Its approach to the gangster genre makes me think that, certainly, it delivers a remarkable performance from Tom Hardy in his dual role, but his crime legends frequent commonplaces that never abandon the conventional tone. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 5/10 | Jan 18, 2025

Little more than an extravagant, blood-soaked and alcohol-fueled story, Legend fulfills its title; an overinflated piece of bar room folklore better told over a cold pint of Guinness (or several).

| Aug 2, 2023

Hardy's individual performances are excellent, quite predictably, though his characters are two-dimensional at best.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 23, 2022

Hardy's performance shows off his range as an actor and is a perfect image of his acting chops. Beyond Hardy, [it] is a flawed gangster film with shifts in tone and [a familiar] plot.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 9, 2021

Legend sweeps aside the actual drama of everyday life in favor of gory exotica.

| Feb 26, 2021

Legend is chaotic, fast-paced and visually impressive, with [Tom] Hardy delivering his best performance to date.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 19, 2019

Flashy production and performances don't distract from the film's flaws, though the American Helgeland nails the minutiae of British life.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 4, 2019

This is a brisk stroll through London's crime syndicate with a dual Tom Hardy performance that's worth the steep price of admission.

| Original Score: B | Mar 1, 2019

Tom Hardy fans and Sixties aficionados should be pleased, but those seeking a really engrossing gangster story should continue the search.

| Original Score: B- | Dec 7, 2018

As a double vehicle for a fantastic actor, it is worth watching.

| Aug 23, 2018

A well polished, but plodding biopic, driven by strong character performances and a well-chosen cast.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 22, 2018

Hardy's double performance is a joy to behold, but the film maybe doesn't quite have the conviction to make it as legendary as some would've hoped.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 11, 2018

Legend is indecently entertaining, but as an East End western it doesn't have a thought in its head other than to forgive the Krays for all their sins.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 21, 2017

Legend has all the elements of a period gangster film in place, along with dollops of additional dash and verve.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 9, 2017

For all its good looks, Legend is a let-down, hampered by the vanity of its star and by what, for British audiences, at least, feels like a Krays-lite version of a very familiar story.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 26, 2017

Fans of Tom Hardy will find plenty to like, but no one else has a reason to watch this movie.

| Oct 16, 2017

[Tom] Hardy doesn't just act. He doesn't just become a screen character. He embodies the real-life personalities he is attempting to portray and ends up achieving something that warrants such adjectives as dynamic and fearless and even unforgettable.

| Aug 16, 2017

Director Brian Helgeland lays everything on with a trowel, but subtlety isn't why we're here. The flash, the violence, and Tom Hardy's twin performances make Legend a fun ride.

| Aug 14, 2017

Tom Hardy does not so much act in films as wildly devour them, drawing every last ounce of energy and audience love his way. In Legend... he sucks an entire dressing-up box towards him as well.

| Feb 28, 2017

Legend really does waste the majority of its potential, Helgeland never tapping into the story of the Kray brothers in a way that is essential or lasting.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 18, 2016