I Am Legend
Directors: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan
Runtime: 101 mins
Rating: * * * *
“The Last Man On Earth Is Not Alone” screams all the posters and trailers promoting I Am Legend, and the mystery behind such a tag line is one of the reasons for the success of this film. Already having set a winter weekend box office record in America, it has now started dominating the UK box office, and will be showing at the student cinema in early March.
Set in 2012, the so called “Last Man” or Robert Neville as he is called, is a military scientist, played by Will Smith, and the only seeming survivor, at least in New York, of a deadly virus that swept across the world 3 years previously. Using his own immunity as a basis for his research, and aided by his Alsatian Sam, he is working on a cure for the virus, which has turned the people it didn’t kill, into nocturnal, mutant blood-thirsty zombies. The question is whether he will find a cure, before the zombies kill him or he goes completely mad.
Will Smith is essentially on-screen alone for 90% of the film, and puts in a remarkable performance considering this, which makes I Am Legend such compelling viewing. Some of the poignancy of the film comes from the flashbacks to 3 years previously to post-apocalyptic New York. They show Neville’s life so remarkably changed; from a seemingly sociable, family man, to a loner with a monotonous, repetitive daily schedule, desperate to talk, something we take so much for granted. The irony that a cure for cancer destroyed civilisation, is such a powerful one, and doesn’t make I Am Legend all too far-fetched. The notion that this, however unlikely is possible, and left a lasting influence on me.
It would have been easy for director Francis Lawrence to get Smith to go on a one-man gun-toting rampage, much as he did in Independence Day. However instead he portrays the greatest struggle as being an internal one; talking to mannequins as if they are friends is one example. Ironically it could be argued that the zombies are more human than Neville is, they after all still have a form of society. It is also apparent there is a great deal of dependency on his dog Sam. The terror of losing Sam is one that haunts Neville, and what makes this film even better is that his foe, for a great deal of the film, is simply a series of noises and shadows. Despite living in a fortress, and being extremely well armed, Neville is still afraid, and it is easy to empathise with him, especially the way the film is constructed. At times it would appear to be a horror, at others a tense thriller. There have been strong lead characters before, but nothing quite on this scale.
The zombies when they come out are a great piece of CGI, still human enough to worry anyone that they could quite easily become just like them. Desolated New York is also well constructed, again clearly New York, but in such an unimaginable state. This is all testament to movie technology.
The film is however let down by a weak ending. The tension constantly builds up to a gripping finale as Smith gets closer both to a cure, but also to insanity, only to be let down by Hollywood’s need for explosions and the like. Confrontation between Neville and the zombies was inevitable, and at first it is well done, but it could easily have been done better at the end. There are also some worrying questions and plot holes, such as if Neville can find a cure how is he ever going to administer it to something that will quite happily eat him.
But that shouldn’t detract too much from seeing this film. Not overly long as has been the tendency with many films recently, even if the concept doesn’t appeal, Will Smith’s acting performance will astound you. I Am Legend, although based on a similar idea to 28 Days Later, is completely different to anything else I have ever seen, and made it worthwhile and riveting to watch, and while 28 Days Later paled away, this should continue to endure long into the future.
Jonathon
It’s based on the novel by Richard Matheson
and takes most of its ideas from ‘Omega man’
I don’t even know much about the subject.
Do your research you amateur.
Colin
Jonathon is right, its nothing to do with 28 days later, its based on a book. All you’d have to do is look it up to find that out.
Peter
He didn’t say it was based on ‘28 Days Later’; he said it was based on a similar idea.
A well written review by someone who could probably spell ‘Johnathan’ correctly.
Dan Rodwell
I must clarify that I said ” based on a similar idea to 28 Days Later.” I did not say it was based on 28 Days Later. Secondly I did know that it was based on a novel, which was later adapted in ‘Omega Man’. However firstly due to word constraints, and secondly because I haven’t read the book or seen Omega Man, I deemed it unnecessary to include this in the review, because I could not compare them. I do not feel mentioning it would make the review any better. Having seen 28 Days Later though, it was mentioned because I can compare, much as I did with Will Smith’s perormances in I Am Legend and Independence Day. If you still feel this is “amateur” than please explain why
Algernon
Of course it’s f*****g amateur, it’s student f*****g journalism. You think they get paid!? Don’t tell someone to do their research if you don’t even know much about the subject.
Lexington
I found this review compelling and generally well written, although the film was in my opinion disappointing. Drawing upon Algernon’s (or Algie’s - as I like to call him) comment, student journalism should not be seen as forays into professionalism and the first two comments on this board were completely unnecessary and the work of unsavoury haters.
Dan
I would also agree with the defence of the article being well written, informative and thoroughly readable. ‘Jonathon’ your command of semantics is very poor and I suggest you find better things to do with your time at 4:43am