Legend (1986) [Blu-ray]

This is the review for the Legend (Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray] and I have to say it is a great piece of work Ridley have done at last.The picture and sound quality is just perfect. It is as if shot yesterday with HD camera, the most recent one. No grainny, with the most picture sharp, the most beautiful as it can have.To begin with, I urge you not to watch the theatrical release version which is 1 hour and 30 minutes version with Tangerine Dream soundtrack. I am not saying that Tangerine Dream is a bad artist but Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack is much better and it fits perfect with the movie. And plus the director's cut which is 114 minutes long makes more sense in many ways. It is the perfect film itself. On the other hand, the theatrical release version has so many problem not just because it is a shorter version but it has other problems such as the moment when the evil king's first appearence. Ridley wanted him to appear him way later but in the theater release version, he appears at the beginning and that makes the movie's tenstion away.Ok, the main review.Ridley Scott made three or if I may add one more, four great great visually stunning film in his life, and then he concentrates more on making boxoffice hit movies from then on. Maybe he is tired of not making popular movies anymore and he wanted to have more fame and then everything became not that exciting anymore.The lists are <BLADRUNNER><BLACK RAIN><LEGEND> and if I may add one more that will be <SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME>..Among them this one is the most stunning beautiful eye blindingly shot film ever made.He used the nature so well that it almost look like we are in the totally different world somewher like heaven or somewhere not even exist.The forest always has pollens flying as if they are snow or fog. So beautiful that makes us dreaming or even doped watching at the world in a totally different way,Birds flying, animals hopping, all kinds of flowers everywhere, trees,..beautiful sky and endless woods.And most of all young Tom Cruise and angel look Mia Sara, the princess. Even one look can melt your soul girl.Not only that. The palace where the evil king lives is a gothic like place just like the movie <BLADE RUNNER>.The color pattern he used.Blue, Red, yellow, purple and all kinds of so much vivid colors that make our eyes almost blind.The night scenes and dark palace shots are just so great to even look at.The all kinds of creatures that are not humans, they are not childish at all. They are totally original.The Gump is so cute but mature at the same time, he is a true leader. A small figure but very lovely.The small angel like female figure is just lovely-sorry I don't know the name- it is like tinker bell.And all the other charactors are not like kid's stuff at all.Some very real and not childish at all. Some very scary and perfect.Tim Curry who played the darkness-the evil king was so perfect that he was almost scary for children.The most amazing part from the movie was when the good team creates the light beam by reflects with a bunch of iron plates and destroy the evil deeds. The beem was blue and was so beautiful.The Jerry Goldsmith's music was just perfectly fits with the beautiful movie which was not shown for the movie first released in the theater version and Ridley himself was not all pleased.I again urge you not to watch the Theatrical version.All in all. This is one of the best Ridley Scott ever made and I would say the best fairy tale movie in history.You cannot miss this one.It is a bliss that now it is released in bluray in a perfect condition. The Ultimate Edition has both Director's Cut and Theatricla Cut and both are pitcure, Sound perfect. But as I said don't waste your time watching the Theatrical version.The end.WHERE TO FIND:Both selling from Amazon US and UK the price is almost the same. But since Amazon Uk is selling the US version I prefer buying from US.Korea is out of order for this product. It is sad.ART: 98/100BOXOFFICE/FUN: 95/100MUSIC: 95/ 100ACTING: 98/ 100EDITING: 98/100DIRECTING: 98/100SEXUALITY: na/100ACTION: 85 /100BLOOD/GORE: 70/ 100

Behold, Ridley Scott's last great "Ridley Scott" movie until the release of "Gladiator"! This was the movie that gave Mia Sara her first film role, that gave Tim Curry his best film role to date, and, for my money, has to be one of the best art directed films EVER! This is a movie that peeks right into a 6 year old's mind and makes a record of what he or she is dreaming about right after being read a British fairy tale/bedtime story.(( I )) used to have dreams like this! In fact, I distinctly remember an image very similar to "The Great Tree" in one of my unit aged visits to the realm of the sandman.One of the most amazing facts about this amazing movie is that all of it, including what appear to be outdoor shots filmed in a very idyllic meadow, was filmed on a large sound stage! Another amazing fact is that Siskel and Ebert, again showing all the judgment of Wrong-Way Corrigan, panned this movie as one of the ten WORST films of 1986!! Roger Ebert STILL maintains that it's one of Tom Cruise's worst movies. Please, Roger....buy a clue! This is a film every participant in it, from Scott himself down to the late Billy Barty, could point to with pride.It was an auspicious first film for Mia Sara, who is excellent as the very feminine and charming Lily, and a very good feather in the cap of the then not-so-famous Cruise. But the truly amazing role is that of the devilish Darkness, parlayed by an unrecognizable Tim Curry, who, beside being expertly layered in makeup, (except for those slightly wobbly horns,) has his voice electronically altered to fully become the ominous Lord of the Underworld, who wants nothing more than to plunge the world into eternal night.Tom Cruise, however, is the one who seems out of place here. I mean, this is a guy who made his early name portraying Harry High School types in films like "Risky Business" and "All The Right Moves" and who still had a few college age numbers in him after this one. He seemed cast WAY against type, and is just barely tolerable as a Peter Pan/Mowgli type fellow, named Jack O' The Green, who communes with nature. This is still, nevertheless, a movie he should have never been in.Mia Sara, on the other hand, is perfect for the role of gentle Lily, a princess who supposedly loves the Cruise character. Though she hails from Brooklyn, New York,(!) she affects a very convincing neo-British accent and projects a very ladylike vibe in this role. Sad fact of this young lady's career is, after co-starring in the very appealing film "Ferris Beuller's Day Off" following this one, her career went downhill after a series of expensive TV movies and mini-series, after which she lept back into features that sank completely into obscurity almost the minute they were released. About her only claim to fame now is having Sean Connery for an ex-father-in-law.The talented young David Bennent, who had already been in the movie version of Gunther Grass' "The Tin Drum" as Max the Dwarf, portrays King of the Elves, Honeythorn Gump here. The little fellah's acting chops are amazing, for he can't be much older than 15 here, and he carries himself like a pro, getting into the part as well as any Method Acting legend you can name.Remember those old Alka-Seltzer commercials from the seventies? Specifically the "Marshmallowed meatballs" classic with Terry Kaiser? Well, the GIRL in that one, Alice Playten, portrays a particularly mischievious goblin named Blix in this movie. She is on a par with Curry and Sara in her portrayal of this MALE character. Her makeup, as well as that of Pox, her companion, is as good as Curry's.The mood, look and acting in this movie is top-notch...it has few visual betters, and it is a excellent example of the visual mastery that Ridley Scott wielded in the first half of his career. Buy this movie, and I guarantee you it will become your childrens' favorite flick, and will probably find a place in your OWN personal top twenty as well!