Suave, charming and volatile, Reggie Kray and his unstable twin brother Ronnie start to leave their mark on the London underworld in the 1960s. Using violence to get what they want, the siblings orchestrate robberies and murders while running nightclubs and protection rackets. With police Detective Leonard "Nipper" Read hot on their heels, the brothers continue their rapid rise to power and achieve tabloid notoriety.
Chow and To don't tinker with the lore's DNA too much, but fortunately they have Peng to freshen it up, and even the specter of Li does little to detract from his emerging star power.
– Elizabeth Kerr,
Hollywood Reporter,
8 Mar 2016
rotten:
Rise of the Legend's jumble of backstories, flashbacks, and betrayals can't hope to carry the same weight as its punches.
– Michael Nordine,
Village Voice,
8 Mar 2016
fresh:
A stylish, rousing throwback epic, telling the fictionalized story of Wong as a young man, circa 1868.
– Noel Murray,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar 2016
fresh:
The blending of vast sets and digital effects is not quite seamless in Chow Hin Yeung's kung fu period extravaganza "Rise of the Legend," but it's close.