LEGEND - Never Before Seen Director's Cut (9/10)

[ghostworldfan]

I read the review for the Legend DVD on this site and it sounded like a wicked film. Well, i am sick today and i was bored, so i rented it and watched it. Holy shit! It was so friggin awesome. It is one of the most beautiful films i have seen in my life. The villian was freaky and the sets were astounding. The only thing stopping me from giving this film a solid 10/10 is the fact that the two characters who followed Jack (Tom Cruise) into Darkness' lair were a little annoying and kiddyish. Overall, an awesomed movie and the second best fantasy film ever made (first is Fellowship of the Ring and third is The Princess Bride). I love these kind of movies and it was just so amazing to watch. I thought i had been watching for like 10 minutes and i looked and it had been an hour! it drew me right into its beautiful fantasy world. Tom Cruise was pretty good for a role so early in his career and Tim Curry was awesome. Go and rent this film and be ready to be amazed. Even if you have seen the original US Theariatrical version, rent it and watch the Directors Cut.

[TheAngryJew]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I read the review for the Legend DVD on this site and it sounded like a wicked film.</font>

Glad you liked it. That was one of mine! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

I LOVE this DVD!

[thingsgoinon]

They should re-release this movie in theatres today, I bet it would do outstanding biz. One of the best fantasy films ever made agreed.

[mathew]

Legend.Fuckin' good movie.The only thing tom cruise was ever really good in.Tim curry was great as the prince of darkness.

[Tyler_Durden_208]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mathew:
The only thing tom cruise was ever really good in.

</font>
Tom Cruise is awesome in almost everything! Wait until Minority Report and you'll be changing your minds! Trust me guys, it's awesome!
BTW, if you're really anxious to be proved wrong get WINMX (www.winmx.com) and if you're lucky you can find the movie all ready on their).

[Cyclonus]

Legend (1985)

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, David Bennent, Tim Curry, Alice Playten, Billy Barty, Cork Hubbert, Peter O'Farrell

Screenwriter: William Hjortsberg

Producer: Arnon Milchan

A Universal Pictures release


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000063UR2.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg


On a technical level, Legend is a visually stunning film. It boasts excellent production values, gorgeous cinematography, and seamless special effects. Sadly, it is also a failure of storytelling. Ridley Scott knows how to paint a pretty picture, that cannot be denied; it is simply impossible for him to make an ugly-looking movie. However, his grasp on plotting and characterizations is less certain. Prior to this unfortunate project, he already had Alien and Blade Runner under his belt, so one would hope that his ability to make good science fiction would translate well to the fantasy genre. No such luck. Legend draws visual and thematic inspiration from classic Grimm Brothers tales and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, yet he fails to capture the awe and wonder of the best fantasy literature. It looks just right, but the pacing is slow, the plot is thin, and most of the characters are not well-defined. The conclusion is too perfunctory to be of much interest, and as a whole the film is cold and aloof.

Most of the actors are lost in the movie. Even Tom Cruise's thousand-watt personality is overwhelmed by the setting and turgid pace. Mia Sara is perhaps the most visually appealing element of the film, but when you think about it, her role as the princess is rather thankless, especially when you consider that her ill-advised actions were partly responsible for everyone's problems in the first place. However, David Bennent manages to escape this fate, as the leader of a band of elfin. His character is one of the few that truly come to life. Likewise, Tim Curry is effective as the charismatic villain, who deserves more screen time.

Much has been made of the edits forced upon the project by the studio, but even with a director's cut finally available, it is still clear that Legend should have been subjected to additional rewrites before being filmed. I have little doubt that from the start they put a great deal of effort into what it looked like, but not nearly enough into what it was about. Scott seems to have forgotten that you also need a heart and soul for this type of project, so that the viewer is emotionally invested in the characters and their plight. Otherwise, you're left with an uninspiring technical exercise, great to look at but hard to care about. I admired it on a technological level, but would not care to watch it again.

5/10.

[Jason Voorhees]

Glad you enjoyed it, It's been one of my favorites for some time now. It's a great tale and visually stunning to boot. A masterpiece in my humble opinion.