that well. The make-up effects and production design hold up really well after all those years, you gotta admit that the magic forest as it is ... read moreshown here has more atmosphere and depth than in most fantasy films of the 90s. The movie's biggest asset, apart from seeing Tom Cruise taking his first big screen steps, is Tim Curry in his mask as the lord of Darkness. He gets more acting across with his eyes and evil laughter than other actors throughout their whole career. If only he had more screen time and there was less cheese and random weirdness, this would be a highlight of the genre. As it is, it still works as a guilty pleasure for a cold winter afternoon.

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  October 10, 2011

  phubbs1

  This film is really beautiful, a truely dark fairytale. Tim Curry is awesome as Darkness and the Tangerine Dream score is great, much better than the directors cut musical score if you ask me. I Saw this when I was very young and liked it then, the cross with twisted Muppets, dar... read morek sword and sorcery and gothic romance is really spellbinding and visualised so well despite using 100% sets and no computer tomfoolery.
  
  Ridley Scott at his best before he started making more serious affairs but clearly shows that he is the master for visual fair and knows exactly how to make things look right and real and that's what is so amazing with 'Legend', it does look completely real, a stunning dream and work of art from start to finish.
  
  Cruise is abit wet though haha.

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  August 11, 2011

  fb100000257973100

  NOTE: This review is for the director's cut version of the film, not the horrific American edit.
  Okay, from what I can look at, this is a film that has a past that is similar to that of Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In America in the sense of how it was released. This film was ... read moreoriginally around two and a half hours long, told a great epic fantasy that is not really for kids, and was just wonderful. When this film was released in America, new scenes were filmed, the sequences were changed around, and that version was a complete mess. Thankfully, the first version I saw was the directors cut and having seen both versions, I can safely say that the extra thirty minutes is much needed. Now, I first became aware of this film through my brother when he first got the film on DVD. Now, I was never originally interested in this film until I grew older and started to have a heart for fantasy films. When I saw this film, there were a few things that shocked me. The main thing is just how beautiful this film is. I am not joking. The production on this film, the colors used, the flowers, animals, water, and snow along with the shadows and darkness look so magnificent that you find yourself just staring at the scenes then really paying attention to the story. So, when this film ended, I left with a feeling of happiness that one can only achieve when they see something in nature that is so beautiful that words can never describe it. Now for the details. With direction, this is a rather mixed bag for Ridley Scott. Now, do not get me wrong, Ridley Scott is a great director in his own right. But with this film, he appears not to have his head on what he wants to work on: visuals or story. With this film, it is obvious that he works more on the look and feel of the film, but with the story, while attention is paid their, it just feels like that this film's true potential with the story was not reached. A bit disappointing for me. With story, this film had a lot going for it and was able to accomplish some of it. But, didn't. From what I was told, there was a longer, more explicit version of the script that due to numerous reasons, could not be filmed. One has to wonder what would of happened if Ridley Scott did film the entire script. Next for the acting. With this film, there are only three people I am going to talk about: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry. First Cruise. I know this is a little cliched to say, but I am going to go down saying that I have respect for Cruise as an actor because he CAN act and this film proves it. From the start of this film as we see him as this pure spirit to fighting the Lord Of Darkness himself, Cruise makes the character of Jack believable and we feel the urgency of his quest through out the film. Now, is Cruise's performance Academy Award winning? No. But is it impressive? Yes. Next is Mia Sara. I will be honest: I did not like her at all in this film. This is the only film I have seen her in and maybe I am being a little harsh on her, but she was just bad in this film. Her acting was not convincing, her singing voice was not that good, and she was just a disappointment. Now, she is bearable in this film, but they could have picked a different actress for this role. The main reason for all of this is because she is passed off as someone with only three emotions: Love sick, sad, and happy. That is all. No depth, nothing to look forward to, just nothing. Finally Tim Curry. Oh boy, where do I begin with him. Well, after Curry worked on the much loved The Rocky Horror Picture Show as Dr. Frank N' Furter, Ridly Scott saw his acting ability and thought it would be best to put him in this film. But one catch: Except for the voice, you will not recognize him as he is fifteen feet tall, has red muscled suit on (that actually looks pretty damn impressive), two giant black horns that reach out of his head, the hindquarters of a goat, and these yellow contact lenses that completely conceal him. Now, in the director's cut, you do not see him until the last thirty minutes, but even then, he steals the entire show. His acting is beyond great, he is terrifying in this role, and he literally becomes the devil himself. Next the score. With this film, there are two scores: One by Tangerine Dream and another by Jerry Goldsmith. The one I am going to talk about is Goldsmith's score. While Dream's score is actually good, the director's cut features and more real, more natural score by Goldsmith that is breathtaking. The only way for me to describe this score is to imagine the scenery of this film in the form of music and then you understand how wonderful it is. Finally the script. Due to numerous cuts being made, the script is uneven as mess. I mean, the overall plot and story are there, but things like some character development, the fleshing out of some characters, and more background into this world would of benefited greatly. But the one thing I will admit I like is the dialogue. The dialogue has a feel of old English mixed with modern and it works just wonderfully with this type of story. But while that is great and while the look may be phenomenal, it does not excuse lazy story telling and poor character development. Overall, this is a beautiful film with two great performances and a wonderful score, but it does leave to be desired. If you watch this film, watch the directors cut. The American edit is just terrible.

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  July 31, 2011

  cosmo313

  The 80s were overflowing with fantasy films in the same way that the 70s had an abundance of various types of exploitation flicks. Legend happens to be one of those films, and it is...a very divisive film.
  
  People either love it or hate it, but I sorta managed to be a bit in the... read more middle (mostly). I've watched both the U.S. theatrical version and the director's cut/international version.I think I like the latter more, but only slightly (or at least slightly enough to sorta recommend it).
  
  The story concerns a young hero who is forced to rescue his love (and a unicorn) from the Lord Of Darkness. The plot is that of the typical quest, and the story and script are not really all that good or remarkable. What works best though, are the art direction, set design, make up effects, music, and Tim Curry's performance as the villain. The rest is really wooden undercooked and not all that interesting.
  
  Thankfully though, the director's cut rectifies some of these issues. It doesn't have better acting from the non Curry performers (although Sara is okay, and looks badass as the 'dark' version of her character). I thought Tangerine Dream's score from the theatrical cut was not bad, but Jerry Goldsmith's restored score is far better. The director's cut also actually improves upon the story, providing something more fleshed out and less sloppily handled. It's not a masterpiece but there's some more depth to things at least.
  
  Still, despite all that I liked, I'm not really completely won over by this film. The fantasy genre just isn't really my thing. I don't hate it, but it's just not somehting I can really get into all that easily (there are some exceptions though). You might like this film, but stick with the director's cut. It's still silly and rather typical of this sort of thing, but it's not as choppy you can tell that it's a more complete picture. 3 stars for the theatrical cut, 3.5 for the director's cut.

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  April 10, 2011

  MidnightMadwoman

  I can count on one hand the things about this movie I liked. In fact, the main reason I gave it any points at all is because I loved the villain: a fanged, black-clawed, goat-hooved, red-skinned horned demon with a velvety voice and a love of corrupting the cuties. He is simply t... read morehe most metal movie villain I have ever seen. Rowr! I love that guy. If he summoned me into his Hell Hall and dressed me all Goth, I do believe my undies would simply disappear. I especially loved the scene where he's trying to win over Mia Sara's character (for some damn reason). Everything else about this movie I found a little too flat. The good was too white and gleamy-good, the elves were all too over-designed and obnoxious and the forest was too much of a stylized cariacature of an idealized magical realm. Maybe I saw this too late in the game, and would have liked it more if I'd seen it as a child. But I don't know if this is an entirely appropriate children's film; dark themes and frightening imagery aside, it teaches kids that good is stupid and uncool and evil is awesome. Which is a lesson they're not supposed to learn until they're teenagers.

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  January 19, 2011

  ajv2688

  This is an awesome fantasy film, it's story is very typical of the genre, but the cast is awesome and visually it's a stunning movie. I love it, and I highly recommend it.

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  January 12, 2011

  FireStormStudios

  I need to revisit this one but I remember really enjoying it. Tim Curry is great and the makeup was good.

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  September 8, 2010

  MizturY0da

  3 stars

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  February 26, 2010

  ythelastman89

  The director's cut really makes this movie the masterpiece I always wanted it to be. It is the greatest fairytale of the 80s, with amazing sets and costumes, not to mention a beautiful story. Tom Cruise and Tim Curry are the shining cast members, but everything is really perfect.... read more Who would've thought making Satan your villian is the easiest way to instill fear? I really enjoy the idea that it's so bizarre as well. You've got unicorns and goblins running around causing the apocalypse and somehow it makes sense. Again, I have to mention the look of the film because it's just so breathtaking. There is no CGI or fake backgrounds, it's all practical sets. They just don't make epics like this anymore.

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• Tom Cruise as Jack
• Mia Sara as Princess Lili
• Tim Curry as Darkness
• David Bennent as Honethorn Gump
• Alice Playten as Blix
• Billy Barty as Screwball
• Cork Hubbert as Brown Tom
• Peter O'Farrell as Pox
• Kiran Shah as Blunder

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• • Blunder: She was so sweet I could eat her brains like jam.
  • Pox: I could suck her bones!
• • Jack: As long as they roam the earth, evil can never harm the pure of heart.

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