Disc Details
Special Features:	Commentary by Ridley Scott Director's cut, restored version with Jerry Goldsmith's score Original U.S. theatrical version with Tangerine Dream score Creating a Myth: The Making of Legend Storyboards The Fairy Dance, music and storyboards depicting the lost scene Original screenplay Isolated music score by Tangerine Dream Music video - "Is Your Love Strong Enough" by Bryan Ferry
Video Format:	Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) [SS-DL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1) English (DTS)
Subtitles:	English, Spanish, French.
Captions:	Yes
Casing:	2-Disc Fold-out Case

The story in a nutshell. After a horn from one of the last remaining unicorns is broken—through the devious plan of the Dark Lord (Tim Curry) -- darkness and winter descend upon the world. A princess (Mia Sara) that has captured the eye of the Dark One is consequently kidnapped, and a forest child (Cruise) – along with a crew of dwarves, an elf and a fairy -- must travel to the depths of hell to save all that is good.

Though the film is a somewhat tragic case of artistic overload, its merits become evident upon multiple viewings (as is the case with most great cult classics). The set pieces are impressive and give the film a very seductive quality, while the dynamic between The Lord of Darkness and the princess is simply captivating. A wholly visceral experience, “Legend” is definitely not for everyone. The good thing is, you’ll know right away whether it’s for you or not.

Picture Quality: 8/10
Both discs offer the film in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Disc 1 houses the new director’s cut, remastered in high-definition. It's very evident, as the resulting print looks amazingly fresh and vivid, and there’s a sense of depth in the image. Artifacts and film grain have been nearly completely removed from the transfer. Still, the film comes across as slightly airbrushed (softer) despite the touch up work. There’s a glow that seems to ring around objects, and things aren't as sharp as they could be.

Disc 2, the U.S. Theatrical release version, is not quite as impressive as the high-definition transfer of the director's cut. The result looks even softer than the director’s cut version, and it has moments with visual “specking.”

Sound Quality: 8/10
There are three primary audio tracks on Disc 1--Dolby Digital 5.1 English, DD 2.0 surround English, DTS 5.1 English. The 5.1 tracks fill the room with ambient sounds during the forest scenes, and the rear speakers sound much more alive than when I play most other DVDs. Ominous moments have their share of tumultuous subwoofer activity, and directionality effects pan across the front speakers frequently. I was surprised by how good “Legend” sounds.

Disc 2 houses a DD 2.0 surround English track. Its quality pales in comparison to even the DD 2.0 surround track on Disc 1. However, while it lacks the fullness and directionality of new 5.1 mixes, the track on Disc 2 is generally free from hisses, pops, and crackles that plague movies that pre-date the digital sound era. Again, the director's cut appears to have been given preferential treatment in the transfer department.

Menu: 8/10
A very nice animated menu system. Simple to navigate. No easter eggs found during review.

Extra Features: 10/10
Disc 1:
Aside from the new Director’s Cut of the film (featuring Jerry Goldsmith’s music score), Disc 1’s only extra is the audio commentary by Ridley Scott. Scott's commentary is quite entertaining, as the Oscar-winner discusses in amazing detail (for a film over 16 years old) both what happens to be occurring on the screen as well as various aspects of the production’s history. His deep attachment to the film is evident, and makes for a passionate look at the film.

Disc 2:
Aside from the U.S. theatrical cut of the film (featuring the Tangerine Dream music score), Disc 2 also houses the overwhelming majority of the bonus materials included in the “Legend” Ultimate Edition DVD release.

You may opt to watch the film with the Tangerine Dream music score isolated as its own audio track (DD 2.0 stereo). When music is mixed into a movie’s final sound design, portions of the music are often cut or dropped entirely. The isolated music track allows you to hear as much of the music that survived the years, and there are alternate music cues that were not used when the film was first released in 1985/1986.

“Creating a Myth: The Making of ‘Legend.’” is a surprisingly sharp 50-minute documentary that closely examines various facets of the production. Many cast and crew members appear for interviews, including Ridley Scott, Tim Curry, and Mia Sara.

There are two “Lost Scenes.” The first is the “Alternate Opening: Four Goblins” sequence long thought to have been destroyed or misplaced. However, a copy of the scene was discovered on videotape in March 2001. The second “lost scene” is a re-creation of “The Faerie Dance” using rare photos, storyboards, and original music. The film sequence itself was lost, but the editor managed to save the audio track.

Disc 2 also includes Brian Ferry’s “Is Your Love Strong Enough?” music video, for all you 80s fans out there.

Finally, two theatrical trailers, four TV spots, Production Notes (text pages), and Cast and Crew biographies/filmographies (text pages).

The Final Word:
While it's debateable whether a film like "Legend" -- a big-budget bust of its time -- deserves such an incredible DVD encore, there's no doubt this two-disc set ranks among some of Universal's best work. Though not housing spectacular audio/video transfers (they are still very good), the extra features are what separate this set from the pack. Containing both a director's cut (disc one) and the U.S. theatrical release cut (disc two), as well as a host of very sharp extra features (most noteably an enlightening Ridley Scott commentary track on the director's cut), fans of the this cult cinema classic will be drooling to their heart's content.

Stephen Wong