Cena engulfs the screen as Mike Chetley, a former amateur wrestling superstar trained from the ground up by his legendary father, Mac. When Mac is suddenly taken away by a car accident, Mike's life hits the skids. He's estranged from his spitfire of a mother, Sharon(Clarkson), and his pencil thin brother, Cal(Devon Graye). Mike's life has turned dark, working sporadic jobs and living in a rundown home that looks like it hasn't seen a broom in years. When Cal decides to follow in the footsteps of the other Chetley men and join the wrestling team, he seeks out Mike for help. Sharon isn't going to be happy seeing another one of her boys get lost in the world of competitive grappling, so the two decide to keep his training a secret.
Legendary follows in the same well worn path as other sports related dramas, with life lessons learned through strength on the field(or mat, in this case) of battle. Cal isn't simply interested in achieving success. In fact that appears to be secondary to his main goal of reuniting his family by any means necessary. Mike doesn't make it easy. So used to being a winner, he's been turned dark and brooding by his inability to handle loss of any kind. If the Chetley clan is ever to be together again, he'll have to bring Mike back to the man he used to be. Cal is assisted in his task by a wise old mentor(Danny Glover), with a mysterious link to the Chetley family.
The script by James Posey isn't going to throw any curveballs your way. It's clear where the story is going from the start, and some scenes feel like they were ripped direct from the Hallmark Channel Hall of Fame. The honesty and sincerity of the actors are the true strength.
We've seen Cena flex his muscles and flash his wide smile in a couple of regrettable films(12 Rounds
and The Marine). He'll receive the bulk of the attention for obvious reasons, but Cena isn't the centerpiece of the story. That distinction goes to Graye, and he's eventually solid after an awkward beginning. Clarkson's veteran presence is a welcome addition, elevating Cena to his most convincing performance yet. I'm not sure whether or not he's the natural acting talent of someone like Dwayne Johnson, but in his first real dramatic role there's no doubt of his potential.
