Table of Contents
Calibbr’s Review
Directing: The directors of Legion have done a phenomenal job with its premise. They have utilized the source material with near perfection. The direction is very good.
Screenplay: The screenplay of Legion is good. It is not for everyone but fans who appreciate these mind-numbing storylines will understand the beauty of it.
Cinematography: The cinematography of this show is very good. The show is a visual treat and can make you feel like you’re high on some drugs. There are many psychedelic sequences that will transport you into another world.
Acting: The acting in this show is very good. Each actor has portrayed his/her character perfectly. However Aubrey Plaza and Dan Stevens take the cake.
Visual Effects: Just like the cinematography, the visual effects of Legion have done an incredible job. It utilizes CGI as no other comic book show or even movie does. Visual effects are very good.
Sound | Music: The music of the show is good. There are some occasions where it may feel like the music is out of place. But overall, the show’s use of music is good.
Production Design: The production design is very good. It feels real and does not feel pretentious like many superhero shows tend to do.
Plot Synopsis
Legion is a TV series, created by Marvel Studios and is based on the character of the same name from the X-Men universe. The story follows David Haller (Legion), who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. He has spent the majority of his life in psychiatric facilities.
Haller slowly realizes that his condition may be more than a mental disease after a meeting with a fellow psychiatric patient.
General Review
Legion is a beautiful show that deals with the whacky source material perfectly. It has many elements of suspense, horror, and thriller. With amazing performances by Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, and the other cast members, the show manages to pull off a seemingly impossible storyline.
The show features some of the most beautiful VFX shots ever featured in a comic book adaptation. It also highlights the struggles of mental issues, faced by many people around the world.
Overall, the whole show spanning 3 seasons is a short but memorable show that will leave your head spinning just after one episode.
Now let us discuss what makes this show worth watching
The Cast
The showrunners have handpicked some of the most versatile actors for this show. Dan Stevens is a very talented actor. You might be familiar with his work if you have watched Downton Abbey or The Guest. He portrays the main protagonist David Haller (AKA Legion).
Stevens’ mannerisms capture David’s unsettled state perfectly. His expressions feel like he is self-aware and his touch of humor is just the cherry on top.
Another amazing casting in the show is Aubrey Plaza. She portrays Lenny Busker. Plaza delivers a striking performance as Lenny, who can be described as a hybrid of all of her previous performances.
All in all, the whole cast has incredible chemistry. They have done an amazing job of portraying their respective characters.
The Striking Visuals
Any Legion review would be incomplete without mentioning the visual tone of the show. It is simply beautiful. The crazy yet gorgeous visuals will sweep you off your feet and it deserves to be seen on a large screen.
The entire show is set in a retro-futurist universe where the costumes look like they are from the 1960s, but the flatscreen TVs and other technologies suggest a much more recent era. It is unique and we do not have many similar visually striking shows.
Along with the production design and cinematography, the show’s use of VFX is also remarkable. The shot where David lets go of his immense power is so visually powerful that you will actually feel its impact.
The whole series is visually so spectacular that it all feels like a long fever dream. It is an unparalleled experience. Plus, the wacky music complements the crazy visuals.
The Writing
In a nutshell, the story is about Charles Xavier’s son and his journey of self-discovery and finding a purpose in his life, while encountering an evil organization.
In the first season of Legion, the storyline feels very complex with multiple layers, but it never feels convoluted. As the episodes progress things start to unfold and the audience starts to get a hold of things.
The show’s world is completely established by the end of the season, and as per tradition, things end on a cliffhanger. All the credits go to the writers, who prevented the story from becoming too convoluted.
The second season changes things up and makes things a bit more grounded and focuses on characters and the overall plot of the show. It does not compromise on the quirkiness though. The second season of Legion does a great job of connecting the dots as things lead to a climax in the third season.
The third season of the show can be described as the cream of the crop. The creators could have progressed the show to at least 5 or 8 seasons but they made the right decision and ended things on a higher note.
The third and last season of the show provides the audience a befitting finale to this mind-bending storyline.
The writers and directors have done a marvelous job of carrying such a strong subject and satisfyingly concluded things.
Trendsetter
In a way, Legion was a trendsetter. It opened the way for other creators to bring crazier comic book characters to the screen. We can see its influence on some other shows as well that were released after it.
Its unique way of storytelling, over-the-top visuals, larger than life characters made it an extremely unique show. It was insanely popular among comic books as well as general TV series fans.
Other studios and companies also wanted to try something unique due to which we got shows like Doom Patrol, Happy, etc.
Whether you love it or hate it you can not deny that it influenced many major comic book TV shows and movies that came afterward.
Conclusion
Nonetheless Legion is an extremely unique show. It was way ahead of its time and while many people would love to see more of this character, this show did an amazing job of introducing him to the world.
The storyline is well-paced, in fact, there is barely any moment in the show that will make you feel bored. The show keeps getting better with each progressing episode. It is a highly binge worthy show.
The showrunners took a lot of risks when they decided to produce this show but their efforts did not go in vain. They delivered the fans an amazing X-Men show that can easily rank among one of the best superhero TV shows.
Since Disney acquired Fox, all the X-Men characters now belong to them. So it feels highly unlikely that Disney will utilize this character in the MCU. But nothing is impossible. All the fans could do is hope for more.
Recommendations
If you have already watched all seasons of Legion and want to watch something similar to that, then we got you covered. Here is a list of similar shows.
- Doom Patrol
- Happy!
- The Gifted
- Runaways
- Marvel’s Daredevil
- Watchmen
- WandaVision
