Legend

This film was truly awful. I am a Tim Curry fan, but he was not enough to save a film which just made you cringe one moment and make you wish for some kind of plot/humour the next. It might have been beautifully photographed, but this can't save it from the script.

When I first saw this movie,on DVD, I was like wow! This movie is gorgeous to look at, a famous trademark of Ridley Scott. The main flaw in this movie is Tom Cruise. He looked confused throughout the movie, but he was still likable. The other flaw, is that the storyline takes a while to get going. But all this actually managed to pick itself up, and do bear in mind it is theme driven film. I was impressed with Mia Sara. She started off a little uncomfortable, but when she turned evil, she came alive. In fact, the personifications of good and evil were one of the main reasons why I like this movie, other than Tim Curry, who is one of my favourite actors. The performance of Tim Curry is what makes this movie. He was unrecognisable, underneath all the Oscar-nominated makeup, but what a performance, it blew me away, in perhaps the most definitive portrayal of Satan ever on screen, both frightening and sexy at the same time! Even more amazing was that he is only 5'9 or so, and he had to wear stilts, also that he was in his late 30s when he took on this role, and I am glad he did. I felt as though I was in a different world when I saw this movie. The supporting actors David Bennent and Alice Playten offered solid support. I also liked the script, a little inappropriate with the goblins perhaps, but not that bad. The outstanding music score by Jerry Goldsmith is without doubt one of his finest and most underrated works. This was evident in the dress scene, Lilli's song, the final underwater scene and the very end. Magical! I liked the American version, but I much prefer the version I have on DVD, the European version, somehow I like less the score by Tangerine Dream . One definite thing that I liked about the American version was Darkness's "Mother Night" speech, in the European version he is a lot more mysterious. When this is on TV, it always shows the American version, but my personal opinion is that the European version is better (this is the one I have on DVD). If you are a fantasy fan, watch this movie, and either version. It is just beautiful, and definitely under-appreciated! 8/10. Bethany Cox

Legend is director Ridley Scott's attempt at 80's style fantasy, starring Ferris Bueller's Mia Sara as Princess Lili and as her love interest a pre-Top Gun Tom Cruise as forest dweller Jack. In a convoluted series of events, Jack takes Lili to see some sacred unicorns - which he shouldn't for some reason – and then she proceeds to touch one – which she shouldn't for some reason. This turn of events leads minions of the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry, in top form) to chop off the stallion's horn – an item of coveted power – and kidnap Princess Lili, both to be brought before Darkness in a master plan to bring eternal night to the world. Now the 'heroic' Jack, aided by his misfit band of elves and dwarfs, must rescue the princess and save the world from its inevitable pitch-black doom. The massive problem with this movie, and there are copious issues, is the fact that it takes so much pleasure in being so damn dark that there's minimal fun to be had – a crucial element of fantasy. Take similar genre films from the time – Labyrinth had the music, Willow and Princess Bride had charm and characterisation, and the one thing that they all shared was a sense of wonder. Legend is too dark and scary for children yet the plot and pacing is too juvenile for adults. Which leads me to the plot – or lack thereof it would seem. We have some basic thematic elements such as good versus evil and all that crap, but it's amazing that with such a simplistic storyline that nothing that is happening on screen is ever really clear, instead it seems to rush through the motions of the plot without focus. This is partly due to the fact that these characters are just so damn one-dimensional that we as an audience simply don't care. The acting by the leads is really appalling. Mia Sara is just plain terrible with an accent that slips in and out constantly, and it's amazing that the fledgling superstar career of Tom Cruise was not affected by this. The major, and dare I say only, highlight of Legend comes in the form of the Lord of Darkness. Tim Curry is super intimidating as the red-skinned demon, delivering an awesome performance with a really fantastic makeup job to boot – Darkness is one of the greatest and most iconic villains in cinematic history. I do also need to point out the elf Honeythorn Gump, played by David Bennett – I was constantly creeped out by the fact he looks like a tween Anthony Hopkins, running around in a loincloth. I understand that this was a troubled production – the sets located on the legendary Pinewood Studios were completely lost in fire and replacement sets were thrown together at the eleventh hour – but it doesn't really excuse this abortion of a film. Although Ridley Scott has made some masterpieces (Blade Runner, Alien) his track record of films such as this make me sceptical of his revered status in the film community. And I am also aware of multiple versions of this movie existing as well. The one that I have viewed does not seem to be the patented Ridley Scott director's cut, but a 90 minute offering with a score supplied by composer Jerry Goldsmith – the original European release if I'm not mistaken. The Lord of Darkness alone cannot save this heaping pile of unicorn crap from being one of the lamest and boring films of the genre. Legend = 100% ironic title.

As often happens I have again bucked the crowd. A fine director has given us a charming morality tale for adults. It is lush, sensual, sweet perhaps naive, certainly it is charming. I am sorry that I did not ever get to hear the Goldsmith score, but I thought the Tangerine Dream score was very fitting. The youthful Tom Cruise was perfectly cast as the forest boy Jack and Mia Sara was just right as the girl. But the makeup job and prosthetics that made Tim Curry the Lord of Darkness was outstanding. a film with brownies, fairies, Unicorns, goblins. What more could a fantasy film deliver, and a a bonus the plaintive voice of YES front man Jon Anderson singing the song over the final credits. I am sorry that there so many people that were not mature enough to enjoy the artistry of this film. I would still like to get the DVD version to see the cut I missed.

As a huge fan of Tangerine Dream and Jon Anderson, I praise the fact that their music is in the "American" cut of this film; their music has always sounded like they were trying to do soundtracks to a movie. You hear a song, you get visual images in your head and make a movie of your own. However, ... I do have to say that the American Version with Tangerine Dream's soundtrack only makes this movie into a "Cult" film. It could have been great, but (well, you fill in the blank). Fortunately, I've seen the way it was SUPPOSED to have been released in the States (which you can find on the 2-disc DVD, which has both versions). The Non-American version has a story which is much fuller, and the music (with a full symphony orchestra) is much better and adds more drama and punctuates the mood of each scene more properly. I do find the American version's end much more climatic musically and story-wise with Jon Anderson (singer of Yes)'s angelic voice thundering with Tangerine Dream's score in the background. So, pick an afternoon when you got about 4 hours to spare and watch BOTH. Then, take parts of each version and make YOUR OWN wonderous story. And another thing, keep in mind that this movie came out a whole 20 years ago. The early 80's. Next year it can buy it's own beer (if it was a person). So, Tim Curry and a lot of others would have been just voices over CGI characters instead of being in actual makeup and there would have been MORE to the story and script if CGI was as available back then as it is now. There IS such a thing as knowing limitations, you know. American Version, good enough to make one wonder what was more. International Version, done much better and fuller (though I like the American ending better) As I said, watch both versions and make your OWN version to enjoy. Aaaaannnd ... CUT! That's a wrap.

The Lord of all that is Darkness (Tim Curry) tries to take over the world by slaying two unicorns. He is distracted by the temptation of innocence, which comes in the form of pretty little Princess Lily, played by Mia Sara in her film debut. The Dark Lord decides he would like to have his way with virgin princess, while her true love Jack (Tom Cruise) tries to rescue her and save the world. Long, dark, murky, loaded with black humor and undeniably well crafted. A beautiful film to look at that is hopelessly chopped up in the American version which replaces Jerry Goldsmith's original music with music by Tangerine Dream. Cruise is alright as the hero, as alright as he's ever been anywhere else. Mia Sara is very lovely as the virgin princess whom this film revolves around. Curry sounds like he's having fun as the villain.

Never did the phrase "a beautiful film" have more relevance than in this wonderful piece of adult fantasy. Make no mistake, this masterpiece, Ridley Scott's fourth film (it followed BLADE RUNNER) was never intended for children. Those who have written it off as a kids' movie totally betray their limitations and inability to see what is being offered here. A youthful Tom Cruise was such a good choice as Jack, the forest dweller destined to plunge the world into darkness and then have but one opportunity to restore the light. Mia Sara is the beautiful princess, part Cinderella, part angel, all virgin! and Tim Curry? well, what a simply staggering contribution as the Lord of Darkness. Totally unrecognizable both visually and audibly but what a performance. All the Ridley Scott trademarks are here, the back-projected blue light, the filtered scenes of wonderment, central characters in a crisis, the enigma of life itself. If anything, LEGEND is better now than when it was released. In '85 it received critical praise - just no-one went to see it! Well that's not strictly true. I attended the Sydney premiere and sat thru it entranced as others fidgeted, whispered, and generally brought attention to their limited attention spans and lowered perceptions! Certainly it is a film that on one level children could relate to and even enjoy but it is a far deeper film with a host of reflective ideas and quite magical concepts. What really IS the Lord of Darkness? What is the significance of the Unicorns? What becomes of the innocence we leave behind in childhood? If none of this interests you, make sure you avoid this film!

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source: Legend

Trailer—Legend