Legend (1985)

**tak sakaguchi** Qua Mar 11, 2009 5:36 am

The following synopsis is based on an early 113-minute version later released on DVD as the "director's cut".

The story is set "once, long ago" in a world of unicorns, fairies, goblins and demons. Hidden in a dark lair, the antagonist, the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) instructs his goblin servant Blix (Alice Playten) to locate the two unicorns that roam in the nearby forest and remove their horns. If the unicorns die and their horns are removed, the Lord of Darkness can ensure that dawn never again breaks, and sunshine never returns.

In the forest, Jack (Tom Cruise), a young hermit,[1] meets with his love, Princess Lily (Mia Sara). As one of few forest dwellers allowed to locate the unicorns, Jack takes Lily to see the creatures, while followed by Blix and his two cohorts Pox and Blunder. The unicorns appear, and Lily ignores Jack's pleas not to touch them. As Lily approaches the unicorns, the goblins attack with a poisoned blowpipe dart, hitting the stallion. The unicorns bolt, but neither Lily and Jack notice the attack.

Jack chastises Lily for ignoring his warnings. Despite this, Lily sets a challenge for Jack by throwing her ring into a nearby pond and claims that whoever recovers the ring shall be her suitor. Overcome by the venom, the stallion has its horn removed by Blix. The unicorn's death causes a fierce snowstorm, the pond freezes and Jack is unable to locate the ring. During the storm, Lily hides in a cottage owned by Nell, a woodland dweller, but finds that Nell and her family have frozen as part of the curse brought on by the taking of the unicorn's horn. Lily hides in time to avoid arriving goblins, and overhears clues that explains the cause of the disaster. As the goblins ride off, Lily swears to undo her mistake.

Meanwhile, Jack meets Oona, Honeythorn Gump, Brown Tom, and Screwball (a fairy, an elf, and two dwarves). In order to obtain the fairies' help, Jack correctly answers a riddle posed upon him by Gump. The group then sets off on their quest and finds the lifeless stallion without its alicorn. Gump and Jack conclude that the alicorn must be found at all costs, and only then will the world return to normal. Jack and the fairies leave Brown Tom with the female unicorn to find weapons for Jack. Lily encounters Brown Tom and tries to help him, but they are discovered by the goblins. After a skirmish, Lily and the surviving unicorn are taken to the Lord of Darkness. Jack, who has been fitted with armor and a sword, is happy to learn that Lily is still alive. The comrades overcome many obstacles to reach the Lord of Darkness' lair, where they witness the evil Dark Lord trying to seduce Lily with his charm and power. Lily seems able to resist the seductions, but then she asks for the privilege of killing the surviving unicorn.

Jack and his friends discover that sunlight will destroy the Dark Lord and gather large metal dishes to use as reflective shields, positioned around the castle in an effort to channel sunlight into the lair. The Dark Lord brings Lily to the unicorn, and Jack's friends encourage Jack to shoot Lily with an arrow to prevent the animal's death. Jack ignores their pleas, trusting his love. Lily cuts the unicorn free instead and is knocked out by the angered Lord of Darkness. Jack appears and confronts the Dark Lord, but he is undersized and outmatched. As defeat looms, the last shield is set in place and sunlight strikes the Dark Lord, causing his destruction.

Jack tries to revive Lily, but she remains asleep under a spell. Jack dives into the pond and recovers the ring. As Jack slips the ring onto Lily's finger, the Princess awakens. Lily takes the ring off and returns it to Jack. Jack is invited to return to Lily the next day, then she returns home. As Jack runs off into the sunset, Gump, Oona, and the rest of the group, including both unicorns, wave goodbye to Jack, his quest now concluded.

Cast
Actor Role
Tom Cruise Jack
Mia Sara Princess Lily
Tim Curry The Lord of Darkness
David Bennent Honeythorn Gump
Alice Playten Blix, and uncredited voice of Gump*
Billy Barty Screwball
Cork Hubbert Brown Tom
Peter O'Farrell Pox
Kiran Shah Blunder
Annabelle Lanyon Oona
Robert Picardo Meg Mucklebones
Tina Martin Nell