I Am Legend, directed by Francis Lawrence, is the latest in a series of film adaptations of a novel by Richard Matheson. In this film scientist, Neville (Will Smith), accompanied by his German Shepard, living in New York city which is completely void of any other human activity after an epidemic saw it evacuated and quarantined 3 years previous. We follow Smith on his mission to find a cure for the disease that had killed everybody else.
The set in this sci-fi horror film is incredible. Through the careful use of computer imagery, a completely believable and slightly overwhelming, post-apocalyptic Manhattan is created, where the city is depopulated and weeds poke up through the tarmac. Furthermore, it must said that Smith’s performance as scientist Neville, is outstanding. He is completely believable and there is a grace about his performance and the titillating scene of him doing his pull ups was a treat to the female eye. However, this is where the compliments stop.
The film is oversimple and slow moving, mainly due to the focus on one character. Apart from his dog, Smiths only other friends are some store manikins. Yes, this does help in emphasising Smith’s solitude, however, meaningful story-lines cannot be created from characters that are not even living things. When Brazilian actress Alice Braga enters the film near the end the viewer thinks, ah excellent, Smith and Braga are going to save humanity together in a spicy affair. Not the case. The audience is barely starting to imagine the sexy details before it becomes obvious that Smith is not interested in this beautiful woman. For a man who has spent such a long time alone, this seems somewhat bizarre.
The use of flash backs in this film seems completely pointless. A good idea in theory but there is only three of them and they occupy too little an amount of time for any emotional attachment to form with the characters in them and thus their impact was limited. They serve to tell a story that could be summarised in one sentence.
The trailers promised explosions, chases and fights with zombies, which it delivers. However, all such action appears towards the end of the film, leaving the other 1 hour largely uneventful! Also, the ending is cliched and easily predicted from the beginning.
Don’t get me wrong, this film is very bearable, I simply do not feel it lives up to the expectations of fans of this genre, which have been set high by the success of past films. Sure, on paper it contains all the key features of such a film, handsome hero, zombies, blood, brilliant special effects etc. yet ultimately, I cannot help feeling that I Am Legend simply resembles a poor re-creation of the British Masterpiece, 28 Days Later.
Sarah Rating – 4/10
Photos courtesy of www.imdb.com
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