I AM LEGEND Review
I AM LEGEND is a spectacular movie. A remake of Last Man on Earth and all the other movies that have been made based on the book. I myself have never read the book but I’m glad Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t end up doing this movie when that was the plan in the early 90s with Ridley Scott rumored to be directing the project. No actor could’ve done as good a job as… Will Smith in this post-apocalypse thriller. The movie keeps you at the edge of your seat. It’ll get you scared but satisfied. I AM LEGEND helps 2007 go out with a bang!
Robert Neville (Will Smith) is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable… and manmade. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City… and maybe the world. But he is not alone. He is surrounded by “the Infected”-victims of the plague who have mutated into carnivorous beings who can only exist in the dark and who will devour or infect anyone or anything in their path.
Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But his blood is also what The Infected hunt, and Neville knows he is outnumbered and quickly running out of time.
Will Smith is a damn good actor! Hands down, he gave his best performance yet and left no room for mistakes.
As a soldier/scientist, Will gets into the character and makes sure that his determination, frustration, and upset reach the audiences and never let go.
What I really like about this movie is that it doesn’t have to show gore to show us how gory it can be. What I mean by that is that the movie does a very excellent job of leaving the rest to our imagination. No need for unnecessary disturbing graphic details just to be scary.
It effectively uses the surprise element and not waste any shock attack possible.
It depends highly on ‘close calls’
Those heart pounding moments when it feels like the monsters are getting closer and closer as they run and jump from one spot to another as fast as the wind.
Like I said, I’ve never read the book but from what I observed during the screening, another aspect I like is that the movie deals with what makes a man changes from someone who prays with his family…. into someone who doesn’t believe in God at all. A man on the brink of losing faith in his research, in hope of cure and in himself.
It’s not all fast-paced action, sometimes we get treated with how well Will Smith capture the silence as he walks the dusty, abandoned street or when he’s waiting and keeping himself busy when the sun is highest in the sky.
This isn’t your typical zombie/mutant movie, because unlike them,.. I AM LEGEND’s got heart.
The story builds up the situation and the background in a way that each scene seems to have a fair share in the 1 hour and 40 minute time slot, with most of it just Will carrying the film solo…. successfully I might add.
* Place the cursor on the picture below to check my grade for this film
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I agree with your rating of the movie, it is a good movie, but I kind of don’t get where the name “I am Legend” comes from in this movie. The other movies, the Omega Man, and Last Man on Earth got their name because they were considering themselves the last survivor. This movie “I am Legend” takes its name straight from the book but the book has a distinct reason why it’s called “I am Legend.”
Here’s a spoiler for the book.
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The infected split off into two different groups, the living infected, and the dead infected. The virus or bacteria in the book affected the hosts ability to take UV rays, as it is in the movie, however, there are those who are infected who are not cannibalistic.
Robert Neville in the book focused more on hunting and killing the infected, both the living infected and dead infected alike, causing the living infected to fear him as a great monster, in which he becomes a legend among those whom we as people consider monsters.
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Which is why I don’t know why this movie isn’t titled “Last Man on Earth.”
I liked the story in the book better though =)
I suppose I should have read this and THEN left my comment. Clearly I saw this afterward. I’m glad you liked it though. My favorite character was his dog. That’s how much I liked it. Now I just feel like a nay-sayer. You’re the expert. We’ll call my opinion “amateur thought.”
To Ronald,
thank you for your thought coming from someone who’s read the book.
in any book-based movies, the book is always better than the movies
I guess in a way I’m glad they didn’t elaborate too many aspects in the movie and that it chose to deal with how Robert Neville faced changes and the burden/pressure or the obligation to make things right and how they consume him inside.
The movie could’ve gone on to many things and introduced the other infected people that are not monsters, like you mentioned.. but that would take away the whole purpose of the film, as it is intended by the writers.
To Melissa,
The dog was your favorite character, huh?
It was pretty sad when he died.
Somehow it reminds me of when Tom Hanks lost his volleyball friend Wilson in ‘Cast Away’
I saw this movie with the great Rama himself… it was an amazing movie…Will Smith’s acting was incredible…I have no background on the book…I’ve seen the Omega Man and the Last Man on Earth, however, the visual effects was definitely an asset in I Am Legend. Also, another thing I really did not like too much is that the ending was more abrupt and rushed, it wasn’t wrapped up very well. There was a lot of twists and turns in the movie, it kept me on the edge of my seat. There was a few holes in the story that needs to be filled up a bit. I guess I just need to read the book.
You’re too kind, my friend Eli.
I’m not great.
But Will Smith’s acting is.