DVD : I Am Legend [2007]

Rating: - Scarily possible
I was dubious about seeing I am Legend as I'd heard mixed reports ranging from it being classed as `just ok' to it being branded `abysmal'. I was more than pleasantly surprised then to find I actually enjoyed I am Legend.....well as much as you can enjoy a movie which depicts the future as a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by zombies!

Until I'd watched The Pursuit of Happiness I never rated Will Smith much but this is now 2 movies in a row where he's impressed me so I guess I might have to change my opinion. What separates I am Legend from every other zombie movies on the racks at the moment is the depth of Will Smith's character. His portrayal of Robert Neville, a scientist looking for a cure to a modern-day plague created by man will make you laugh and cry with him, jump out of your seat when he gets scared, and you cheer for him throughout. With the exception of his dog, Smith had no live contact and with attempts to find a cure constantly failing he heads towards insanity. Coupled with his anger and hopelessness Smith portrays a whole array of emotions that surprised even me.

I was expecting a zombie shoot-em-up and settled into something much more thought provoking and intense and it certainly deserves a look, even if you're not into the whole undead thing. Overall I think I am Legend was one of the better movies I've seen lately and therefore gets 5 stars from me.

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Rating: - DISAPPOINTING...
I love Will Smith and have always enjoyed his films. So, when I heard he was doing this remake of the book, "I Am Legend", Richard Matheson's masterpiece of horror, I could not wait to see the film. Having already seen the two prior adaptations, "The Omega Man", starring Charlton Heston, and "The Last Man on Earth", starring Vincent Price, I looked forward to seeing what this remake would bring to the table.

This is an interesting adaptation of the book in many ways, capturing the essence of despair, loneliness, and hope that runs through the book and transferring it successfully to film. Here, Will Smith is cast as Robert Neville, a military scientist who finds that he is immune to the virus that has run amok and globally killed off most of the population or turned them into vampire-like killers who dwell in the dark, coming out only at night where they prowl the earth seeking other living creatures to nosh on.

Robert Neville seems to be the only human being left in New York City. Coming out by day with his beloved dog, Sam, which is his only companion, Neville hunts for food and necessities, taking care to get home before night fall. He lives in solitary splendor in his town house in Washington Square Park, where he struggles to find a cure for the virus in hopes of restoring humanity to those rabid creatures that were once human and now prowl the earth at night.

The bleak landscape of a New York City that is ravaged by the changes is compelling, and Smith, as Neville, does exude that pathos of a man who has nearly lost all hope. His attempts at communicating with other human beings that have not been transformed by the virus are touching, especially so when we see how he longs for interaction with others like himself.

Unfortunately, the film becomes undone by too much reliance on computer generated monsters, failing to realize that less is sometimes more. Instead, the special effects render the second half of the film to something that one would see in a video game. Consequently, I found myself hoping that the end of the film would soon arrive.

While I did enjoy the film overall, it was, ultimately, disappointing, as my expectations were so high. It is unfortunate that the powers that be were so enamored of the special effects that they were unable to show some restraint. What was potentially a filmmaking masterpiece turned into a film that was simply a contender, despite Will Smith's excellent performance. In the end it was a performance that was overshadowed by the filmmaker's excess.

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Rating: - Not the best, but a great movie
The suspense was built in a very measured way as you gradually come to realise that this is not just a twist on a "Robinson Crusoe" man alone with his dog theme.
The ending surprised me and despite the fact that it kind of didnt make sense - it added to the power of the film.

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Rating: - Not bad
This film was not too bad really, but I have seen much better ones. There are one two things that need answering such as where did he get his car fuel from, and how come if everybody on earth was supposed to be dead, why was there there running water, and electricity. Where did that come from? It is a film a would probably watch again, but only after a few beers when theres no footy on.

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Rating: - Empty, uninteresting and oversimplified
The epitome of what film has become today. An over-simplified and unnecessary retelling of would could have been an thoughtful and interesting film, instead filled with cheesy special effect and bad casting.

The story is told much better in "The Last Man on Earth" (1954) with Vincent Price.