This jokey approach to the material manifests itself in the violent moments, which are rather incredibly played for laughs whereas really the raw power of the incidents should have come out. It feels like Helgeland wanted to make the story a comedy, which is the last thing it could be. What a shame, then, that all of the pivotal scenes are so oddly staged in a semi-humorous tone.
The setting-up scenes are fine, the transition scenes are fine, and the film is well-shot throughout with an excellent eye for realism and a decent budget. The issues with LEGEND are entirely down to tone, and the tone just isn't right. The problem lies with the direction, which is oddly inexperienced for a long-time director like Brian Helgeland. While I enjoyed LEGEND on a superficial level, I found it an oddly hollow viewing experience and not as good as the previous version. The second of the big screen retellings of the Kray storyline, following on from 1990's THE KRAYS which starred real-life brothers Martin and Gary Kemp as the terrible twosome.
