Young up-and-coming Hollywood actors often get their first starring vehicle in some genre picture that more seasoned actors won’t touch until they’re in semi-retirement and have nothing left to prove (Sean Connery, for instance). Likely as not, the said vehicle turns out to be such a bow-wow that the young actor winds up in “B” vehicles for the rest of his or her life – or (which is just as bad from the Hollywood viewpoint) migrate to Broadway. Or, very occasionally, France or Italy.

Then there’s the exception. In this case “Legend”, the 1985 fantasy film that, in its time, media reviewers loved to hate. The up-and-coming actor was Tom Cruise – earnest and delicious in the role of Jack (a popular name in fairy tales, as in “the Giant Killer” or “and the Beanstalk”).

Part of the problem with “Legend”’s reputation is that media reviewers, by and large, haven’t a clue when it comes to fantasy. Another part of the problem is that the film was originally not so much edited as butchered. The result was a film that wasn’t so much basically different from the original conception as weaker. In addition, the original score by Jerry Goldsmith (!) was jettisoned in favor of another score by something called “Tangerine Dream”. This score isn’t stupid and inappropriate as one by, say, whatever group that was that mucked up “Flash Gordon” would have been, but it’s altogether too folksy and somewhat soporific.

This situation has been remedied by the present 2-CD set, which offers the director’s cut of the film (with an additional 24 minutes and the original score) and the original theatrical version for comparison. Several key scenes are much extended, including the opening sequences and the struggle in the swamp with Meg Mucklebones. She is a hideous blue monster-hag with great talons, played by Robert Picardo. Yes, “Voyager” fans, that Robert Picardo. Of course, with the make-up, you’d never know.

The plot of “Legend” (which is of course not revealed in any of the umpteen other reviews of the flick) is a pretty typical fantasy-adventure set piece. Jack and Lily (played by Mia Sara) are best buds. In fact, it quickly appears that they’re in love. Jack is a sort of nature boy who hangs around the forest for no particularly good reason (that we ever find out). Lily is a princess (at least people call her that), although we’re given no idea what she’s princess of. Wait ‘til she springs Jack on mummy and daddums … but of course we never get to that inevitable moment.

Jack is excited because a couple of unicorns have shown up in the forest and he wants Lily to see them. The director’s cut makes it clear that Jack tells Lily she’s just to watch and not touch or go near – and that she willfully ignores these instructions. The unicorns gambol through the forest, but then are halted and distracted by Lily’s maidenly innocence. So much the worse for them.

In the middle of a swamp, underneath a great tree once used for dark and horrid rites and sacrifices, is the labyrinthine lair of the Lord of Darkness. Given that setting, it’s no surprise he has a pair of really big horns – or that he’s red. The LoD is brought wonderfully to life by Tim Curry, who gives this monster some real 3-dimensionality while being delightfully evil much of the time. The LoD came from the dark at the dawn of time, and seeks to destroy light and become all-powerful. He means sunlight, obviously, since is lair is well-lit by fire and other non-sun stuff. Killing the unicorns (who are the last of their kind) is the key to this, and he sends his wonderfully malicious sprite Blix to take care of this detail. Blix is played with devastatingly perfect comedic evil by Alice Playten.

Blix succeeds in hitting the female unicorn with a poison dart and she apparently dies – but the male escapes. Following this, both Lily and the male unicorn are captured by Blix and his minions and taken the Chez LoD. Jack falls in with a group of dwarves or short-stumpy foreign sprites and a bit of light named Tinkerb…uh, Oona (actually a visible sprite played by Annabelle Lanyon). The dwarves or whatever are whimsically made up and played with appropriate quirkiness. One of them (“Screwball”) is the estimable Billy Barty.

You know, this flick has a pretty good cast, overall.

Jack and his new companions decide to rescue Lily and the unicorn. They approach the LoD’s lair through the swamp, where Jack runs afoul of Meg Mucklebones. In the original release, this episode is brief and relatively pointless. We hardly have time to appreciate Meg’s delicious awfulness. In the unbutchered version, this sequence is considerably extended. Jack saves himself by playing to Meg’s vanity and lust, a delightful bit of bizarre humor, after which he finally defeats her.

The good guys arrive at LoD’s digs and search for Lily and the unicorn. The latter is being held in LoD’s kitchen for eventual sacrifice. But LoD has got the hots for Lily’s beauty, the beast. Yet another fable rears its head. LoD’s attempts to seduce Lily ultimately take the form of a dark dress that dances on its own – and eventually she appears to convert to the dark side by putting on the dress, black lipstick, the whole schmeer. She volunteers to sacrifice the unicorn herself.

The climax comes in a razzle-dazzle sequence. Lily was faking: at the final moment she shatters the unicorn’s chains. The LoD is hit by a full blast of sunlight brought down into his lair by a sequence of polished shields. All ends happily as the female unicorn comes back and the world is saved from Tim Curry (again).

This film wasn’t bad in its original release, but in its extended form it’s an excellent fantasy. The cast is good, the acting credible, the settings, make-up, and costuming believable, the special effects first-rate for the time. Every time I see it, I’m more impressed. It has a few minor flaws, some of which I’ve pointed to here, but if we judged pictures entirely by their little shortcomings, Lord of the Rings would rate as one of the least well-done films in recent memory.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12