In the world of DVD, sometimes titles get hung up, preventing them from getting released for a long time.

One such disc has been Ridley Scott’s “Legend,” a fan favorite and highly anticipated special edition DVD. It took over 18 months, but Universal has finally released it, and frankly, it was worth the wait.

“Legend” was originally released in 1985 and was met with little success. The lackluster showing at the box office did not keep the film from growing in popularity over the years though, and many discovered it through video rentals and movie channels.

Now with this Ultimate Edition DVD, not only do fans get the original movie they have been watching over the years, but the international release as well, which is the original director’s cut Ridley Scott intended. It contains small changes and additions, but ones that impact the movie enough to make it even more enjoyable, including the original orchestral score.

“Legend” is a simple fantasy story that follows Jack and Princess Lily, played by Tom Cruise and Mia Sara, as they struggle against the forces of Darkness. The story is entertaining for fans of fantasy, and the world design, especially the attention to detail on the sets, is very well done. There are also many good performances, including a spectacular job by Tim Curry as Darkness.

Because of the wonderful design, the visual and sound quality of the DVD is very important to “Legend,” and Universal has not failed a bit. The director’s cut is done with higher quality than the American version, but both are still well done.

The extras on the two discs are fantastic, and offer far more insight into the film than imaginable. First and foremost is Ridley Scott’s commentary over the director’s cut. While stale at times when Scott slows down, he still offers enough info and interesting tidbits that it is well worth watching.

Also included is a great “making-of” feature that includes members of the cast and crew discussing all aspects of the film, from story and character design to a fire that burned down the forest set. The feature is lengthy, has lots of extra material not mentioned in the commentary and is definitely a nice addition.

The rest of the extras just fill out the first two great ones, but are all well worth their own attention. These include a deleted scene thought lost and added late in the DVD’s production, a storyboard/photo recreation of another scene, a large photo gallery, trailers and TV spots, more storyboards for unused scenes, production notes, bios and the isolated score from the American release.

It may have taken a long time for “Legend: Ultimate Edition” to make its appearance, but now that it’s here, the DVD is worth it.

The two cuts of the film, along with the extras and high production quality, all add up to one great package for any fan of the movie or the fantasy genre in general.