It is true that glasses and change of hairdo can actually produce a different personality. This movie is mostly dedicated to Tom Hardy delivering his excellent, albeit slightly and funnily schizophrenic, acting prowess. As far as biopic goes, other films such as Black Mass delivers a more in depth-look of the mafia life style, but Legend opts for a direct personal view of the brothers and takes full advantage of the lead actor.

Tom Hardy plays as both Ron and Reggie Kray, performed with a tweak of facial expression and mild change on make-up. Reggie is the more levelheaded one while Ron can be described as batcrap insane. They are both capable of violence and living a shared gangster life. The events are told by narration from Frances (Emily Browning),Reggie's love interest and a silent witness to the horrible dealings.

The movie's strongest point is undoubtedly the lead, it is not often that this "one actor two roles" is used in cinema recently. Tom Hardy delivers everything expected from him, from the subtle or strong expression, change of speech and mannerism to intricate body language of different characters. Viewers know the twin scene is done by effect, yet they often look like two different persons interacting with each other.

It dabbles in less criminal activities and more in private life, evident by using Frances a key point for developments even though she is mostly there as spectator, especially when mafia dealings are concerned. Emily Browning is a good addition, she handles her own well, but it's not the level of outlandish on-screen presence like the Krays.

While there is a definite involvement of crime thriller aspect, it doesn't portray the shady indulgent in its entirety. It's not the intricate inside view like that of American Hustle. There are few violent scenes, although the movie is not a noir gritty musing and some of the events could be done more thoroughly.

Tom Hardy has done some interesting roles, but none arguably had this level of complexity. Legend further cemented his acting signature on the silver screen, it may not be an in-depth take of criminal enterprise, but he alone, or two of him, is enough to carry the movie.

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. 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 problem lies with the direction, which is oddly inexperienced for a long-time director like Brian Helgeland.

The issues with LEGEND are entirely down to tone, and the tone just isn't right. 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. What a shame, then, that all of the pivotal scenes are so oddly staged in a semi-humorous tone. It feels like Helgeland wanted to make the story a comedy, which is the last thing it could be.

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's present in Tom Hardy's dual role; the special effects are excellent (and have come a long way since Van Damme played twins in DOUBLE IMPACT) but Ronnie Kray is nothing more than a caricature here, a weirdo played for maximum relish by the off-beat actor.

LEGEND also messes up some of the source material, which is a little odd. I've read Reggie's autobiography so have some experience with the facts. For some reason this film plays down the pivotal relationship between the Krays and their mother; the latter only appears in a couple of scenes. In contrast, it bigs up the role Frances Shea played in the story, giving her way too much screen time at the expense of others. Thus at times LEGEND feels like a romance rather than the gangster epic it should be. It's certainly not a bad film, but is it something I'd watch again? Not really - I'd prefer going back to THE KRAYS.

It's the 60's London. Reggie and Ron Kray (Tom Hardy) are twin low-life gangsters in the East End. Reggie is brutally violent but Ron is on another level. Ron is unstable especially when he doesn't take his pills. He's also unapologetically gay. Police detective Nipper Read (Christopher Eccleston) is after them but he's always one step behind. Reggie is taken Frances Shea (Emily Browning) who eventually becomes his wife. She's also the narrator of the movie. The twins rise up to the top with the downfall of their rivals and help from their business frontman Leslie Payne (David Thewlis). They get into a partnership with American mobster Angelo Bruno (Chazz Palminteri). The twin's connection is unbreakable and ultimately their downfall.

Tom Hardy gets to do some big-time duo role acting. His mannerisms for Ron are distracting at first. It takes a little time to get used to it. There is something slightly off about the movie. Its intensity is not high enough and I don't just mean its violence. The best scene is when the brothers fight. "Not the bottle" is a hilarious line. The brothers' relationship is the heart of the movie. Nipper is an underused character. Overall, Hardy is showing that he's stretching and taking chances.