So, it is somewhat interesting that in his new post-apocalyptic film “I Am Legend” Smith spends a great deal of time fighting… nothing. No ghosts, androids, or spacemen- for a while there its just Will and his dog hunting deer in a nearly vacant New York City.
Smith plays Robert Neville, seemingly the only human to withstand a deadly virus. He spends his days like anyone else- grab something to eat, check out a DVD at the rental place, come home and wash the dog… with the exception that he’s the only human being in the city. Outside of the occasional lion encounter, he’s living a relatively normal life. But then, what’s with the gigantic shutters? And why does his watch beep every night at sundown? And what are those crazy noises during the night?
It turns out that Robert is not as alone as first advertised. Also inhabiting the city are an endless supply of grunting, drooling zombie vampires. They are the other “survivors” of the virus- those who were not killed by the disease, but not immune like Robert. In his previous life he was an army scientist- now he works to try and find a cure, sometimes capturing one of the zombies to use as a test subject. At times, all hope seems lost- the zombies keep coming, the tests aren’t working… things are looking grim, until a chance encounter with fellow survivors Anna (Alice Braga) and a boy named Ethan (Charlie Tahan) shows Robert that there may be hope for humanity after all.
Compared to Smith’s other genre work, “I Am Legend” holds up well- it’s an entertaining picture, and has the requisite shocks and shrieks of a futuristic monster movie. That’s not to say that everything about the film makes sense- I’m still trying to figure out what Smith douses his front steps with every night. Additionally, the zombie vampires (zompires?) all look and act more like CGI creations than living, breathing monsters. As for the supporting cast, Alice Braga does a nice job as Anna counter pointing Robert’s jaded attitude. Ethan seems to exist solely to roadblock any potential romance between Anna and Robert.
However, this film sinks or swims based on Will Smith and his performance, and he does a really good job balancing the different aspects of Robert, that he’s all but given up on the human race that he’s doggedly trying to save. Smith also does a fantastic job layering in the paranoia that has settled into Robert’s life due to the horrors he’s witnessed, and the years spent in virtual isolation- one scene at the video store is particularly heartbreaking. “I Am Legend” is proof that Will Smith can take on anything, even just himself.
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I Am Legend
Written by Guest on 2007-12-30 22:45:06
Went with 3 other couples.
We all thought this movie
was a complete waste of our
time. Many people at the screening walked out including
3 from our group. All thought the Movie was terrible, silly &
completely ridiculous. Can't imagine anyone with any inteligence would want to sit
throught this piece of .......! |
Casper
Written by Guest on 2008-01-21 06:10:22
Oooooookay.
You sure you went to the same flick I did? Fantastic film. Shame it had so many undertones that made people think huh? What made it silly? Maybe you should pick a bone with the legendary novel's author Mr Matheson. Smith was excellent as Neville. Different from the book in many ways, but a great everyman and a great performance. One gripe- CGI was overdone on the 'Krippens/Darkseekers'. Other than that, thank God (who was mentioned in this film to the disgust of this 'enlightened' age) a sci-fi film arrives that isn't mindless- eg: AVP2. |
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