Legendary (2010) User Reviews

Feels like a 'Hallmark Hall Of Fame' TV movie!

[Hellmant · 5/10 · 6 October 2010]

'LEGENDARY': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

John Cena stars in his first family friendly dramatic film, which is also a first for the studio behind the film (WWE Films). WWE Films has produced all of Cena's films ( 'THE MARINE', '12 ROUNDS' and now this) and I'm sure their involvement in the film was the reason for Cena's casting. WWE and Cena's interest in the film is a little odd considering it feels like a 'Hallmark Hall Of Fame' TV movie. It's directed by Mel Damski, a veteran TV director, and written by John Posey, a veteran TV actor (who also plays Coach Tennent in the film). So the movie has a strong TV movie feel to it and a 'feel good' uplifting family one at that. Despite this it was released in theaters (in a limited run) for 18 days before taking the video rout. It would have had a much more fitting home as a Sunday night movie on CBS or Lifetime (which it still might I'm sure).

The film revolves around a nerdy high-school student named Cal Chetley (played by Devon Graye) who one day decides to join his school's wrestling team. His father and brother Mike (Cena) were both wrestling legends but his mother Sharon (played impressively by Patricia Clarkson) is dead set against him following in their footsteps. Their family was torn apart ten years earlier when Cal's dad died in an automobile accident and for some reason Sharon blames wrestling for their problems. Cal tracks down his unemployed alcoholic brother and asks him to train him. At first Mike is reluctant to help his brother, who he barely knows, but after Cal shows up at a hearing (for the sentencing of a bar brawl Mike was involved in) and defends him Mike feels obligated to return the favor. So the two train together in secrecy behind their mother's back. This of course leads to dramatic complications.

The movie feels a lot like watered down generic TV crap but it does have a heart and is inspirational in a way. Cena is adequate in his role as well as Graye. Clarkson shines like always and gives a performance far better than the film deserves. Danny Glover has a nice supporting turn as well. The writing and directing is decent by TV movie standards but for a theatrically released, as well as high profile video run, it doesn't measure up. Cena could be a decent action star if he sets his standards higher, he's such a huge wrestling star it shouldn't be too hard for him to get some decent roles (I heard he has interest in doing 'THE EXPENDABLES 2' but many think he hasn't earned it yet). With that said doing this family film isn't nearly as atrocious as the ones The Rock has done (he also got his film career jump started through WWE Films as well with 'THE RUNDOWN' and 'WALKING TALL'). The movie as a whole would be worth checking out on TV with your family.

Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95Zjdlcbe0

Cena has a long way to go...but is slowly improving

[thekyles99 · 5/10 · 27 September 2010]

OK to all those Cena haters out there, don't judge a book by its cover cause this is one Cena movie that was actually pretty good. Yes those who know me know i live and breathe pro wrestling and i have never hated Cena, although truth be told i have seen a lot better wrestlers out there however that being said i will also have to say their are a lot worse. Are u listening to me Flair?? Cena is definitely no Dwayne Johnson although i think he has like 100 lbs of pure muscle on the rock, he couldn't out act the rock, but ill tell you in this he tries damn hard. I have to hand it to wrestlers who journey outside the squared circle to venture into unknown territory that hollywierd has to offer. I mean you never see Actors do it aside from the late great Andy Kaufman and of course the idiot David Arquette. Wrestle i mean that is. Great cast including Danny Glover who plays an old fisherman that young Cal (Devon Graye) bumps into and gets a friendship going while spending time down by the river. And Patricia Clarkson who is simply brilliant as Cal and Mike's (John Cena) Mom. The rest of the cast although basically unknowns including Devon Graye do fantastic jobs. The storyline is this, young Cal who is living in the shadow of his former all star wrestling brother Mike who has estranged him and his mother ever since their father was killed in an automobile accident. Mike went from all American hero on a major downward spiral and alluded the surviving family members. Cal decides to join the school's wrestling team and also seek his brother's help in training him along the way. Although reluctant at first mike decides its time to break the ice and take his younger brother on. This movie is inspiring and in my opinion can proudly say can join amongst the other sport inspiring stories ie; Rocky, Cinderella Man to name a few. A good film.

The Family That Wrestles Together, Nestles Together

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 15 February 2011]

In the years that John Cena did The Marine he's apparently taken a few acting lessons. He does handle dialog with a minimum of credibility now though he did not have scenes with Danny Glover and only one with Patricia Clarkson.

Legendary is a nice, but hardly great family film and like Cena's other cinematic venture, produced by Vince McMahon who also produces his other acting gigs. He's from a wrestling family, his father was a state champion who was killed in a car crash and Cena's been at loose ends since, drifting from job to job and drinking more than he ought.

He's got a little brother that mom Patricia Clarkson is raising in the person of Devon Graye. Legendary's biggest problem is that you can hardly wrap your mind around the concept that Graye and Cena are brothers. Graye's the proverbial 98 pound weakling, but that's something of an exaggeration and fortunately for Graye if he goes out for high school wrestling there will be a weight class for him.

It's interesting also to see a pro wrestler in a film about wrestling as a real sport. But those guys with their attitudes you see on Smackdown learned their business doing what you see in Legendary.

Legendary is a nice if not great family film definitely one to rent for the kids.

Legendary is inspirational

[sam_herder5 · 7/10 · 7 February 2012]

Legendary is a very inspirational movie to watch. The storyline is simple to follow but is still very intriguing to the audience. Cal fits perfectly into his role as the underdog wrestler and John Cena plays the older brother (Mike) very effectively. This movie has a wide range in audience whether it is a family watching it in the living room or a group of friends hanging out and watching. Legendary does a good job of adding slight twists to keep the audience in suspense but does not get carried away like some underdog movies have. Everyone enjoys a feel-good movie and this is just it. Legendary is one movie that will not disappoint.

A nice inspirational movie

[brad-eauclaire · 6/10 · 27 May 2020]

This is not meant to be some mind bending deep thought drama. It's your typical redemption movie. The actors who play the villain students / his quirky friend are pretty darn awkward and cheesy, but the main three put in solid performances.

Nothing special

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 June 2014]

Cal Chetley (Devon Graye) is a 135lb beanpole high school nerd getting bullied by fellow student Billy Barrow (Tyler Posey). He lives with his widowed mother Sharon (Patricia Clarkson). His older brother Mike (John Cena) is struggling and mostly absent. Mike and father were champion wrestlers and Cal wants to start wrestling. Sharon is not happy blaming the lost of her family and Mike specifically to wrestling. The next door neighbor girl Luli (Madeleine Martin) is completely infatuated with Cal.

This being a WWE movie. The biggest question for this is the acting ability of John Cena. While he can walk and talk, he doesn't have the nuance of emotional acting. He is just outclassed by Patricia Clarkson in their scenes. Devon Graye is not a great actor either, at least not yet. He needs to be much better as the lead. Madeleine Martin steals her scenes whenever she's on the screen. She has a spunky wacky character to play with. The story is very bland and unimaginative. It has no surprises or originality. This is strictly an after-school special TV movie.

It's a human interest story, not a wrestling story

[bousozoku · 5/10 · 18 February 2011]

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".

What's there NOT to like?

[Smiglaty · 10/10 · 29 October 2010]

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?

Sorry WWE but this film its too ordinary...

[cartelera21 · 4/10 · 25 October 2010]

Could been better! I like Cena's previews films and WWE efforts to make entertaining action movies but in plane words this movie its very boring. Sorry WWE guys but this film its to boring and full of clichés thats make it a forgettable film. The actors are great (the lead guy and the girl are very good), and Cena's performance its very well but the direction its to lame and simple and got a lot of holes in the construction (why if the girls show her boobs to other kids, she fix her pants?), that destroy all good feelings that the movie wants to transmit. Glover, Clarkson and all the cast are wasted in this Hallmark wanna be film. Sorry WWE but this film its too ordinary.

Teen family life struggles with a sports theme.

[ccbig · 8/10 · 28 September 2010]

By far the best film that features the sport of high school wrestling since the film "Vision Quest".

I cannot stand the "Pro Wresting" shows/films because I think that they do damage to the public view of what the amateur forms of high school wrestling and Olympic styles of wrestling are in real life.

That being said, this is a fine film that shows some aspects of high school wrestling with a fairly good story plot about a teenager facing family life struggles combined with the drive to compete in sports.

John Cena does a decent performance but the film is centered on a teen, high school age young man played by Devon Graye who gives a pretty darn good performance. A good supporting cast too!

A good film for "tweens" and older. Highly recommended for families that play sports.

Big Name celebrity tries to cover up the Predictablablity and Cliché of the Movie

[szwajam · 3/10 · 3 May 2016]

The movie starts off with a requisite underdog that comes in the form of Cal Chetley (Devon Graye), a 135-pound Oklahoma teenager with a love for science, glasses and a best friend who might as well be called Dweeby McArgyle. Enter bullies, stage left. Partly due to his tormentors and also because Cal is part of a wrestling dynasty - - both his estranged brother and his late father were mega-champs -- he decides that he, too, will hit the mat. As it turns out, and it always does, Cal isn't very talented. But if there's one clear takeaway from any good sports movie, it's that only one thing stands between a dismal athlete and a golden trophy; young grasshoppers just need a mentor. That would be the aforementioned brother, Mike, played by WWE superstar John Cena. Wrestling fans will no doubt flock to see this WWE film and won't be disappointed by Cena's entrance.The movie's main theme and message means well, but the acting performance and the structure of the script is sub-poor and shows lackadaisical effort. Using a sport's star in the movie to mask the poor acting and script failed. The movie is very predicable and cliché, and gives no cliffhangers or intriguing events. The actors looked awkward and unnatural. The movie gives no events to pull the viewers in, and new actors and a new structure is well needed to create a more meaningful and intense movie. Also, Not nearly cinematic enough or well-written enough to take that lazy of a step that so often separates "inspirational" and "hokey."his film is quite predictable, formulaic, and far from original, yet it is well- meaning, inspirational, and I actually sorta liked it. It's flawed enough to where I don't feel quite comfortable enough to give it an extra half star, but I did enjoy it, and think that there are a few scenes that are okay enough to watch. At the end, the actors, (including John Cena) show and have little acting experience, which shows up into the movie. The plot it self is poorly structured and entertaining, while trying to force a inspirational moral and theme into the movie; reselling in a sub- poor movie.

Legendary is Legendary

[deadman8974 · 10/10 · 28 September 2010]

I saw this movie when it was still in theaters

First, I want to say that I hate that I had to travel a bit to see this movie. I requested it in my movie theater on the online petition wwe put up but my theater was never given the chance. Second, the tickets in this theater were near $14, that is too much. The lack of theaters probably made it not sell as much

There is a trailer for "Knuckhead", the wwe film that involves wwe superstar Big Show. I really hope they don't mess up with this movie but something tells me that they will. Now on to the movie

Fantastic acting! You would not expect this acting from a film that involves a wwe superstar. In his movie, 12 rounds John Cena showed that he improved from the marine, and this movie shows even future improvement. Anyways, the acting was fantastic from everybody, Luli, mike, cal, the mother, and even the coach.

I don't understand the hate towards this movie. Everyone that walked out of the theater walked out with a happy feeling. It was a feel good story. It's definitely a movie you should bring someone to.

It's great for a wwe film. It's out on DVD now, so go buy it

Great Movie

[robmorris27 · 9/10 · 10 January 2011]

I only just saw this today and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Cena is good and doesn't over play his part or look out of place with some very fine actors in support. The film has a good story and is well, acted I'm just afraid that many people will be put off by the wwe connection but shouldn't be. This a great film for anyone with or without an interest in wwe but if you do have an interest i recommend you buy the special edition 2 disc set as it has some great moments of wrestling history on it. Nice to see WWE films branching out and finely a credible role for the ever more versatile Cena who i see having a great future in films.

Sometimes Legends are born from struggle and sweat.

[bluesman-20 · 10/10 · 16 February 2012]

Legendary is a nice decent family film that has some violence a little bit of swearing and no nudity. There is a bit of violence but nothing too disturbing. Cal Chetley is a lost soul his family splintered apart ten years ago after the death of their father a Legendary Wrestling Champion. His older Brother Mike is also a legendary Wrestling Champion but Mike disappeared years ago and Cl is looking for something to understand his family so he enters the world of High school wrestling. It's a world in which his brother and his father were made for and their legends loom large. Cal wasn't made for wrestling so he seeks out his brother and slowly draws him back into his family's life by convincing him to train him in how to wrestle. Cal learns how to wrestle and Mike learns how to forgive himself for mistakes made years ago. John Cena may never hear the words and the Oscar goes to John Cena but he is learning and Legendary is undoubtedly his best work yet. If John Cena is looking to rival the Rock in making good movies and good family entertainment as well as Action films. Then I say the Rock has a New rival in the world of film making and that is John Cena. The Film is a bit cliché and a bit original and never boring or dull. It's worth watching on a cold winter's night or a rainy afternoon with the family.

Whats There To Like

[stephanie-32137 · 10/10 · 28 October 2023]

Funny Parody Annoying Good Acting Brilliant Extreme Like Extremely Likely Extreme Love Extremely Lovely Feeling Good Feel Good Absolutely Outstanding Excellently Excellency Excellent Excellence Extreme Strong Agree Extremely Strong Agree Extreme Strongly Agreed Extremely Strongly Agreed Extreme Somewhat Agreement Extremely Somewhat Agreement Similar Likes Born To Race Born To Race: Fast Track Parody Acting Parodies Acting John Cena ("WWE" & "Fast & Furious") Tyler Posey ("Teen Wolf" "Teen Wolf: The Movie" & "Fast & Furious") With Patricia Clarkson ("Easy A" & "Friends With Benefits") & Devon Graye ("CSI: Miami" "Avalon High" & "Dexter")

Great Sports Movie

[Brownsbros3 · 9/10 · 10 October 2010]

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.

sport movies with a very cute budding romance

[tabithaoliver · 10/10 · 22 October 2010]

Legendary, doesn't always mean that you come out on top and sometimes you do come out on top but sometimes you become a legend the momentum of a team sport can sometimes be a better reward rather than winning but not having respect for you team and winning you don't have people to celebrate with you. Plain and simple this move was amazing. I do not tend to watch movies over and over but I have seen it three times. Now I will tell you why, all families have mountains to claim.In this movie you see a family come back together for a good cause...FAMILY.. It shows you that anyone can come out on top of their goals. Plus if you live in Oklahoma (movie is about a kid following in his dad's and brother's shoes around the Eufaula, OK area) Sports fan's I know you will like it and for the non sports fan's there is a budding romance! Amazing GO SOONERS.....OU Rocks

same as the others, high school wrestling flick, kids dad died 10 years ago and everyone blames his older brother and wrestling.

[applejakc-1 · 8/10 · 26 December 2010]

Pretty great movie He gets a little push from an outside source from his families past and that is all he needs to step up to his potential and be a very good collegiate wrestler. Until the end, they score the match wrong. Cal and the other guy were 4-11 and Cal was in the down-position (the other guy had control) Cal pulled off the cradle which would give him 2 points for a reversal. Then he held the other guy on his back for 15 seconds, he only needed 5 seconds to get 3 points near-fall. That would give him 5 points total and tie the match at 11. I guess it isn't that big of a deal, it just bothered me that they would make a movie about wrestling and screw up the scoring on the final, most important match of said movie. They should have gone into overtime if they scored it right. Other than that it was a good movie about high school wrestling, similar feel to "Vision Quest"(1985).

Touching, emotional, inspiring.

[starzfan31 · 9/10 · 6 February 2013]

How many young men, or adult men of today can relate to having their father not in their lives for one reason or another? This touching and inspiring movie will be one you can relate to. John Cena, Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover, and Devon Graye do such a good job in this movie that is almost beyond words. I am not a big fan of sports movies, but this movie so touched me after one viewing that it instantly made it to my top 10 list. If ya need a little tear jerker that will inspire, provoke thought, and bring out a little emotion in you, this movie should do it. Without spoiling it for you, I will say that the ending is surprising and oh so touching. A must see for every parent and their kids.

This is a great movie which teaches a lesson on how family can never be broken

[uka5400 · 9/10 · 8 October 2013]

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.

Great movie

[agim_kola · 9/10 · 9 February 2013]

Great movie, great cast. Educational, action and it feels real. Nice end, it's not always about winning. As for Italian opera-the one he was listening is a religious song named "Panis Angelicus" from a french composer named CésarFranck and it's in Latin. No one knows that from the production team that this is a religious song and not from an opera? And when is opera classified as 'not tough enough' music? But to really know the difference, you need to listen to one. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie, the main character played by Devon Graye is real, the mother played by Patricia Clarkson is excellent, the big brother played by John Cena it's not a great actor, but it fits with the role perfectly (good job Mel Damsky)

Legendary- Sports Brings A Family Together ***

[edwagreen · 8/10 · 9 May 2013]

Patricia Clarkson is a greatly under-rated actress who gives a very good performance as a conflicted mother, who blamed her oldest son for the death of her husband. The son has abandoned her and his much younger brother.

The brother takes up wrestling, the apparent family sport, in an attempt to bring everyone together. The older brother, at 28, has been in trouble with the law, and it's the younger one who makes an appealing plea to the judge.

The film is a good one as there is quite a bit of irony here. Wrestling led to the death of the father, and yet it brings the family back together. Naturally, there are the bullies who harass the younger son, but that's all taken care of once the older brother enters the pictures and trains the brother to be quite a wrestler for himself.

Danny Glover portrays a mysterious fisherman whose true identity is revealed at the end of the story. Madeleine Martin, as Chet's girlfriend, is miscast. That voice on her was not good, and therefore when she spoke, it sounded as if she were screeching.

A Thoroughly Enjoyable Film

[mistyhaze · 10/10 · 18 September 2011]

My family and I enjoyed this film from start to finish. We were previously unaware of John Cena and found him not only physically impressive to say the least, but he also enjoyable and talented as a actor. He took a closed off, damaged character an allowed us to watch a healing in progress. Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover are always favorites and did not disappoint. In fact, everyone in the cast moved perfectly and convincingly through this movie. Even the camera was able to hold still in one position long enough for us to follow the action, a quality so very rare in recent films. We felt good when we started watching and even better at the end. A total win! I wish they made more movies with a story full of heart about people who care.

legendary

[baironchavez · 10/10 · 3 May 2016]

Coming of age in small-town Oklahoma. High schooler Cal Chetley is a smart guy who lives with his mother. Ten years earlier his father, a state wrestling champion, died in a car crash. Cal's older brother Mike, also a former wrestling champion. Over the course of a fall and winter, Cal joins the high school wrestling team while searching out Mike to ask for help. Mike rejects the offer, but Cal is persistent. This movie was a great movie to watch i personally enjoyed watching it and recommend other people to watch it as well and gives a good lesson to teens about never giving up. this movie gave me a lot to think about and how i need to reevaluate my life.

Legendary? Not in the slightest. One of 2010's most underrated movies? You bet!

[callanvass · 8/10 · 10 February 2011]

(Credit IMDb) Coming of age in small-town Oklahoma. High schooler Cal Chetley is a brainy beanpole. He lives with his widowed mother: ten years earlier, his father, a state champion in wrestling, died in a car crash. Cal's older brother Mike, also a former champion and now down and out at 28, is estranged from the family. Over the course of a fall and winter, we watch Cal join the high school wrestling team and search out Mike to ask for help. Mike rejects the offer, but Cal is persistent. What if Mike accepts the challenge, is he destined to let Cal down? Giving advice and encouragement are an enigmatic old man and Cal's quirky neighbor, Lori. Plus, there's Cal's mom to reckon with.

Legendary is a WWE studio triumph, no I'm being serious. The heart, the effort, and the pure emotion from the ramifications surrounding the plot were clearly apparent, and I appreciated that. This is the definition of a feel-good movie. For starters I got to give major props to our lead character Devon Graye (Cal) He is our lead character, and he managed to have the depth, the talent, and the conviction to truly stand out. I felt his frustration, I believed in his growing relationship with his distant brother Mike (Cena) but the real stand-out performer here is John Cena. He takes a lot of slack from fellow Wrestling fans, and the general public. It's not Oscar Worthy, but he was actually good. He really stepped up his game for this. The Amateur wrestling scenes themselves are actually pretty convincing, and exciting. I loved the build-up, I loved the story, and even though it's loaded with clichés of its type, it never failed once to make me emotional, or put a smile in my face. All I ask is to be entertained by a movie, or moved. This did both with fine execution. My only complaint was the P.G feel held a lot back, and I felt they could have gone even deeper into the pit Mike's character was in.

Performances. John Cena seriously impressed me here. He wasn't perfect, the inexperience is still showing, but the effort often out-shined that. He clearly poured all his emotion, all of his heart into this character. And for what his character was given, he did a pretty bang up job if you ask me. I'm not a Cena fan boy, but I do respect his charisma, and the death threats, Etc are very much ridiculous. Good work Mr. Cena. Devon Graye is excellent as Cal. His chemistry with Cena is natural, and easy flowing, his courage, and his obsession with redemption often highlighted this film. Maybe I'm just a sucker for this type of stuff, but I enjoyed his show. Patricia Clarkson is a revelation, but that's no surprise. She delivers in anything she's in, and her intensity was utterly mesmerizing. I especially enjoyed the scene in Jail she had with Cena, it gave me chills. Danny Glover doesn't have much to do but play the mysterious old-man, but he has a decent twist at the end, and his presence was greatly felt.

Bottom line. It's far from perfect, but this movie seriously stuck with me. I truly expected the worst, and after the endless, annoying promotion, the TV commercials on WWE Raw, to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. One of 2010's most underrated movies, and knowing how people are with John Cena in general, I wouldn't be surprised if I create anger and backlash among film-goers, and wrestling fans alike. News flash, grow up. Highly recommended

8 ½ /10