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LEGENDARY (2010)Movie Reviews
Sports drama about a high school boy who determines to follow in his father's footsteps and take up wrestling as a means to reunite his family, shattered in the aftermath of his father's death. Cast:Danny Glover, Patricia Clarkson, John Cena, Devon Graye, Madeleine MartinDirector:Mel DamskiRelease Date:September 10, 2010DVD Release:September 28, 2010From:Samuel GoldwynRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 47 min.
Legendary (2010) played in national release to fair reviews. • Jim Emerson wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...a feel-good Kleenex dispenser of a movie, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it's routine Hallmark Hall of Afterschool Special material." • And Joe Williams wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Every emotional moment is punctuated by plinking piano..." More Reviews Below...
Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "...an earnest high school wrestling pic that might've come straight out of a build-your-own-'Karate Kid' kit... a well-meaning dud that'll put you out faster than a sleeper hold."(See all of Adam Markovitz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 73 words, 09/10/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: WEAK "...a kind of contemporary answer to the old Charles Atlas ad in which a 97-pound weakling develops muscles and triumphantly punches out the bully at the beach."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 09/10/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...pushes plausibility by casting Cena and Graye as siblings. One looks like the Hulk, the other like John Denver, and neither can wrestle this gooey story into a watchable shape."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 183 words, 09/10/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "It may not live up to that grandiose title, but this rousingly sweet little flick is certainly nothing to go out of your way to avoid."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 09/10/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...a generally bland bid for inspirational family drama... so intent on paying heartfelt tribute to dogged young athletes that it neglects basic story needs."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 336 words, 09/10/10
Jim Emerson, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...a feel-good Kleenex dispenser of a movie, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it's routine Hallmark Hall of Afterschool Special material."(See all of Jim Emerson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 711 words, 09/09/10
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...a slow drip of high-fructose corn syrup.... the redemption/coming-of-age narrative is highly predictable... Clarkson, at least, remains reliable."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 09/08/10
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...like cinematic comfort food. Even if you've had it a hundred times before, there's something to be said for the certainty of a feel-good experience."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 440 words, 09/10/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: WEAK(cg) "The script has structural problems and motivational issues in between the cliches. And John Cena, a few movies into his career, is still all presence and no acting."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 09/10/10
David Roark, Dallas Morning News: MODERATE(cg) "...relies heavily on veteran actors Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover. However good they are, they're incapable of making it any better than a made-for-TV movie."(See all of David Roark's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 328 words, 09/10/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: WEAK(cg) "...journeyman director Mel Damski does absolutely nothing to make this particular sport work for the camera -- he could just as well be filming badminton."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 424 words, 09/10/10
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...a coming-of-age, triumph-over-adversity, follow-your-dream piece of syrupy fluff.... it's Clarkson who owns the movie and gives credibility where otherwise little is due."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 09/10/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "If 'Legendary' sounds a bit like 'Rudy,' 'The Karate Kid' or 'The Blind Side,' we're sure the producers won't mind the comparisons."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 164 words, 09/09/10
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...a slow drip of high-fructose corn syrup.... the redemption/coming-of-age narrative is highly predictable... Clarkson, at least, remains reliable."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 09/08/10
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Cena is dead on. Unfortunately, the direction by Mel Damski isn't. He knows only two holds, maudlin melodrama and trumped-up machismo."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 147 words, 09/09/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...deviates wildly from WWE's template... a tastefully dull examination of a troubled family struggling to come to terms with its past."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 09/09/10
Nick Schager, Slant: WEAK(cg) "WWE Entertainment attempts to earn cinematic credibility via an Amerindie template.... remains far better equipped to execute piledrivers than poignancy."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 372 words, 09/06/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: WEAK "...a kind of contemporary answer to the old Charles Atlas ad in which a 97-pound weakling develops muscles and triumphantly punches out the bully at the beach."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 09/10/10
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Better thesped and helmed than its schmaltzy premise probably warrants... Cast generally handles John Posey's sententious script with welcome understatement..."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 260 words, 09/09/10
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...heartfelt and clunky... abounds in affection for its characters but also in on-the-nose dialogue. Every dramatic hurdle is cleared nearly as soon as it arises."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 09/10/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: WEAK "...a kind of contemporary answer to the old Charles Atlas ad in which a 97-pound weakling develops muscles and triumphantly punches out the bully at the beach."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 09/10/10
12.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Legendary (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 12.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Legendary (2010) (23 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Legendary (2010)'s reviews cover 29.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,588 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 330 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 6.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Legendary (2010)'s reviews on average broke 6.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Legendary (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Legendary (2010) (23 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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