Legend: Ultimate Edition

Ridley Scott's 1986 fantasy Legend--starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry--receives the red carpet treatment on this double disc "ultimate edition," which not only includes the hacked 90-minute theatrical version sporting the substitute Tangerine Dream soundtrack, but also the "director's cut," which runs an additional 24 minutes and features Jerry Goldsmith's original score. Based on a screenplay by William Hjortsberg, Legend is a beautifully shot and glacially paced misfire: a dubious triumph of art and set direction over compelling narrative. The dots-that-don't-quite-connect storyline finds forest boy Jack (Cruise) uneasily assuming the mantle of hero as he leads a group of mythical creatures on a quest to resuscitate the land--held in winter's icy grip following the slaying of a magical unicorn--and rescue a princess (Sara) from the Lord of Darkness (Curry). While the longer version adds much needed padding to the characters, the storyline is still rather turgid, repetitive, and unimaginative. On the extras side, viewers are treated to a truly engaging 51-minute "making of," featuring Scott, Sara, Curry, and Hjortsberg (but not Cruise), detailing Legend's long odyssey to the big screen (at one point, Hjortsberg recalls that a gravelly voiced female studio executive loved his first draft, but suggested rather bluntly that "you can't have the villain fuck the princess"--a hint of just how much rewriting the story underwent, and a reminder that a PG-rated film's unrated DVD supplements are not always suitable for kiddies). Additional bonus features include a still-image recreated faerie dance scene, alternate opening, storyboards, and a Bryan Ferry music video. Optional. (R. Pitman)