Legend (Ultimate Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Legend (Ultimate Edition)
Movie Review: Not the orig. int'l version , but a "final" restored version
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a marvelous, and long overdue, treat for LEGEND and Jerry Goldsmith fans. This film was the second time in which a Goldsmith score for a Ridley Scott film was sliced and diced. (His original score for ALIEN, edited for that film's commercial release, was restored as an alternate audio track for the ALIEN collector's edition DVD.)
Here, his score is restored to the film, along with several scenes that were edited from either the US or both US and international versions. The first disc is a sort of "final" director's cut version that comes close to Scott's 113 minute first cut. (Example: Lily's early vision of a cuckoo clock freezing amid snow was in the US version but NOT the international release version. It's in this "final" version.) My own favorite missing snippet, Robert (Star Trek: Voyager) Picardo's full scene as Meg Mucklebones, is also restored. I remember seeing the full scene in US theatres, and missing it on the VHS releases. Other clumsy edits are also corrected, such as Darkness' first appearance in the film (or lack thereof - he's shown like Blofeld, hidden in a chair), which in the US version featured silly "glow" effects and lighting that didn't even match the rest of the scene. (Further "version" information can be found on IMDB's listing for LEGEND, under Alternate Versions.) Disc 2 features the shorter US version with Tangerine Dream soundtrack, for those who want that.
In all, the restored director's cut, and several tasty extras, on this 2-disc set make it well worth the price for fans. Included are a work print introduction scene that was ultimately abandoned, and a restoration of the Faerie's Dance, which was cut and subsequently lost. For non-fans, LEGEND remains a visually stunning live action rendition of a faerie tale. More than a little scary for young `uns, but still magical for adults with a sense of wonder. The movie's stars are almost secondary (save for lovely, young Mia Sara) to the virtuoso turns by supporting players, led by David Bennant. I wish Scott would return to his contemplative filmmaking like BLADE RUNNER, THE DUELLISTS and LEGEND. LEGEND is an example of a director in full command of his craft.
Movie Review: Two Movies for the Price of One! Darkness and Light!
Summary: 5 Stars
LEGEND never really found an audience in theatres despite Ridley Scott and Universal's constant tinkering with the final cut. Seems many movies of this era were victims of audience test screenings, and the desire to give people a commercial product that went down easy -- see BRAZIL for a prime example of how studios think (the "love conquers all" version). So LEGEND was severely edited and rescored with a hasty (but often effective score by TANGERINE DREAM). It was short on plot and long on art direction, but sumptuous visuals and an all-out acting job by Tim Curry and make-up artist Rick Bottin made the movie an easy favorite of many fantasy fans. The movie looks stunning, and the story is a universal plunge into archetypes. Nothing wrong with that, it certainly worked for STAR WARS! This DVD collection gives you two versions of LEGEND -- the original director's cut with over twenty minutes of added footage and the original Goldsmith score; and in addition, you get the original US release. In essence you get two different movies! The moods vary, the characters seem a little different, with whole new speeches and images to enjoy. If you are a fan of the movie or Ridley Scott it's a MUST-HAVE! This is what DVD dreams are made of. While many bemoan the fact BLADE RUNNER does not come with its 2 versions -- the fact is other than the narration and the happy ending, there is not MUCH different. But here we have a case where you can see what happens to a movie as it goes through development HELL. Fascinating stuff, and it comes LOADED with extras.
The only downside is the director's cut gets the royal treatment of a 5.1 sound mix while the other version gets a 2 channel Dolby mix, and even the video quality seems different with again the director's cut looking better than the theatrical release. But at last we can see a widescreen version of either cut, and we get a lot of extras that explain some of why the movie is the way it ended up. Beautiful images, two good soundtracks (I like both though the mood changes), and basically strong performances. LEGEND is a waking dream!
Movie Review: The DVD "Legend" Fans Have Been Waiting For
Summary: 5 Stars
At last, a version of "Legend" that makes sense! The director's cut of Ridley Scott's fairy tale adventure was long overdue for release. Once fans see it, they'll never go back to the original U.S. theatrical release; I certainly won't.Originally released in 1986, "Legend" was a box office bomb that definitely had the potential of being a success. It has an excellent storyline and icorporates the classic good vs. evil genre that fairy tales are known for. But the film suffered from really bad editing. Nearly thirty minutes of "Legend" was deleted for the U.S. version, leaving many scenes that would normally make sense seem chaotic, stupid, and unnecessary. Plus, Ridley Scott made the very unwise decision of replacing Jerry Goldsmith's original score with that of the pop group Tangerine Dream. When you compare an Academy Award winning film composer to an eighties rock group that no one remembers, I think it's obvious why it was an unwise decision.
The director's cut changes all that. Along with Jerry Goldsmith's original soundtrack being restored, many scenes cut from the U.S. version are restored as well, giving a once chaotic and lacking film clarity and wholeness. The crisp picture quality and sound lets us see and hear Ridley Scott's original vision of a world lived in long ago where light and dark co-exist, and the threat of never seeing another dawn looms dangerously over everything.
For those of you who remain devoted to the U.S. edit of "Legend" with the Tangrine Dream score, you'll be happy to hear that that version is also included in this package (but as I said before, once you see the director's cut, you'll never go back). On top of that, it includes a lot of extra things that will have fans cheering, such as the film's alternate opening, a reconstruction of a scene whose original print was lost, a "making of" documentary, and trailers (very good trailers, I might add), among other things.
Thanks to the technology of DVDs, people can finally see "Legend" as it was meant to be seen. I highly recomend it, especially to those who love fairy tales.
Movie Review: Clarification on film versions....
Summary: 5 Stars
Well this DVD is certainly a love or hate purchase.Legend is a masterful film that fell victim to the "Suits" of the film world. But that has now been fixed.
First the directors cut is not a completely new edit but the original first cut of the film before it was cut for the European version and then again chopped and a new score added for the US. So what we have here folks is, for the most part, the original original edit of this film. Not a film where scenes were thrown back in, if anyone has seen the original Euro version (I have)the US may have lost more story but we got a vastly superior edit way back when.
As for the music scores, well I like the Jerry Goldsmith score 100 times better than I used to after seeing the 114 minute version but I still favor the TD score as the most mysterious and haunting of the two. I wish there had been a way to get a melding of the scores but as this wasn't a totaly new edit of the film they used what they had on the original 114 minute version. I also know both TD and Jerry G. were not thrilled with how their scores were handled for this film.
Is this film for kids? Good heavens NO! Children under ten should not see this film unless their parents are sure some of the trully spooky bad guys aren't going to give them nightmares! If anyone tells you this movie is great for kids they obviously don't realize how terrifying Blix, Darkness and Meg Mucklebones can bee to a small child, no to mention the dark aspects of the film and the seductive quality that Tim Curry put into his performance of Darkness.
PLEASE please if you have children watch this film first to make sure it will not frighten them. Not all kids are the same what is wonderful to some, is terrifying to another! Heck the same is true for adults!!!
The DVD is amazingly full of fun info, documentaries deleted clips and other info, I love that they also put the original US release so that if you prefer that one you can watch that instead of the 114 minute version and still get all the extras!
Movie Review: Finally!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is what DVD is all about! A movie I have dreamt of seeing for five years has finally arrived. Before, Legend was good but there was something missing. Now, I have to say that it is one of my favorites. I love the fact that the beginning and ending are different from the US release, especially the ending. I love that Lily and Jack's relationship is a lot more innocent. The kiss that had been stuck in the beginning that was actually from the end is now where it should be. But, really, I don't think that I can catalogue all of the differences but I will name a few that I can think of:1) When Jack teaches Lily how to speak to the bird there are some differences in the way it is played out.
2) Lily is more haughty and plays as kind of spoiled and bratty, which she was supposed to be. Also, she is referred to as the princess instead of lady.
3) Lily's songs. She sings to the unicorn to get it to come to her and she sings to Jack more than once.
4) Longer dance sequence.
5) Darkness tries to get Lily to sit in a chair that has a life of its own instead of trying to get her to eat the food.
6) The entire Meg Mucklebones scene, which some may remember seeing in the US TV version, is all there.
Of course, there are more and some subtle differences, but you'll just have to watch for them yourself. Jerry's score is, in my opinion, better than the TD score because it is a more classical fairytale score. No more Loved By the Sun playing over the ending, which I kind of missed at first.
The DVD itself is great! The documentary is very cool to watch, and doesn't suffer at all without Tom Cruise. The two 'lost scenes' are great fun, and it's amazing that they would take that much care to piece together the Faerie Dance the way they did. Ridley's commentary is fun and engaging, and I find myself wondering how Gump would have sounded with a German accent.
All in all, one of the best DVDs I've ever purchased!