That *BIG* Red Guy with the Horns, yeah- *that* guy.... No, not that one- THAT ONE!

[JosephDaley 26]

No, I'm not talking about Hellboy..... Well, not yet anyway!

 

"The dreams of youth, are the regrets of maturity. Dreams, are my speciality. Through dreams, I influence mankind..."

 

This is my favorite piece of dialogue from Ridley Scott's little seen, and little appreciated masterpiece of fairytale filmmaking. This line is sumptuously delivered by the lascivious Tim Curry, who allows the line to pour languidly from his mouth with the deliberateness and ease of a beastly bull courting a timid unicorn (If that could ever be considered a thing). In fact, I think we can all agree: Tim Curry is the single most attractive and considerable component to talking about Scott's film, that and the beautiful, lived in, Disney fairytale design of the film, and presents us with one of the most iconic film villains of all time. So iconic, that literally nobody ever mentions him.... Except when you're talking about the quality of McFarlane toys or visual representations of The Morning Star himself in film. There are other anecdotal things to talk about- the boring sweetness of Mia Sara, the buck-toothed and sexless wonder that is a youthful Tom Cruise, and the oddball, textured, Old World depiction of fairies and fairy-folk in general (PS this movie is virtually an Enchanted World adaptation verbatim) and of course there's always discussion around which cut of the film is preferable or which soundtrack is more appropriate (firmly in the Director's Cut & Jerry Goldsmith camp btw) for the film.

 

This movie was virtually shit on and forgotten by everyone, and if we're going to talk about 'Labyrinth', we should consider talking about the other notable and visually lush fantasy of the 1980's- 'Legend'. I don't know if it's Canon material, but it's certainly better than Jim Henson's film (though, could you imagine if Scott had had the ability to cast Jennifer Connelly in this one).

[NathanGordon 1096]

It's got a few striking images but overall dull and takes itself rather seriously. I don't think it's entered the cultural lexicon in the way that Labyrinth has -- Tim Curry's giant horned devil being the most enduring part of the film.

 

The thing I like about Labyrinth (and to a lesser extent The Neverending Story) is that they craft unique fantasy worlds with mostly original mythologies. Legend is a pastiche of preexisting tropes like fairies, unicorns, and generic fantasy. Which would be fine, if it was doing anything new or interesting, but there's nothing subversive about it. I think this is the reason people don't remember it now; the plot is pretty generic -- which I think was the point, to make an updated mythic story.

[JosephDaley 26]

A few images? You could literally frame every single gorgeous frame of 'Legend', and hang them in an art gallery. It's a stunning movie that's expertly told. Especially in the director's cut, and for me at least, 'Legend' feels perfectly sculpted and articulated. I often find myself comparing it to the work of Disney, and it's no surprise that Scott wanted to do a live action Disney fairytale. The things you seem to find dull, it's *traditional* qualities, are actually what elevate it. In 1985, there just weren't a whole lot of exceptional fantasy movies. There were a few, but most were junk. Or were trying to rip off John Milius. This movie though, is for me, perfect filmmaking. It takes itself serious enough because it's a story.

 

My bigger qualm comes from Mia Sara and Tom Cruise. They're just dreadful in the movie. Tom Cruise, because he can't help but feel modern as shit, and Mia Sara, because she's boring as shit. But you're wrong about the "subversive" quality, there's a very real argument that you can have that Tom Cruise's character could be read as a gay character. At least, that's how it's always read to me. I know they're showed to be in love, and we're told over and over again that they are.... But it just doesn't work becaus you never get any of that from Tom Cruise. Something in that performance feels genuinely gay, or readable as gay. I find that's plenty subversive, whether intentional or unintentional, when I watch that movie it always reads as a love and friendship that's platonic- it's not a prince rescuing a princess, it's her BFF who likes what she likes tryna get his friend back.

 

That is admittedly just the way that I and several of my friends have all come to read the film. We threw it on during one of our LGBT movie nights, and just were all surprised to learn that we all felt very similarly.

[FelipeSobreiro 54]

If Amy & Devin thought Labyrinth was plodding and dull, I cannot imagine how will they feel about the interminable slog that is Legend.

[CarlosFerreira 20]

If Amy & Devin thought Labyrinth was plodding and dull, I cannot imagine how will they feel about the interminable slog that is Legend.

 

My thoughts exactly. I have tried to love this film and failed miserably - the word 'boring' really does spring to mind.