The Lord of Darkness (a scene dominating Tim Curry, physically unrecognizable thanks to absolutely jaw-dropping make-up courtesy of Rob Bottin) has retreated to the shadows, banished by the light harbored within the purity of the unicorns that remain hidden only to be found by those possessing total innocence.
Once such person is lovesick forest child Jack (a solid and charming performance from a young Tom Cruise), who is so smitten with young Princess Lili (a pre-Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Mia Sara) that he takes her to see said unicorns… and she immediately touches one making it visible to Darkness’ goblins, who then proceed to go apeshit and cut off one of the unicorn’s horns and plunge the world into a winter hellscape while blasting a frozen peasant’s furniture across the room with said horn.
I adore this fucking movie!
Also I should stop the synopsis for a sec and mention all of the above is cut like a music video, scored with synthesizers (more on those two points in a bit, but “yes” disc one of this two disc Blu-ray set contains the 1985 U.S. Theatrical cut of the film), and the unicorns speak solely in whale song…
So, Jack fucked up royally while trying to fuck royalty and he vows to make it right… so off he treks with a cadre of dwarves, pixies, and faeries (one of which is played by the legend Billy Barty, who’s confusion over barbeque began here and would extend into 1987’s Masters of the Universe adaptation from Cannon) in order to retrieve the horn… speaking of which, if you loved the furniture bit above, you’ll go bananas for lead goblin Blix (Alice Playten) blasting compatriot Blunder (Kiran Shah) in the ass with flames from a campfire setting his buttocks immediately alight (this sequence also involves an attempted mutiny, a mummy, Darkness looking completely different then he does throughout the rest of the picture, usage of the word “shit”, and Blunder shouting “adios amigos” for truly no good logical reason). Again, glorious!
Anyway, Jack levels up and gets some new armor and weapons upgrades, which is a good thing as not only will the battle with Darkness be fraught with peril, but the journey to his lair grows ever more dangerous with each passing step our heroes make!
Legend, I love you… and I will never, ever quit you!
Now look, I know the version we got in theaters here in ’85 is not exactly the vision director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) but goddamn was it ever the “fairy tale for ’80s kids” so many of us needed at the time. This is The Brothers Grimm, your favorite fantasy table top RPG, and MTV all processed together, and the end result is a visually astounding, slightly schizophrenic, lunatic masterpiece that is an absolute joy to lose yourself in for eighty-nine minutes.
All of this is brought to life on the massive sets the characters travel through, with deep, dark woods, swamps, caves, an evil palace and more being created entirely indoors on the soundstages of Pinewood Studios (home to the James Bond franchise)… which incidentally caught fire during filming. It gives the entire affair a wonderful sense of being both lavish stage play, illustration from a children’s book of fairy stories, and a detached surreal vibe that makes it have a completely one-of-a-kind visual tone… an un-real reality all it’s own.
However, the most eye-popping thing in a film packed to the rafters with such things is the aforementioned make-up work courtesy of absolute wizard/now complete recluse Bottin (The Howling, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Robocop, Total Recall) who’s work here is absolutely off-the-charts awesome in both design and execution. The goblins, the swamp with Meg Mucklebones (Robert Picardo), and the ultimate Devil design, Darkness are among the best creatures to ever stalk the silver screen, and the film shouldn’t be missed due to their presence alone!
Having seen Legend countless times (including it’s original theatrical run) on nearly every format I can safely say this release is the best way to experience all that good ol’ movie magic we’ve been discussing up yonder. The 2K restoration here is filled with absolutely stunning color and clarity… so much so, that I picked up details I’ve never noticed before in costumes and scenery, which made a film I’ve seen multiple, multiple, multiple times have new surprises. This is the kind of thing that makes these special editions/remasters so amazing, and a true gift for the fan.
Speaking of “for the fans”, this release contains a number of special features to enhance the journey into the world of Legend.
First up comes an audio commentary with author/Ridley Scott expert Paul M. Sammon that details the history of the U.S. cut of the film, as well as taking us through an in-depth exploration of the film’s production, followed by an isolated score track from 2002 featuring Tangerine Dream’s electronic score for the film, as well as an isolated music and effects track (utilized for dubbing purposes in foreign markets, this track includes score elements not recorded by either Tangerine Dream or original composer Jerry Goldsmith!).
Next we get a featurette containing interview with many of those on set during Legend‘s production including: grip David Cadwallader, production supervisor Hugh Harlow, costume designer Charles Knode, actor Annabelle Lanyon, camera operator Peter Macdonald, set decorator Ann Mollo, and draftsman John Ralph, as well as a two-part featurette focusing on the music of the film, with Goldsmith and Tangerine Dream each having their own individual segment.
The film’s incredible effects get the two-part mini-doc treatment as well, with segments featuring the film’s production illustrations and make-up effects respectively. These are followed by a new visual essay courtesy of critic Travis Crawford discussing the differences between the three versions of the film, an archival documentary featuring Scott discussing his career up to 2003, opening text narration from the television version of the film, and a music video for Legend’s end credits song, Is Your Love Strong Enough? by Bryan Ferry (who’s shiny trousers and Members Only windbreaker are a true delight to behold).
Jumping over to disc two we have the Director’s cut of the film (accompanied by an archival audio commentary from Scott) that presents a version of the film more in-line with Scott’s original vision.
Some choice differences from this much longer presentation (the Theatrical cut runs a scant 89 minutes while this version clocks in at 113 minutes) include: a much later full-body reveal of Darkness (gone is the pitch-black variant with neon-green eyes a finger nails… and I admit, I miss its presence) Lili gettin’ her song on, and an extended Meg Mucklebones sequence… plus the aforementioned Jerry Goldsmith symphonic score is restored and a more sedate (read: reasonable) pace is set with scads more dialog and character development replacing the breakneck editing of the Theatrical cut.
As far as picture quality goes, the Director’s cut is less visually spectacular than the presentation given the Theatrical cut with an overall murkier image (though not egregiously so) as the the original camera negative couldn’t be utilized here as it was for the Theatrical cut, which just makes one wish people in ye olden days coulda predicted the DVD trend and actually kept all materials relating to a picture…
The entire affair makes for a completely different viewing experience from the more familiar Theatrical cut, and both should be appreciated for what they bring to the table.
Bonus features on this disc include a nearly hour-long archival retrospective documentary from 2002, a promotional video from 1985, a duo of deleted scenes; an alternate opening where a hitherto (mostly) unseen fourth goblin appears, and “The Fairie Dance” (comprised of full audio, stills, and storyboards), copious storyboard galleries, a collection of (very minor) alternate footage, two versions of Legend‘s screenplay (one being very different from the finished product), a collection of trailers and TV spots, and a series of image galleries.
Also included in this release are a beautiful bound fully illustrated book that explores the world of Legend in even more detail, as well as a series of collectable postcards.
Jaw-droppingly gorgeous, packed with spellbinding worldbuilding and mythology, and filled with fantastic creatures galore, Legend has stood the test of time to become a cherished fairy tale all it’s own, and this edition gives it the attention it so richly deserves!
