Legendary (2010)

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It was a movie that sometimes you new what would happen next but thats what will make you want to continue to watch the film. The plot was easy to understand and I was able to make a connection which made the movie even better to watch. You do not have to a fan of wrestling to enjoy this movie. It definitely will make you think how well you and your family gets along. This movie really had an impact on my life. This movie is great to show to anyone who needs something to show that anything is possible. This movie does not just consist of drama but it can also be viewed as an action film and also a comedy. I would say the negative review about this movie are totally wrong. In this movie you will find yourself rooting for the underdog.

This story is about dealing with life. It has little to do with wrestling. The sport is just the glue that ties the story together. It's a simple story: there is a loss, no one really deals with loss and it breaks a family apart, there is long term misunderstanding, and a sport brings the remaining family together again.It's the kind of story that ends up on Lifetime, Oxygen, WE, or Hallmark channel any day of the week. However, it included wrestling and that limits it in the eyes of the public. The WWE Entertainment people were willing to take a risk and put it in the cinema. The previous amateur wrestling film was "Reversal" and it had to fight to get into the cinema without big backing.Without telling too much, younger brother Cal (Devon Graye) somehow decides to become a wrestler, following his older brother and father in the sport. He's in high school and he's thin. He's going to take on wrestlers who have been in the sport since they were four years old without training and what seems to be no interest in sports. That's possible, isn't it? I've photographed and known more amateur wrestling teams than most people in the U.S.A. have ever seen and I know that it happens, but it's not something that happens often and it doesn't end in success.The 135 pound slot has one wrestler and he's injured, so Cal has to step up. He loses, a lot, but with help from his older brother Mike and Mike's friend, he starts to win. He asks early about "reverse cradle", an advanced, risky wrestling move to finish a match and he employs it at the final match without success. Had he been an advanced wrestler, I could have believed it. If he had been heavier, I might have believed it. Why beanpole Cal wasn't flat on the mat doesn't matter because this is a human interest story, not a wrestling story.The characters were reasonably well played. Patricia Clarkson is generally believable as the mother, Sharon Chetley, though I find it difficult to believe she would call her son "Studly-do-right". John Cena comes across much better than I expected. I know how tough some people can be on the outside and he just showed that little glimmer of being fragile. Madeleine Martin, the girl(friend) next door was so annoying that I hope that the part was written that way. Danny Glover was good as an inspirational figure and voice of wisdom.For the masses, it's an odd introduction to amateur wrestling and for the wrestling community, it's a story that doesn't ring true. It's not a bad film but it skips around reality and doesn't really get to fantasy, either. If you're really interested in amateur wrestling, watch "Reversal" or even "Vision Quest".

I mean, you got drama with a hint of mystery; you got sport emotions and suspense, you got genuine character development (fair play for young actors here), way above decent cast and that feel-good touch after leaving the theater…but that's just my personal take, as an active combat sports contester I must say that this side of the movie gives you pretty good inside on how it looks like through the eyes of an athlete. It's not another "bullied kid finds his master and kicks ass" movie, it is way beyond that, best to see it for yourself, you can easily take your gf with you and she will love it as well.To wrap it all up – great movie, great cast, great feeling after – why would you give that a miss?

Because of this being a WWE Films release, there are going to be some that will automatically condemn the movie. It's a shame, because this is a really good film. John Cena's involvement is actually minimal. The focus is on his younger brother. The story is about a young man named Cal who had a dad and an older brother, who were great amateur wrestlers. The father is killed in a car accident while he and the older brother Mike(played by Cena) are going to scout an opponent. The death causes a rift in the family. Mike blamed himself, and the mother (played by Clarkson) blamed him too. Ten years after the accident, Cal has decided to start wrestling. Being awkward and clumsy, he seeks out Mike to train him. He uses the amateur wrestling in hopes of not only coming out of his shell, but also in putting his family back together in.This is by far the best of the films WWE has put out. It has a lot of heart, and tells a good story. Even if you are not into amateur wrestling, they still make it easy to follow. I wish WWE would have actually gotten more behind this rather than releasing it to just a few select screens, and then rushing it to DVD. They didn't even advertise it outside of WWE programming. This is a film that they could have made more money on.