A Lenda

So tell me if you've seen this one before: Two innocent lovers are corrupted by an evil villain played by Tim Curry in a dark castle where they somehow have to escape but are forever tainted by the experience.

I could be talking about the Rocky Horror Show, but I could also be talking about Legend. Both films are cult classics, and I think the reason why they manage to achieve this is through the time-tested "Garden of Eden/Original sin" plotline. The difference is that Legend lacks all the fun, silliness, and musicality of the Rocky Horror Show. It's all replaced with a dark fantasy setting and supporting actors that look the part.

I saw the US release with the Tangerine Dream soundtrack. The music is not at bad, especially the unicorn theme. Costume design is incredible as one imagines just how long it took for Tim Curry to get his demon head on before every filming session.

Ultimately the writing and pacing is fairly weak and it's not hard to see why it did poorly at the box office. I lived through the 1980s as a child and had never even heard of this film until recently. Now I know why.

I finally got to see Legend in its entirety from start to finish in one sitting. Previously I had only seen bits and pieces. Sad to say this is a film whose parts are greater than the whole.

Technically it's a stunning masterpiece. I don't think there was a film like this since Paramount took most of it's players in 1933 and put them all in makeup for its version of Alice in Wonderland. In fact the only two in the film who go without any make up because they're the only humans in the film are woodsman Tom Cruise and princess Mia Sara.

Tom looks a little lost in this part. Fantasy certainly is something he never tried again in his career. Probably he was wise not to. Mia Sara comes off a bit like a spoiled Jewish American Princess. If her dad the king was around, she'd have just ordered him to buy her those unicorns.

However the rest of the cast looks like they're having a grand old time. Especially Tim Curry who steals the film. He overacts with relish his role of the Lord of Darkness, he's the main reason to see Legend.

Legend is photographed well and the makeup is in a class by itself. Why it didn't win an Oscar in the only category Legend was nominated in, is beyond me. Still it's a film best consigned to the juvenile audience.

I will join the chorus... This is a beautiful, and thoroughly enjoyable fantasy film as long as you watch it in digital widescreen and do not bother with the 1hr 30min version. The Director's Cut(better known as the European release) is worthy of an IMDb rating of 8. The American theatrical release is worthy of a 6.5.

This is a fairly straightforward fantasy conceived and directed by Ridley Scott, one of the greatest mainstream directors of our time. The story follows a young man who lives in a forest (Jack, played by Tom Cruise) and a spirited young princess (Lily - Mia Sara) who is in love with him. The lord of darkness (Tim Curry) has sent forth his minions to capture the last two remaining unicorns so that he can banish light from the world forever. Unicorns are attracted to innocence, and so they find themselves in Jack and Lily's company just as the dark lord's play begins to unfold. Before long, Jack and his magical forest friends must save Lily, the one remaining unicorn and the world from the grasp of the dark lord at any price.

Even the lengthier director's cut goes by just a little too quickly. But it's pace is not comparable to the incredibly hasty studio chop-job of the American release. The story is epic, but the medium is not. All considered, however, the production team did a great job given the length limits afforded for the film.

Cruise does pretty well with a role that must have been a little hard to interpret. Jack must behave as a hero, a young man who has learned most of his lessons from nature, and a teenager to varying degrees throughout the film. Mia Sara is delightful a Lily. Tim Curry and David Bennent (Honeythorn Gump) get pretty close to stealing the show. In all, the acting is fine, but the star of the film is really the camera.

Scott has often proved his ability to create immersive experiences in worlds which are somewhat alien (no pun intended) to his audience. Legend does this perhaps as powerfully as his most far-out films (Alien, and Bladerunner). The cinematography, editing, and special effects are exceptionally good, and make the fairly average plot glow. Each scene is a work of art.

Highly recommended for fantasy fans, Ridley Scott, Tim Curry and Mia Sara fans and those interested in artfully presented effects. Recommended for fans of Pan's Labyrinth and Mirrormask. Weakly recommended for Tom Cruise fans.

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

There's the original version, released in 1986 and on videotape, and the 2002 Director's Cut, available on DVD. The latter version is one of my all-time favorite movies. It compares quite favorably with Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" and is a modern classic.

The theatrical release of 1986, shamefully butchered (chopped up and badly re-edited) by the mindless suits at Warner, and with its original Jerry Goldsmith score replaced by the rather trite Tangerine Dream soundtrack, is the version most people have seen. It was released on videotape as a children's movie. What it is, and was intended to be, is a fairy tale for adults. In fact, it's too intense for really young children.

It's hard to say that the '86 version deserves any more than the "6" it's rated at on its IMDb main page. It is a disappointment, primarily because it's now impossible to watch without think how much better it could be. The feeling and tone of the film were ruined by its treatment.

The Ridley Scott Director's Cut, released in 2002, is a completely different movie. If you haven't seen this version, you haven't seen the movie. It deserves a score of 9 or 10.

It doesn't look like a movie made 20 years ago. Scenes which are vital to the tone of the film and the meaning of the story have been restored. The sumptuous original soundtrack, recorded with a full orchestra, has also been restored, and this adds more to the film than can be put into words.

About the performances: A very young Tom Cruise is excellent as the hero. Tim Curry as the Lord of Darkness is awesome; his costume and voice alone are worth the cost of renting or buying the DVD. Mia Sara is absolutely stunning as Lily. She actually plays two different versions of her character, both wonderfully. This was her first role, a risk for Scott on such a big budget film, and she turned in the performance of her career. She's never been better, or looked more beautiful, than in this movie. The elves and fairies, both good and evil, are incredibly real-looking and believable. The costumes are perfect, and the sets are breathtaking, literally. One of the largest indoor sets ever constructed - a huge fantasy forest - was built for this movie.

If you haven't seen this version, rent it. If you have kids, buy it for them; they'll watch it over and over. My daughter and her friends watch it repeatedly, she's probably seen it 50 times.