I am Legend 2007
You’ve heard the name; maybe you’ve seen one (or several) of the trailers. Perhaps you are even aware it started as a 1954 sci-fi novella. But have you seen it?
I AM LEGEND has been raved and equally trashed with most either loving or hating it; very few opinions fall in between. The movie creates lots of questions yet provides very little answers which I think is one of the things I enjoyed most about the movie - it allowed me to form my own theories and opinions rather than dictate my direction of thought.
Cause & Effect
A discovered cure for cancer backfires resulting in an airborne disease that slowly kills Manhattan’s population. Those who manage to survive the virus become void of the characteristics that make us human, and transform into a vampire-like mutant. The one man left who did not transform and has an immunity to the virus, who appears to feel somehow responsible for the cause and thereby dedicated to finding the “cure”, is Robert Neville, a renowned scientist played by Will Smith. His only companion being his German Sheppard left behind by his daughter (played by his real life daughter Willow) as protection.
The Result
The movie is not filled with constant mutant outbreak; nor is it as action packed as the previews lead us to expect. But it is filled with the emotion of guilt over lost life; the struggle for sanity in a world that has become a haven of mass chaos; and the desire to once again find some sort of normalcy.Will Smith’s performance is well above par in this movie, delivering a believable protagonist who I began to applaud for his determination and dedication. And although I typically prefer the mutant mayhem as offered in Dawn of the Dead, I found this movie to be higher on my list of favorites due to its thought provoking insight into the human nature found within all of us.
Recommendation
See this movie; it’s well worth the admission fee. And if you are the type to cry during Happy Feet, I highly recommend having a steady supply of tissue. I didn’t unfortunately, and as a result was quite a sight when the movie ended. Thankfully I had my sunglasses!
I suppose I was the in between person. I didn’t like it but didn’t hate it. It had its moments. But I think in general what really bugged me was the mutants. I mean CGI mutants are kind of blech. Give me the 28 Days Later kind of infected human monster. Not mutants of course but they were scary because they were real actors. The movie itself wasn’t bad but I thought the story was much better. I even enjoyed Omega Man more, another take off of the story. This is more of one mans struggle to cope then a horror movie or even an action movie. I have to admit that there was one part that made me cry. A lot actually.