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I Am Legend
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Will Smith
Genre:
Science Fiction
Run Time: 101
min.
Release Date:
December 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Oh look, another remake.
Wow. Woop. What fun.
Do I sound overly cynical? Maybe I am. But can’t we see a few more
original films on the big screen rather than mulling over the same ones
year after year? Is that asking too much? Perhaps it is.
The post-apocalyptic science fiction genre has been done to death (THE
LAST MAN ON EARTH, NIGHT OF THE COMET, DAWN OF THE DEAD,
28 DAYS LATER, OUTBREAK, THE QUIET EARTH). And here
in I AM LEGEND, we get a remake of the Charlton Heston film
THE OMEGA MAN. Growing up, I loved The Omega Man. I often
wondered what it’d be like to be the last man on Earth; at least the
last “normal” man on Earth. The genre wasn’t yet tired in 1971 and I
wasn’t even into my teens. But since then not-just-a-small-number of
similar cinematic films have come out, bombarding movie watchers with
the same ol’ theme over and over and over again (see my partial list
above).
Will Smith (THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS) takes on the lead role as Dr.
Robert Neville, the seemingly sole survivor of a plague that has wiped
out 99% of humanity, turning the remaining 1% into cannibalistic
zombie-vampires who burn up if exposed to sunlight; they roam New York’s
desolate streets at night in search of fresh meat. A cure for cancer has
sparked a new virus that started humanity’s die-off, and these scenes
are given frequent flashbacks during the movie. We also get to see Dr.
Neville’s responsibility for trying to find a cure via the military
(whom he works for before everyone keels over).
With Dr. Neville is a trusty sidekick named Sam, a German Shepherd with
acute senses. His canine abilities extend to detecting vampire-zombies,
and to helping Neville battle the complete aloneness that rattles around
his psyche. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest elements of the
film. Watching Dr. Neville walk into a video rental store and speak to
the mannequins he has set up is an honest portrayal that would hit any
human who had only a dog to speak with.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
When Sam-the-Dog dies (or rather when Dr. Neville is forced to kill
him), it is a blow too deep and the good doctor goes out to meet up and
kill as many of the nightstalkers as he can before they kill him. That’s
when he meets up with two young people (an older sister and younger
brother) who save Neville from himself and tell him of a fantasy safe
zone somewhere in the hills of Vermont. Neville has to decide what to
believe in as the monsters close in on his home and threaten not only
himself, but his two new god-fearing humans. The ending is pretty weak
but set up nicely in a visual way.
END SPOILER ALERT!!!
Having hoisted such terrible news as “unoriginal” on I Am Legend, one
cannot deny two key elements that make this film a positive experience.
First is the extremely creepy feeling one gets when looking at a vacant
New York City. The weeds growing up from cracks in the pavement. Wild
deer migrating through empty car-riddled streets. Everywhere there’s a
vision of what once was human inhabitation and is now just a rotting
shell. That was a painfully great set of scenes. Secondly is Will Smith.
Similar to Tom Hanks’ CAST AWAY, Smith carries the entire film and does
so with effortless precision. The losses he experiences are tremendous,
and Smith pulls us in and forces us to feel the pain of one man left
alone for far too long. This is most evident when dealing with
Sam-the-Dog and his encounters with a pretty mannequin that he starts to
humanize in his mind.
Some might be able to wiggle past this film’s unoriginality factor, and
if they can I applaud them. They probably enjoyed the movie (minus the
ending) much better than I was able. But if you’re like me, and desire
something fresh in the cinema, you’ll probably have similar feelings.
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Image from I Am Legend
DVD cost: $26.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Much of this film was shot
on location in New York City's Washington Square Park during fall and
winter 2006-2007, causing holiday decorations to be taken down and
replaced tumultuously for over three months.
Movie Quote: "I
can help you! Let me save you!"
Other Actors/Actresses
from I Am Legend
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