The last man on Earth is not alone
2007-12-12
$150.0M
101 min
Robert Neville is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone.
Oh this one just hurts. I mean, shout out to Will Smith. In 2022 he might be a beta fool, but he was still charming as all get out in this movie.
It just wasn't what it was supposed to be.
The source material was pretty amazing. Richard Matheson was on a pretty high horse when he wrote it and it came out as a pretty philosophical masterpiece in the way that only science fiction can.
It examined something and then it took that examination and turned it into a story... like science fiction should.
But "I Am Legend" just sort of examines Will Smith and the philosophical musings that made the source material great took a back seat to special effects and monsters and Smith.
It could have been something that people are still talking about instead of something people forgot.
I Am Legend is not a typical sci-fi action thriller but an excellent deeper story that focuses on a lonely man and the price he pays to try to save humanity.
I Am Legend follows the story of an isolated survivor still trying to find a cure to a pandemic that turned the world into crazed mutants. The movie's scale and cinematography are impressive, with large wide shots of nature slowly reclaiming the city of New York. Will Smith's performance carries the film (and kind of has to since he is alone for most of it). His emotion and conviction brilliantly convey the cost of his isolation and the toll years of suffering have taken on him. Long before John Wick had his dog, Robert Neville (Will Smith) had his dog in I Am Legend, and their relationship tugs on the heartstrings throughout the film. I Am Legend gives moments of suspense and horror, great action scenes, and psychological drama. I also enjoyed the religious references in the movie. There are really only two flaws I see in this film:
- The CGI is dated and disappointing by today's standards, but it wasn't all that bad when the movie was first released.
- The theatrical ending was decent, but if you can watch the alternate ending, do it! It is significantly better and helps fill some plot holes from earlier in the film (I believe the alternate ending was probably the original ending).
I Am Legend is an excellent story of survival and the breaking of a survivor's hope and mind. Will Smith's incredible performance makes this movie one of the better survival post-apocalyptic films.
