From pwpix.net:
Reviews are starting to come out for WWE’s new Legendary movie starring John Cena and things aren’t looking good. Currently on the Rotten Tomatoes website, the movie has a 17% rating with 4 “Fresh” reviews and 19 “Rotten” reviews. Below are some quotes on the movie from top critics:
* Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times: “It’s 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.”
* Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: “Legendary is so intent on paying heartfelt tribute to dogged young athletes that it neglects basic story needs.”
* Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: “A well-meaning dud that’ll put you out faster than a sleeper hold.”
* Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: “The script, by actor turned writer John Posey, has structural problems and motivational issues in between the cliches. And Cena, a few movies into his career, is still all presence and no acting.”
* Rex Reed, New York Observer: “Talk about movies that cannot possibly live up to their titles.”
You know what? I’d probably say something witty or snarky, but honestly, I can’t really use the “Cena portrays an ex-cop off to save his girlfriend from terrorists again” gag because Legendary is actually a drama of sorts. And quite honestly, the movie doesn’t look too bad, so I’ll probably wait until the movie’s release on DVD before I lay judgment… but yeah, the critical reaction makes this feel less Legendary than the film implies.
On the other hand, the Wikipedia entry for Legendary implies that “previews suggest a generous response, with praise given to the serious tone of the film compared to many of WWE Studios’ other efforts, and for John Cena’s improved performance over his earlier roles in The Marine and 12 Rounds. Some criticism has been directed towards inaccuracies in the college wrestling system.”
So I can’t really comment much more than that. But I do have to praise WWE Studios for shifting away from making mindless action movies and diversifying themselves with these types of dramas and comedies. Even if the movies end up being like crap, at least it shows that they’re willing to venture into more heavy material. For that alone, I applaud them.
I just hope that they actually come out with a decent picture. Maybe Legendary might be one of them despite the critical response.
dtm666 