Directed by Richardo Castro Velazquez, The (Almost) Legends is the story of two stepbrothers who hated each other and were always on the lookout for opportunities to belittle the other person. Their father enjoyed a celebrity status in the small town they lived in, and they felt the burden of carrying on his legacy. We personally don’t have any problem when it comes to amalgamating comedy with drama, even if the former is a bit overpowering, but the problem arises when the narrative becomes spoof-ish in its approach.
Firstly, the film does not have a compelling storyline, and the drama is diluted even more by the way it has been executed by the director. We understand that the idea was to make a lighthearted film with moments that touch our hearts, but because of the treatment of the film, The (Almost) Legends neither leaves its mark nor impacts you in any manner. The film falls victim to cliches, and in its quest to create intriguing and funny characters, it ends up giving a caricaturish outlook to everyone. So, let’s find out what was happening in the small town of Bahia, Colorado, and if the stepbrothers could ever understand each other’s perspective on life.
Spoilers Alert
‘The (Almost) Legends’ Plot Summary
Valentin Abitia Gallardo was not only idolized by the people living in Bahia, Colorado, but he had achieved a legendary status of sorts. Valentin had two wives and a son from each of them. With Raquel, he had Romeo, whom he referred to as his A family, and with Silvia, he had a son named Preciado, whom he called his B family. Valentin had been featured on a famous TV show named Desmananados, and since then, he has become a household name in his hometown.
Valentin had two passions: music and cars, and he divided his time between playing banda music with his band and having an auto repair shop where, together with his son Romeo, mother Connie, and younger brother Cosme, he nurtured his dream of winning the rally de La Bestia, the biggest car racing competition that used to happen annually. It was a long race that went on for 30 hours, and Valentin was all set to win it this time. Valentin’s personal life went haywire after his wife Silvia passed away, and he had to bring Preciado to his house in Bahia, Colorado. Romeo obviously became jealous of Preciado, and he didn’t like it whenever his father showed affection towards him. Romeo was not ready to share his father’s love with anyone, and that feeling of enmity kicked off a competition between the two stepbrothers, where they just wanted to prove that they were better than each other.
Meanwhile, Valentin did take part in the race but lost, and he blamed the organizers for rigging the entire competition. Soon after that, Valentin passed away in a tragic accident where the boat on which he had been called to perform sank in the water. Soon after that, Romeo decided that he no longer wanted to live in Bahia and moved to Mexico City to try his luck at acting. Romeo had a very specific desire: he wanted to play the antagonist in telenovelas. Life took both the brothers in different directions, and where Preciado started his own band and took over his father’s repair shop, Romeo started acting in telenovelas as he had wanted. Fate made the brothers meet once again, as Romeo came back after five long years to take part in the rally de La Bestia with an intention to fulfill the dream of his father and bring the trophy home.
How Did Romeo Plan To Take Revenge On Preciado?
Don Tasio, an influential businessman, owned almost all the businesses in Bahia, Colorado, and Romeo got to know that he had his eyes on his father’s auto repair shop for a very long time. Don Tasio loved Raquel, but she never gave him the attention he craved, as she had chosen Valentin as her life partner. Romeo, after hearing this story from his mother, hatched a plan and decided to ruin the life of his stepbrother. Romeo has a lot of hatred toward Preciado, and he wants to find a way to take revenge on him.
Preciado wasn’t a good driver, but he still wanted to take part in the race just so that he could beat his brother, who for no fault of his was always mistreated. Romeo knew that Preciado and his grandmother, Connie, stayed in the auto repair shop itself, and he wanted to take that away from them. Don Tasio’s daughter Maren was also taking part in the race, and he wanted her to win at all costs. Romeo told him that he would lose the race if Don Tasio used his influence to take the repair shop from his stepbrother. Don Tasio went with Romeo to give an ultimatum to Connie and Preciado, but Connie told them that she wasn’t going to give up without putting up a fight.
Romeo asserted that because he had inherited the property after his father’s death, he could do whatever he wanted with it, but Connie told him that firstly, the place was started by his grandfather, and she had an equal right to be there, and even if she didn’t, there was no will that could prove that Romeo was the rightful owner of the place. But this feeling of enmity did not last for long, and with time, Romeo realized that he was not doing the right thing by going against his family. He dropped the idea and decided to reconcile with his brother. Don Tasio threatened to destroy his entire life, but now, Romeo was up for the challenge.
‘The (Almost) Legends’ Ending Explained
Romeo had been unable to repay a loan that he had taken in Mexico City and we got to know in The (Almost) Legends that he was being persecuted by the bank. Meanwhile, we also came to know that Don Tasio was on the verge of becoming bankrupt, and he wanted Maren to win the competition because he was in need of some money. Don Tasio had realized that he was a very bad businessman, and he had hidden the fact from his family for the longest time.
After reconciliation, Perciado decided to help his brother, and he used all his savings to modify the car they had gotten from their uncle Cosme. Maren won the racing competition, and Don Tasio was happy that he could use the money to save his empire. Romeo might not have won the race, but he was content, as he had realized a lot of things in the process. It felt like somebody had removed a burden from his shoulders, and he actually felt liberated. Both brothers realized that their father was not as legendary as people presumed him to be. They saw the video during The (Almost) Legends‘s ending, which had made their father famous, and they realized that he was barely visible in it.
The brothers also came to know from their uncle that the race in which Valentin had lost was not rigged, but he didn’t have the potential to win the competition, and he was too arrogant to accept that. Romeo joined Lagrimas Nortenas, Preciado’s band, and a record label signed them, so they could now earn some money through their performances. Romeo paid off his debts, and it all ended well for the people of Bahia, Colorado.
