Although Ridley Scott's movies are lauded. In fact, one of his earliest movies was severely underrated upon its roll-out, and it continues to be looked over.

In 1985, Ridley Scott directed a movie called Legend. It was his fourth movie and came directly after Blade Runner and Alien. The movie starred Tom Cruise as the lead character Jack, a forest-dwelling young man who sets out to save his princess lover and protect the world from being taken over by Darkness. Alongside Cruise, Legend's cast included Tim Curry, Mia Sara, Alice Playten, and Billy Barty. Legend stands out among Scott's filmography because of its fairy tale roots and fantastical nature. Arguably, none of Scott's films have ever been or ended up being as whimsical.

Why Ridley Scott's Legend Is Actually A Great Fantasy Movie

Legend Is An Entertaining & Fun Experience

Though Legend is often swept under the rug compared to other Ridley Scott movies, it deserves more attention. Legend is an epic fantasy tale that has Scott's tell-tale visuals and a vast story. From start to finish, Legend is interesting to look at, with beautiful images of unicorns in the sun and grim explorations of the Darkness' underground world. Where others may find Legend's 1980s ambiance to be cheesy, that is part of what makes it such a great watch. Legend is nostalgic, ambitious, and dedicated wholeheartedly to its genre.

Going into Legend, audiences should not expect a good story or outstanding performances, but they will certainly enjoy themselves.

Overall, Legend is good because it's fun. Though many criticized it for plot holes and other glaring issues, the movie itself is definitely entertaining. Quality aside, Legend has a world that is grand and easy to fall into. The cast's performances may be over-the-top, but again, that is part of its appeal. It is the type of movie that is so bad that it's good. Every critique can be flipped on its head and turned into a reason to love it. Going into Legend, audiences may not expect a good story or outstanding performances, but they will certainly enjoy themselves.

Legend Was Not Popular Upon Release

Critics Disliked Legend's Story

Despite its entertainment value and impressive visuals, Legend was mostly panned by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Legend has a 42% critics' score and a 73% audience score. For the most part, critics were upset with Legend because of its story. Many felt that Legend's plot lacked any sort of nuance or creativity, and instead, was an amalgamation of various other popular fantasy stories. Some hated the movie so much that they accused Legend of keeping Hollywood away from fantasy films. Essentially, those who disliked Legend really hated the project, regardless of its good qualities.

It is important to note as well that Legend did very poorly at the box office. On a budget of $25 million, the fantasy film only made $23 million. In this way, Legend didn't even come close to breaking even. Perhaps audiences simply weren't that enticed by Scott's concept, despite his previous successes with Alien and Blade Runner. Maybe it was clear from the start that the movie wasn't going to be good. Either way, the majority of critics turned their backs on Legend, and the movie quickly sunk into Hollywood oblivion.

Legend Proves Ridley Scott Should've Directed More Fantasy Genre Movies

Ridley Scott Could Redeem Himself After Legend

Ultimately, the rise and fall of Legend is proof that Scott should have directed more fantasy movies. Although critics were unhappy with the film, many audiences were impressed by it. They were sufficiently entertained, at the very least. In this way, Scott could have continued making fantasy films to redeem himself after Legend's failure. With a stronger script, Scott could have easily made a fantasy movie that catered to both audiences and critics. All it needed was a more original concept and perhaps more lightheartedness. Nevertheless, Legend proves Scott's fantasy stories certainly have potential.

Ridley Scott has signed on to direct an action thriller called Bomb, a financial thriller called Big Dogs, and a film inspired by Cirque du Soleil's O.

As Ridley Scott comes closer to the release of his new movie, Gladiator 2, audiences are likely eager to hear what the director is going to tackle next. Among Scott's reported projects is a Bee Gees biopic. However, there is still hope that Scott could tackle fantasy again. If Gladiator 2 does well, there is a chance that Scott could be interested in yet another epic, but in a fantasy setting. Ultimately, Ridley Scott's Legend deserves to be appreciated for what it is.