Rating:3.5/5
Cast: Balakrishna , Jagapathi Babu , Sonal Chauhan , Radhika Apte and others
Directed by : Boyapati Srinu
Produced by : Ram, Gopi, Anil
Banner :Varahi Chalana Chitram, 14 Reels Entertainment
Music by : Devi Sri Prasad
Release Date : 2014-03-28
Legend Movie Review
Legend is riding on high expectations as Balakrishna, Boyapati Srinu's last film Simha was a blockbuster. Known for making high voltage mass masala movies, Boyapati Srinu has once again presented Balakrishna in one of his career best powerful roles in Legend.
What is it about?
Krishna (Balakrishna) lives far away from his family in Dubai. His grandmother wants him to stay away from violence and lead a peaceful life. Krishna falls in love with Sneha (Sonal Chauhan) and on his return to India he confronts with Jitender's (Jagapathi Babu) son and beats him to death. Jitender is the reason for the death of Krishna's parents. What follows next is an adrenaline pumping action drama with loads of powerful dialogues and heroism elevation scenes.
Performances:
Balakrishna: It is cakewalk for Balakrishna all through the film. One cannot imagine any other actor in the role of Jayadev. Balakrishna roars like a Lion making this film a feast for his diehard fans. There are many scenes where fans would go berserk. Boyapati Srinu is the only director to present Balakrishna in such a powerful way after B. Gopal. He repeated the magic of Simha in few scenes, especially in the second half.
Jagapathi Babu: Jagapathi Babu took up the challenge of playing the antagonist in a film where Balakrishna owns the show. He came out in flying colors with one of his career best performances. He looked menacing as the villain with that white beard and superbly designed costumes. His rugged voice added extra spice to the character. Jagapathi Babu is one of the main assets of this film without an iota of doubt. Balakrishna's heroism has been elevated to another level due to Jagapathi's wonderful portrayal of the villain character.
Radhika Apte is apt and Sonal Chauhan sizzles in her brief role. Brahmanandam irritates a bit. Jayaprakash Reddy, Brahmaji, LB Sri Ram and others have shined in the roles assigned to them.
Technicalities:
Music: Devi Sri Prasad is not used to give music to such high voltage mass films. His background score for this film is in sync with the proceedings and took it to next level. On the downside Songs are not up to DSP standards barring Legend title song.
Direction: Boyapati Srinu is a master in working the emotions that connects instantly with the masses. He studied and understood the image of Balakrishna better than any of the current directors. He has done a wonderful job in the second half. Should have taken care on the first half which was pale and dull compared to high octane second half.
Camera work is good and so is the art department's output. Editing is good in second half and average in first hour. Producers have spent lavishly on the film.
Thumbs Up:
1) Balakrishna's Roaring performance
2) Jagapathi Babu's act as the antagonist
3) Dialogues
4) Background music
5) Political related dialogues
Thumbs Down:
1) Brahmanandam's comedy track
2) Few unwanted sentiment scenes
3) Excessive violence
Analysis:
Legend is a complete commercial package with all the ingredients neatly packed in. The film starts off with a bang with Jagapathi Babu setting right expectations on the film. The graph dips a bit after Balakrishna's character was introduced. Director tried to add comedy flavor to the film by giving maximum footage to Brahmanandam for a while.
They have made desperate attempt to make it work, but the theme of this film doesn't accommodate comedy. Interval gives the real punch and from there on there is no stopping Legend. The film goes from strength to strength with each scene. Balakrishna just carried the film on his able shoulders without letting the graph go down.
Balakrishna fans will watch this film numerous times as it is undoubtedly the best from Nata Simha post 'Simha'. Boyapati Srinu lived up to the expectations and delivered a full on masala film that will work wonders at the box office especially in mass dominated areas. There is good sentimental touch to the film which will appeal to classes and families. Excessive violence is the weak point of this film and it may restrict the reach. Saying that all the biggest hits from Balakrishna had excessive violence and therefore it shouldn't be a big problem for Legend.
Verdict: The Lion Roars Again!
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