I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

 

 

Create your own review

I was really looking forward to seeing "I Am Legend", from the moment I found out earlier this year. In preparation to seeing the movie, I watched Vincent Price in "The Last Man on Earth" and Charlton Heston in "The Omega Man". Even though the main ideas of the two prior versions were the same (last man, virus, night creatures, etc.), the delivery varied for their particular time. So I was intrigued to see how the storyline would be adapted to our time.

The first thing that struck me was the set. Growing up in New York City, it really hit me hard to see the devastation and isolation of the city that "Never Sleeps". The streets, the abandoned cars, the bridges, the U.N.,etc. It really hit home. Then we see a much slender, leaner Will Smith trying to cope with the fact that he was alone. His portrayal of Robert Neville is great. Very moving. I find the origin of the virus quite interesting as it comes as a side effect for a cure for cancer. The prior two movies used a plague (The Last Man on Earth) and germ warfare (The Omega Man) to explain the virus. The use of a cure that transforms into a virus gives it an ironic twist.

The film opens well, and continues that way until the introduction of the other two human characters, but that's about an hour or more of Smith, alone in Manhattan after a genetically-altered version of the measles has either killed or mutated the rest of humanity into super-violent creatures who prey on those unaffected, but only at night. They're killed almost instantly when exposed to sunlight. Smith, playing Robert Neville, was an Army Lieutenant before the virus was unleashed three years prior, and he spends his lonely days walking and stalking on the grown-in streets of Manhattan with his dog, Sam. At night, he locks himself in his apartment and attempts to find a cure. It's interesting seeing Smith carry the movie with only himself, Sam, some various wild animal species, and some mannequins. He does an excellent job, and I'm sure that's not an easy task for an actor. This is easily the most likable character he's ever played, and he brings a lot of great stuff to it, including humor and a scene that had me on the verge of tears.

Will Smith and the strength of the story outweigh the two mot glaringly bad things about this film. However, the creature effects are WAY too over-reliant on CGI, but then again, so are most horror films these days, so you might be used to it. Animatronics and foam rubber latex effects pioneered well over thirty years ago look a lot more believable than this cartoonish junk. And the other thing is the ending. It's not terrible, and it won't make you dislike the rest of the film, but the original story's ending is very sad and ironic, and this, like the other two adaptations, just can't seem to cope with the magnitude of the situation, so they always leave you with something WAY to hopeful for what we've seen throughout the rest of the film, and also, it seems that they're afraid to teach you the incredible lesson the original Matheson story had to offer. This is a good adaptation of Richard Matheson's 'I Am Legend.' So far, none of the three have nailed it, due to the inability to just use the story's ending, but this one comes close and is certainly one of the best of the three (the other two are good flicks so I recommend them all).

I Am Legend (2007)
Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller, 101 minutes
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Starring Will Smith and Alice Braga

Will Smith is one of the biggest box office draws, whether it's for action, comedy or drama. He has the charisma to pull off just about any role and is improving as a dramatic actor as he matures. I Am Legend contains some action, but it's a futuristic drama more than anything else. Smith is required to show considerable range.

The movie makes this list because it shows how people adapt in extreme situations. Robert Neville (Smith) is possibly the last man alive after a cure for cancer turns people into aggressive zombie-like creatures who live in the dark. He's a scientist and appears to have a natural immunity to the virus. He's trying to develop a vaccine that will help these creatures recover their humanity.

Imagine if you had an entire city to yourself. How would you spend your time? Neville has a routine. He wakes up at the same time each day, works out, and then systematically searches the buildings in the area for canned food and bottled water. This is vital for his survival. He also continues his research and tries out his vaccines on laboratory rats. In order to maintain the illusion that he's not alone, he watches recorded TV shows and talks to mannequins while he works his way through the inventory of a local video store. Every day at Noon, he waits at a predetermined location for any response to his radio messages offering hope and shelter to other survivors.

New York is an abandoned city. Grass has reclaimed most of the land and Neville has to compete with lions when he goes hunting for dear. The early special effects are very convincing and we are drawn in to Neville's world. Some of the exposition is achieved through showing Neville's dreams and we discover that his wife and daughter were evacuated along with the other healthy people left in the city. His only friend now is Sam, his dog. Unlike Neville, Sam can be affected by contact with the creatures roaming the city.

One of the saddest scenes in the movie comes after Sam is bitten by a creature carrying the virus. He injects her with serum in the hope that it will prevent her from transforming into a deadly version of his former companion. If you are an animal-lover, it's a hard scene to watch.

I won't ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it. Is Neville really alone? Will he develop a cure? If he does, will it even be possible to capture the creatures and successfully administer the cure?

The film raises a serious question; are humans the biggest threat to their own survival?

The Blu-ray includes an alternate ending. Both endings are hopeful, but one is considerably more hopeful than the other. The Blu-ray presentation is just about perfect.

Personally, I can ignore substandard special effects and CGI, if the story and acting are strong enough to carry the movie through to the end. Will Smith does an excellent job of portraying a man so lonely, teetering on the edge of insanity and just plain giving up, yet still so driven to find a cure and help the afflicted, who at the same time he fears so much. This movie was excellent when I saw it in the theatre...right up to the ending, which I just did not buy in to. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say this...BUY THE 2 DISC VERSION WITH THE ALTERNATE ENDING. It's sooooo much better, and fits the story very well, it has meaning, it's almost touching.. I don't know how the studio decided to go with the theatrical ending over this one, but given Hollywood is stuck in an age of endless sequels, I suppose we should be thankful for the almost perfect film we were given. The extras on this set are good, but I would love to hear some in depth running commentary from Will Smith on this role. He's grown into such an accomplished actor, and this film proves he can carry a good story and take the audience with him on a suspenseful ride! 4 out of 5 stars!

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 24 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

3.0 out of 5 stars Ending spoils the movie, good Steelbook
The movie is great until the end where it becomes another mindless action fest, which is a pity.

The Steelbook itself looks good, though the cardcover is attached on... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Aquelith

4.0 out of 5 stars I also own this
There is no where to state that I own this, so I am writing it here!!!! Hello, I own this, wake up and let me state it somewhere properly!!!!

Published 20 months ago by Anita H

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrific insult to the novel
Read the book. No film version, not Heston's or Vincent Price's or Will Smith's, none of these come close to capturing the anger and despair of the novel's anti-hero. Read more

Published on May 16 2010 by Steve Z. McCauley

5.0 out of 5 stars mint condition
this came in such great condition it didn't look like it was ever used! no scratches and came quick in the mail!

Published on Feb 9 2010 by B J

2.0 out of 5 stars I Am Legend
I didn't really enjoy I Am Legend. Though I usually enjoy a good dystopian flick, this one felt lacking in plot and premise and tended to be on the boring side.

Published on Jan 1 2010 by cherry251

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully done version
My first experience with this story was Heston's "The Omega Man", which at the time was great. But I feel this one beats it by a mile, primarily because Will Smith is much more... Read more

Published on July 22 2009 by M. Bailin

1.0 out of 5 stars Unoriginal crap!
After an antibody meant to cure cancer rapidly mutates, the super-virus immediately wipes out 90% of the world's population, turning 9% into creatures of the night who hunt the... Read more

Published on Dec 12 2008 by Greg Curtis

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid; Stunning; Real
Based on the book by Richard Matheson, I Am Legend is the story of Robert Neville (Will Smith), sole survivor of a plague that, originally, was supposed to be a miracle cure for... Read more

Published on July 19 2008 by A.P. Fuchs / Canister X

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Enough Light
After a plague kills most of humanity, a lone survivor in New York City (Robert Neville, played by Will Smith) struggles to find a cure, while battling the zombie-like deformed... Read more

Published on July 13 2008 by Greg

1.0 out of 5 stars I need a shower after that. . .
Wow. My expectations for this latest Will Smith vehicle were not high but I figured that it would have decent enough production values to be a suitable test disc for my new PS3... Read more

Published on Jun 19 2008 by deathindustrial

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 24 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!