Legend No. 17
A stirring Soviet-era hockey biopic follows Valeriy Kharlamov from gifted young player to national icon in the legendary Montreal showdown.
Overview
Experience the thrilling rise of a sports legend as he faces the greatest challenge of his career.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- adrenaline-fueled
- inspirational
- patriotic
- sports night
- inspirational movie night
What critics said
Critics overwhelmingly praised the film as an energetic, life-affirming sports biopic with strong dramatic momentum, though a small minority objected to its treatment of Kharlamov's life.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kharlamov's performance for the Soviet team against Canadian NHL professionals is presented as a defining cultural achievement.
The story follows Kharlamov from childhood through his rise as a celebrated CSKA striker and national hero.
Critics specifically identified adrenaline as the film's key quality, while the hockey matches provide its visual and dramatic peaks.
The Montreal games pit the USSR national team against Canadian NHL professionals during the Cold War era.
Films like Legend No. 17, and why
Miracle
biographical sports drama centered on a driven athlete and a defining international competition
The Rocket
emotionally stirring underdog sports drama built around team unity and national pride
The Fighter
high-energy biographical sports film about an iconic competitor overcoming institutional and personal obstacles
Movie Details
- Director
- Nikolay Lebedev
- Release Date
- 2013-04-17
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (154)
Cast
- Danila Kozlovsky
- Oleg Menshikov
- Vladimir Menshov
- Roman Madyanov
- Svetlana Ivanova
- Alejandra Grepi
- Götz Otto
- Darya Ekamasova
- Valentin Smirnitskiy
- Nina Usatova
Common questions
- What is Legend No. 17 about?
- A stirring Soviet-era hockey biopic follows Valeriy Kharlamov from gifted young player to national icon in the legendary Montreal showdown.
- What is Legend No. 17 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Legend No. 17 as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Legend No. 17 violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Legend No. 17 as mild.
- What did critics think of Legend No. 17?
- Critics overwhelmingly praised the film as an energetic, life-affirming sports biopic with strong dramatic momentum, though a small minority objected to its treatment of Kharlamov's life.
- Which films are like Legend No. 17?
- Films with a similar feel include Miracle, The Rocket, and The Fighter.
- How long is Legend No. 17?
- Legend No. 17 runs 134 minutes.
