DVD : I Am Legend [2007]

Rating: - Sadly Disappointing
Perhaps it's unfair for me to review this - I have read the original book, and have always rated the 1971 version, "The Omega Man", one of the best films of its day. When I heard the story was getting another cinema outing, this time with the budget of a blockbuster, I was very excited.

I was dreadfully diappointed with the result. I always felt that "The Omega Man" was left a poorer film for having been cut in order to make it short enough to play as part of a "double feature" as was popular at the time. The footage was lost, so there's no chance of a restoration, and the story is doomed to remain a little disjointed with some key plot points never explained.

Imagine my surprise to find the same mistakes repeated with "I Am Legend". Once again the movie seems to have been cut to length at the expense of the story. A friend - who described it as "one of the worst movies I have ever seen" - said that she thought the film ended just as it got started, and I know exactly what she means.

Perhaps there will be a "director's cut" DVD to put things right. I hope so. In the meantime my advice is to buy "The Omega Man" instead.

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Rating: - Brilliant!
A dog and his sidekick, Will Smith, roam around a deserted New York shortly after George W Bush decides to bomb it for having too much graffiti.

Together they form a shrimping business called BubbaGump industries but then the rage virus is released by a monkey and then the dog has 101 pups leading to further hilarity.

An enjoyable family romp.

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Rating: - Such a tasteless disappointment
When it came out there was a great advertising and promotion campaign. Yet it did not fulfill its promises. One more survival film, you will say. Maybe but I am afraid it is more serious than that. One more epidemic film. Yes for sure, but yet it is deeper than that. One more zombie and living dead film then. Absolutely, but the disappointment comes from farther than that. The film uses three very common forms and it could have intertwined them and twisted them in a new creative way. But with one character and a dog, you do not go that far. In fact it is the whole argument of Stephen King's The Stand. The super flu, the dying of everyone, the survival of a few. But Stephen King remains human and the two antagonistic camps are human survivors and then they represent the two opposite impulses of the human species: to fight and kill to survive against others, and to organize collectively to survive with others. In this film the survivors are good humans and all the others are bad mutants. Badness in man is thus not human but antihuman. That is very naïve indeed, especially when we understand the epidemic was caused by the irresponsible experiments of one doctor on thousands of people with genetically manipulated viruses. It is this vision of good humans attacked from outside by some who are no longer human at all that makes the film poor and even weak. Evil is not outside. Evil is inside. Anyone who says the reverse is just a blind man. Then the plot is no plot because we know what it is going to be. There is no surprise and no psychological death. And the dramatic events here and there are defused by too much disbelief to suspend. How did the woman arrive in Manhattan, how did she escape the house, how did she drive out of Manhattan, how did she know where to go? And many other questions like those. Then the legend becomes a fable and a weak one at that. Too bad because the theme could have been better and the author behind, Matheson, is supposed to be better than that.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

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Rating: - It's a game of two halves...
There is little doubt to me that the 1st Half of I am Legend is quite excellent. Set in New York City devoid of life and apparently lifeless it is eerie to see the City that never sleeps so empty. I enjoyed some of the camera work as well. A city that has clearly been left for nature to reclaim was very well done. However, despite appearances there is hope - one man remains - Robert Neville. Neville is played by Will Smith. A brilliant scientist who is somehow immune to the man made virus that has killed millions if not billions and mutated some of those infected into zombies that only come out at night. Neville has turned is home into a fortress as well as a lab. He works hard to acquire a cure. But he is efforts appear in vain. His conversations with the dummies at the video store show how Neville is beginning to suffer with his loneliness. He may have Sam a loyal canine companion but its human contact that Neville is desperate for. At night Neville is essentially in hiding in what is apparently a normal house - it is actually a fortress and he is armed to the teeth. He needs to be though as those zombies are super strong. The promise of excellence then disappears after a tragic loss. Neville becomes enraged and the film loses its appeal. By this time you will want to watch until the very end but it essentially becomes a bit of a joke and bit of let down. The premise was actually very good and the first 50 minutes or so quite superb but I am Legend suddenly loses its identity and the film loses its appeal. I have seen the highly critical reviews and can understand them but I am Legend isn't all bad. Will Smith was impressive in my view and he carried off the role well. He had the presence to occupy the screen and it must be said his relationship with Sam the dog was clearly mutual! I am Legend should have probably lasted for another 30 minutes to give us a better finish. Still, despite this it is worth a look.

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Rating: - Loved The Dog...
Will just didn't do it for me. Loved the dog though. The baddies looked like Gollum on steroids.