Legend: Retro Review

I’ll just start off by saying Tim Curry will always be one of the most terrifying actors of all time. I can also say, that Tom Cruise hasn’t always been among the most handsome actors of all times. As one of his first leading roles, in which he does a decent acting job, he has physical flaws that I’m sure no one has seen since long before the Top Gun era. Mia Sara does a good job as well, but she honestly doesn’t have too much to work with as her character is very much a damsel in distress. She gathers her wits about her at one point and defies the “Darkness,” but it’s a very brief moment in a role that mostly consists of smiles and passing out.

Legend is the story of a monster called Darkness (after Dave Chappelle’s Rick James skit, how can that name not invoke a smirk or two?) looking to bring the world into eternal darkness (cause that’s his name I guess) by killing the last two unicorns, because the sunrise depends on the world having unicorns. In order to stop his evil plan a boy named Jack, who seems to be some type of woodland vagrant, must travel to Darkness’ lair with a team of faeries, elves and gnomes and such. On the way, they meet some interesting characters and pretty terrifyingly crafted monsters. Meg Mucklebones has haunted my nightmares since I saw this as a child and is no less horrific now that I’m an adult.

I love the special effects in this movie. It’s all old school practical stuff, but it never really gets to the point of being cheesy. That might actually be a problem though. The plot and premise of the movie could stand to be a little less beautiful. The movie has it’s moments of silliness in terms of the way Jack’s companions interact with each other and there are also the bumbling goblins that work for Darkness, but the overall tone feels pretty intense. It’s not as lighthearted as one would expect from a movie like this. Legend is at the opposite end of a humor scale, where the Hobbit represents too much silliness and Lord of the Rings does it perfectly.

It’s a very decent movie if one can stand the sight of the monsters and find a way through the insane plot. It can crawl by at times, but I think it’s worth watching at least once in a lifetime for any real fantasy fiction fans. Besides, who doesn’t want to see Tom Cruise crouch like Spider-man cosplaying as Mowgli with a unibrow?

Do you agree with our review? Let us know in the comments below!

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Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.