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Tom Cruise Hugs Unicorns: A Legendary Fantasy Flop Turns 40

When the movie was over, we were left speechless, clutching our half-eaten popcorn. Not because we had just been immersed in a majestic fantasy, but because we'd been overwhelmed by nonsense.

Jeff Stanford

— 7 min read
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Tom Cruise Hugs Unicorns: A Legendary Fantasy Flop Turns 40

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Iconic Filmmaker Ridley Scott has only made one movie with uber movie star Tom Cruise. And once was enough.

Their collaboration, a fantasy flick named Legend, recently turned 40 and it’s still the prettiest dumb movie, or the dumbest pretty movie, I’ve ever seen. This misfire has Cruise playing a naive forest dweller fighting the embodiment of darkness for the fate of the world and the love of a fair maiden. It boasts some truly gorgeous images, but makes no damn sense. I sometimes play it with the sound off, just for the vibe. 

In 1986, my nerd crew was really jazzed for this movie. How could we not? It was made by the guy that did Alien and Blade Runner. He was a master at transporting you to another world. There was this feeling that we’d see something incredible. Like a fairy tale come to life on screen. Legend seemed novel in a year that gave us Aliens, Big Trouble in Little China, The Three Amigos and Pretty in Pink. And it had that kid from Risky Business in it!

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