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Reviewing films is like telling someone to like a particular flavor food. I always enjoy apocalyptic movies, (sad eh) and this one is good to a point. Will Smith just does not cut it in most stuff he does. Most likely why he is never nominated for an Oscar, and not because of his color! In fact there are many different colored actors that are very good, but he isn't one of them. Saying that though for entertainment value this film is OK to watch if you want escapism and don't mind wasting a couple of hours in your life. It gets better when Alice Braga makes her appearance, but then I could be slightly bias!!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
While the "apocalyptic" genre is all but overflowing these days (what with the end of the world in the next 40-50 years being reason enough), and while there is always a negative aspect to the entertainment value of films such as I Am Legend, how the subject is treated and the quality of acting can go a long way to making a film re-watchable or forgettable. Its not that I watch this movie more than 2 or 3 times a year, but given that I now know all the spoilers - and this film leans fairly heavily on the value of the spoilers - that speaks fairly well to the overall quality of the film. Yes, there are a few annoying plot-holes, and yes, the "zombified" humans do most certainly look like high-grade computer game characters as opposed to real humans. But the depiction of life for Will Smith's character and his dog, plus the flash-back story, and the way Will's character has to deal with coping with re-introduction to other non-zombified humans lends a real richness to the story. A richness that I find compelling, heart-warming and heart-wrenching, all rolled together. Something that I think helps fill in a couple of plot-holes is that I keep reminding myself of this: if I was the only non-zombified human in a large city, had been living on my own for a few years with only my dog for companionship, and was beginning to think that there may be few, if any, "real" humans left anywhere on the planet, what would my mental state be? It's easy to sit in the comfort of my lounge and watch the story from without & critique what Will's character should or shouldn't have done, but I think some of the "less than logical" moments that leave one with the feeling of a plot-hole are just as easily explained by the state of mind of the lead figure. I purchased the 2-disc set as I love all the extra bits they typically come with, even if I only ever watch those bits once or twice. A fantastic bonus with this particular set is the "alternate ending". For me, the "alternate" should always have been the primary. It leaves the film with an up-beat end, even if it is a fraction predictable. I think it also adds a nice extra layer of character onto the lead "zombie" that I find far more fitting and somewhat more believable. True, the way the lead zombie is characterised works with either ending, but the alternate gives a nice glimmer of the inextinguishable human spirit and a spark of hope - which help to offset what is really quite a downbeat movie feel as a whole. Will's acting in this movie is excellent, and it further cements - to me - his place as a quality actor who I always enjoy watching, regardless of the genre or the character being depicted. Sam too, like all Sheperds, has a likeable personality, even if that is largely "created" by her handlers and editing rather than her personally. Overall the computer-generated look of the world - of which there is a large amount - is very believable and realistic, with the exception of the zombified humans. The film makers obviously went to great lengths to create a wilderness-like, overgrown New York - although only a New Yorker can really pass comment on just how well the "fake" New York compares to the real. I wouldn't be inclined to let children under the age of 12 or 13 (depending on maturity) watch this. This movie won't be for everyone, but I think many who might normally avoid this style of film could do worse than give it a watch, especially if they enjoy Will Smith's style of acting.Read full review
I absolutely loved the movie. I believe it is Will Smith's best role since "Ali" and shows that he has some serious acting talent, as he holds his own in the first 2/3rds of the movie as the only screen presence for the film (minus flashbacks) opposite only a dog as his only companion and friend. I thought it was phenomenally shot, and genuinely the scariest movie I've ever seen in my adult life. Nothing I'd seen until then was genuinely frightening (and not just a cheap teen horror thrill with a loud sound and/or violin shriek) when Sam (Neville's dog) rushes after a deer into a pitch dark area, with only a gun-mounted flashlight, and absolutely no music playing whatsoever. Followed by another genuinely frightening scene, in which Fred (one of the mannequins Neville sets up outside a video store to talk to) has been moved (as part of a Darkseeker's trap), and nearly drives Neville insane, thinking Fred is perhaps a real person, and having to shoot him to be sure, only to spring the trap. As great as the movie was, and as frightening as it was, and as heartbreaking as it was to see the fate of his family and his dog, I spend about 18 dollars for the special edition two-disc version. And I spend double the price for the single disc for... maybe five minutes extra footage, tops? Disc one is basically the same thing you'd get in the normal edition; movie plus four animated comics. Disc two gives you THE SAME MOVIE with maybe five minutes additional footage, such as some minor deleted scenes setting up the premise for the Darkseeker's evolution and intelligence, and the alternate ending, which while was a bit frightening and touching at once, was hardly groundbreaking and not at all controversial. Spoiler Alert: The "alternate" version of the movie just has a butterfly reference (the Darkseeker girl's tattoo), a scene with Neville showing Anna and Ethan the trap the Darkseeker Alpha set for him, a scene with Ethan swimming in a fish pond while Anna asks about the Darkseeker's evolution, and the alternate ending, in which rather than sacrifice himself, Neville turns over the girl to the Darkseeker, who shows he can truly love, and the Darkseekers leave them be to escape, with a cure to the virus in hand. So for used on Amazon you get the single disc version for.. 8 dollars or so. For used two-disc, you get for 14 (as of this date), and before that I paid 18 including shipping. So as with the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix special edition, I got screwed; we all got screwed. Worthless. Try again next time, Warner Brothers.Read full review
Years ago, THE OMEGA MAN scared the bejeezus out of me, then again, I was young and even seeing somewhat dated visions of an empty world and rather badly done shots of people collapsing from a viral attack, still scared me. I AM LEGEND, which is the third movie based on the Matheson book, I Am Legend, really is scary for the here and now and thanks to some inventive photography and CG effects, we see a grim but fascinating vision of a completely abandoned New York City from the get-go. A well intentioned virologist Dr Krippen(played uncredited by Emma Thompson) in a news clip as the film's opening production tags play, shows a quick "human interest" story as a TV host talks innocently(and somewhat disbelievingly) with her, about her success with "curing cancer with a genetically engineered 'friendly' Measles virus" and that this was administered to over 10,000 cancer patients who are now "Cancer free". Cut to three years later and a dead, overgrown NYC with Will Smith speeding around it in a new Mustang(In THE OMEGA MAN, Chuck Heston sped around LA in a new 1972 Mustang, one of the film's many homages to it's predecessor) we see the extent of Krippen's horrible mistake to mess with and trust the nature of viruses-which can do mutate without prediction. Will Smith is Robert Neville, military virologist who witnessed the end of mankind-he's watching a tape of news as the illness begins to mutate and media is becoming alarmed. Krippen's Virus had a bizarre side effect-it mutated and became a contagious, airborne rabies-like illness that either kills outright or drives it's victims to become rage-filled, blood/fluid drinking mutants who hide in the shadows and only come out at night. (In THE OMEGA MAN it turned them into psychotic hippies called "The Family" styled after Charles Manson who was still hot news at the time-films are products of their own time) The virus spread very fast as we see in quick flashbacks(Omega Man was told in several flashbacks as effective). Mannequins play a role in THE OMEGA MAN, and they do in I AM LEGEND. It is Smith's amazing acting talent that holds one riveted. It did me. The "mutants" are styled after the running infected in 28 DAYS LATER the only difference-and the film's drawback-is that too much CGI is used here and we're now so used to seeing CG in movies, that it appears that is what it is. In 28 DAYS LATER and it's sequel 28 WEEKS LATER, dancers were used as the running, screaming rage infected victims to much better effect. The CG FX shine in the visions of a ruined NYC, with grass and weeds everywhere, wildlife roaming, and destroyed bridges thanks to the military quarantine of the city. Obviously, it did little good as we overhear in a flashback, the President saying that "every major world city has taken the same action". Smith reminds us later, in dialog, "nothing was supposed to happen the way it did" It's a frightening vision, and I think the point being made was if, in reality, the Bird Flu hit and became easy to transmit, such scenes of sheer pandemonium, in larger cities would not be so much fiction. It's a terrific film.Read full review
Although this represents the third production of this movie, Will Smith brings new enjoyment to the tale as only he can. From the opening credits, this movie will catch you off guard and have you jumping from your seat. I was surprised that a predominantly single actor could keep our attention and inject the many thrills that this movie shares. The world population has been wiped out from another governmental chemical warfare experiment gone wrong. Smith is trapped alone in New York City with only the Zombie's who come out at night looking for food and flesh to devour. For anyone who has traveled through New York, the quite streets during the day is nothing short of amazing. This movie is worth buying and definately worth seeing, but probably won't be the favorite in your collection and one you won't sit through too many times before looking to trade it for your next movie adventure. I may suggest renting it as once through is really all you'll need. Enjoyable but ... aaahhh.Read full review
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