DVD : I Am Legend [2007]

Rating: - Great start - but can't keep up the pace...
This movie is worth buying for the amazing special effects and for the stunning scenes of post-apocalyptic New York. Will Smith puts in a solid performance as (almost) sole survivor of the 'zombie' plague, ably supported by his canine co-star. The first hour or so of the movie is fast-paced and dramatic as the story unfolds. Unfortunately, it then moves down a gear or so, loses its way, and almost peters out with a most unsatisfactory and unresolved ending. A missed opportunity, as a little further development of the story would have made such a difference.

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Rating: - WATCH THE 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION WITH ALTERNATIVE ENDING, IT COMPLETELY CHANGES THE WHOLE MOVIE!
I have not written a review for quite some time and after reading and hearing some of the negative criticism about this film i felt i had to give my opinion after watching it last week. In fact i almost didn't watch it based on some of the complaints i heard, such as: "The C.G.I. monsters are awful and really fake looking", "The ending sucks", erm yeah and that's about it, I don't think I've heard an other issues with it.
SO, first of all this is not a typical action film, the Initial scenes echo loneliness and desolation, and I felt these scenes were truly amazing to behold, evoking sadness and compassion, seeing the wild-life roaming free in a once never sleeping city and the plant life breaking it's way through the concrete is truly breathtaking and allows you to see through the everyday prison that we live in, consumerism, crime, the media, etc etc. And it makes you wonder why we need all these things- is that what makes us human? could we actually survive without it? or do we need to thrive off of it in order to feel content with our lives? anyway.....

As in "the pursuit of happiness" Will Smith gives off an excellent performance, played out with passion and conviction, not once do you think: "this is just an actor in a film" (although you know that) he is very believable and you feel you are there with him all the way.
Anyway onto the C.G.I, as a digital media student and an absolute film buff i have to say the C.G.I really isn't that bad, what matters is the performances, credibility and your capability to completely let go and immerse yourself in a good movie, if your one of those people that fath about with your phone and struggle to keep your eyes on the screen, (of any film) then your not going to be able to fully appreciate the movie for what it is, a visual glorification of a desolate dystopian future in which man-kind have evolved into vampire like creatures with a driving hunger for their human counterparts.
My thoughts on the C.G.I beings are so what if they don't look 100% real, they're not human anymore, so what does it matter? they still appear to be there in flesh and blood, they do not look 2-dimentional, Smith's interaction's with them both physical and emotional makes them believable enough, so it adds a touch of surrealism, big deal. you have to suspend your belief a little for the majority of films anyway, that's the whole point of it!
the only part where it was far too noticeable was when he had the female creature on the table and the camera showed her from a low angled perspective, her breasts looked "odd" and yes, she didn't look real, but the rest of the film works so it wasn't really an issue for me and i am normally very fussy on such things!
Now, with regard to the ending, yes i found it a little frustrating, as anyone would know that he didn't have to do what he did, there were other options available as everyone who's seen it and can put 2 and 2 together will know, but on the other end of the scale we had watched his whole persona change throughout the film as we learnt what he had been through previously and that all he had left was them taken away from him, and then saw him loosing hope and cracking, etc etc. so maybe that would cause him to do what he did?
Anyway the good news is that if you buy the 2 disc special edition you can watch the film with an alternative ending, and it's not just slightly different, (like with the alternative endings in cloverfield) it's major different! and changes the whole film! well sort of. Things that i had suspected with the "evil beings" all came into perspective and gave the film a different spin questioning who the evil ones truly are? have they really lost all their humanity? or are they just trying to survive?
I really preferred the Alternative ending and can't understand why they didn't use it as the theatrical ending? maybe they thought some would find it corny, which it may be just a little but much better than the original ending which just makes you feel annoyed!
Anyway, that's the end of my review, i strongly recommend potential viewers to watch the film for themselves and to watch the Alternative ending also if you can, it's definitely worth buying the special edition for! suspend your boring disbelief and just enjoy it for what it is!
Not an Americanised 28 days later, or a typical action flick, i would say it is more of an emotional affair that question's our humanity and capability to survive beyond consumerism, capitalism, and ultimately, evolution.

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Rating: - Just buy the book
It will probably take about 3 times as long as watching the film (its a short book) and will be so much more special than this unfavourable hollywood film.
The book will not give you the action hero that blows things up, or the terrible effects and "monsters"! Nor will it end with an upbeat hope for human survival. Nope not the brilliantly original and inovative tale by Richard Matheson that brings a very emotional story to the best conclusion I have ever read.
Hollywood destroyed this film the minute they strayed from the books charmingly amenable description of the end of humans destructive rein over planet earth and the start of a new ruler who may be just as bad as we have been, we will never know but for what each reader concludes.

Book was brilliant!
Film was hugely different and dissapointing - I say as a film maker (shorts in festivals, so far)and as a fan of Matheson's novel.

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Rating: - Will Smith Excellent - Film very disappointing
Will Smith is as usual a wonderful actor and we purchased this film because of it.

Sadly the film is lacking and to be honest it was a major disappointment to us.

I would not recommend this to anyone.

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Rating: - A Disgrace!!!
I Am Legend is possibly one of the best sci-fi / horror books ever written. Read the first 10 pages and you will be hooked....read the first 3 pages after watching this insult of a movie and you will know enough about the book to realise that this film has nothing to do with it. If the title and main character name were different and you had read the book, you would watch this film and possibly have no idea that they were the same story. I have no clue what the people making this film were thinking, I Am Legend would so easily and I imagine relatively cheaply, translate to film. To think that at one point there was a group of people sitting around a table and decided, "Hey, let's make a movie of I Am Legend....but lets make it nothing at all like the book.".......what a stupid bunch of retards.

My love of the book aside, this is still a poor film. Bad acting, bad story and really, really bad special effects. I imagine even the most avid lover of Will Smith will struggle to get through it unscathed.

Aviod it like the the pile of dog poo on the pavment it is.