I Am Legend (2007) User Reviews (1,697)

I Am Legend: The Movie With So Much Potential That Was Ruined

[leoncielo · 7/10 · 15 December 2007]

Normally I have an opinion on a movie when it's over, I can reflect on it for a few minutes and then I'm done with. It becomes cataloged in my brain as 'awesome' 'pretty good' 'worst.movie.ever.' or a host of other standard issue classifications.

Not so with 'I Am Legend.' I can't recall the last time I was this frustrated by a movie.

It had so much potential to be so great, and then just fell apart in the last third of the movie with every summer blockbuster/zombie movie cliché known to man, run one after the other.

The movie creates a fantastic atmosphere of post-apocalyptic New York and requires your patience as Will Smith's character begins to unravel as the monsters around him begin to become more aggressive and intelligent. Before heading out to see the movie, I did some research on the book the movie is based on and the reason it is such a well known classic story is because of the twists, perspectives and grim ending. What you find out towards the book is that Neville really is the last man on Earth, and the rest of society are now these zombie/vampires, and Neville's ability to walk around in the daylight and kill them has basically made him the monster. He is the one feared by them, he is the villain, and they will stop at nothing to eradicate this day walker who preys on them.

Keeping that in mind, I was super impressed by how the movie seemed to be heading in that direction with that head Zombie guy's heated animosity towards Neville as if it were personal (and perhaps the zombie Neville captured were his significant other, thus lending the zombies an actual 'society), and not merely 'meee hungry for flesh.' The movie basically went right down the tubes when Will Smith decided after he had to kill his dog that he was going to go on a suicide mission at the docks playing Destruction Derby with his Explorer. All of the haunting, edge-of-your-seat suspense and fear created brilliantly with the scene in the abandoned bank, and with the zombie dogs clamoring for the last sliver of daylight to cede, and creepy subtle atmospheric effects throughout went right out the darn window and we suddenly found ourselves in '28 Days Later.' With some random chick coming out of nowhere to somehow scare off 100 angry zombies (who had just blown his UV truck to hell mind you; but apparently she had outfitted a better one than an incredibly resourceful Military Soldier/Scientist), carry Will Smith, who weighs twice as much as her, into her car, and somehow drive them to safety.

So we find ourselves in an incredibly uncomfortable scenario with the Brazilian chick and her creepy Columbine son, and some Bob Marley metaphors laid on top of terrible dialog. Then, instead of a suspense-ridden in-the-dark atmospheric climax, with heavy breathing, flashes of gore, heart pounding scene, we're left with cheesy CG explosions, zombies body slamming people, no one keeping a gun on them when there's about 50 scattered across the house, and other usual stupid horror/action movie miss-steps.

We finally find ourselves with Neville, back against the wall, Zombie leader separated from Smith's neck by a rapidly deteriorating inch of glass and I'm hoping the movie will be somehow salvaged with a great twist, a grim conclusion, or at worst, a convoluted piece of foreshadowing from the first twenty minutes of the movie being pulled out of the scriptwriters pie hole to be played out here. (I personally thought he could have awakened the zombie girl he was curing and seen if the reaction of the intelligent zombie would have caused a reaction, or if some communication could have been made between Neville and his antagonist who at this point we've come to realize is moderately intelligent). I'm an idiot for expecting anything but 'yo, hide in the chimney while i blow myself up.' Don't even get me started on the Utopian Vermont safe-haven, seriously. You're going to tell me 1 million zombies couldn't overrun some 20 foot walls spanning what would approximate 2 miles of land? Christ. I could have written a better ending in 20 minutes on the back of a cocktail napkin.

Surface is great, but...

[dkerwood · 6/10 · 15 December 2007]

This film could easily have filled 2.5 hours of content. Why did it only last 1.5? I want more back story. I want more character development, especially toward the end. I want to know more about what happened, and how Will Smith's character is dealing with it. In short, I just want MORE.

All in all, this film left me feeling a lot like I did in Spider-Man 3: A lot happened, but none of it was really EXPLAINED.

It's a shame, really, because the concept is golden... and Will Smith's films usually feel quite epic and full. I'll definitely pick up the novel... hopefully it will give me the depth that I want.

Watch this for Will Smith

[sauravjoshi85 · 8/10 · 28 March 2020]

Am Legend is an action thriller movie directed by Francis Lawrence and stars Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan and Dash Mihok in the lead roles.

The movie is based on a scientist Robert Neville played by Will Smith who is the last human survivor after majority of mankind is wiped dur to a lethal virus.

The movie should be remembered as one of the best acting by Will Smith as he was alone character in majority of the movie. He has played the role of a scientist with perfection.

Screenplay is good but gets little slow and boring in between. Plot is fresh and has executed nicely. Location setup is nice. The only drawback is climax as climax could've been executed much better.

A nice movie backed by strong acting by Will Smith

Should have been better

[rogerdarlington · 29 December 2007]

The 1954 sci-fi/vampire novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson has now been filmed three times: as "The Last Man On Earth" in 1964 originally scripted by Matheson himself (which I have never seen), as "The Omega Man" in 1971 without the vampire elements (which I have viewed three times), and now with the original title and expensive sets and special effects. This time the seemingly sole survivor of the worldwide pandemic Robert Neville is played by Will Smith who is an actor with real charisma and charm and considerable box office appeal who has beefed himself up for the role.

The main strength of this version is the location shots in a deserted New York City (a move from the Los Angeles of the book and earlier films) and, although the filming of these scenes apparently caused traffic chaos and much anger for local residents, they chillingly set the tone for this dystopian thriller. To see the silent streets around Times Square or South Street Seaport or the lone scientist fishing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art or playing golf on the "USS Intrepid" is to view this heaving metropolis as we have never experienced it before. The German shepherd dog who is Neville's sole companion deserves an honourable mention for showing greater thespian skills than most of the extras and stunt men.

The principal weakness of the movie, however, is the realisation of the surviving victims of the virus. The CGI characters are almost as silly as they are scary but, above all, they are presented as more animalistic than human. "The Omega Man" handled these characters much better presenting them as sad as well as scary. The other serious fault is the lack of clarity in the narrative - at times, it is simply unclear what is happening and why and a longer director's cut would be welcome. Finally the references to Ground Zero and God may play well with American audiences but will not be so resonant to audiences elsewhere in the world.

Very good until the dumbed down ending

[sarri_chelsea · 6/10 · 14 December 2007]

So, first off, for all those supposed horror movie/book, zombie or vampire fans: this is not a knock off of 28 days later. It's based off I Am Legend, a FANTASTIC book by Richard Matheson, written in 1954... a very LONG time before 28 days later. And, in case you don't know, it very clearly inspired Night of the Living dead, which has influenced most zombie movies since. But anyway, this movie is very good-AT FIRST. It has a fantastic opening, sets the tone AMAZINGLY well, and the effects of NYC that everyone is raving about are in fact worth the praise. The use of sound or lack of it creates such a great effect, and it even adds some subtle nuances from the book that I wouldn't expect the movie to have (such as implying that the vampires were smart, and in my opinion, though it could just be the fact I read the book, it seemed as if it was implying that they were in fact forming the society they did in the book, or at least some organization, though it never followed through with it...). The CGI while, not convincing, is done at such appropriate times that the way the scenes were done makes up for it. However, the only complaint I really have to make is the pathetic excuse of an ending. For those who have read the book they know why it is called "I am Legend." the movie tried to follow through with that, only they changed it to some pathetic excuse of an ending. Rather then giving it the intelligence of the book, they ended it with some dumbed down ending for the masses, and no one who sees it could be satisfied by such a cheesy, pathetic attempt at something deep. My advice for people who see it: Watch until the girl shows up, then read the last few chapters of the book, you'll be much the better for it.

Really well acted, well done film

[kergrease · 9/10 · 14 December 2007]

At first, I thought that this movie would be okay at best, abysmal at worst. But I was pleasantly surprised to see Will Smith, "Robert Neville," give a spectacular performance, full of emotion and anger, and bordering a bit on the insane side. I take off points only because it seems like a film that's been done before (and it has, I know, but I don't mean literally). What sets it apart from the rest of the post-apocalyptic man made human killing virus that zombifies people films is the depth of Will Smith's character. With cross-cuts to dreams and the portrayal of Robert Neville's loneliness, the audience connects with him on both a deep mental level and a more surface level driven by pathos. You both laugh and cry with him, you jump out of your seat when he gets scared, and you cheer for him throughout. I walked in expecting a zombie shoot-em-up and settled into something much more thought provoking and intense. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly deserves a look, even if you're not into the whole undead thing.

Decent look, but a C+

[careercollegestudent · 6/10 · 16 December 2007]

An excellent movie, if you're a kid! It's even an excellent movie if you're an adult, especially a logical thinking adult, for fantasy to recollect when you were a kid.

This movie starts out great, and stays fairly decent especially with the stunning and gripping visual effects supporting the lags in common sense, and even though the logical and bibliographical explanations become apparent and try to ruin it if you let them. What it is, is a great watch for the seven dollars (fourteen for my wife and I) if you have nothing better to do.

I like Will Smith, especially for the physical portions he played in this movie. But, he does not have the portrayal characteristics of a Lt. Colonel, and especially a brilliant virologist. Samuel Jackson, or better yet Morgan Freeman however, 20 years younger and looking like they do today, would fit the bill so much better for this movie. Unfortunately, they picked Will.

The movie starts out as a typical viral Armageddon, and progressing with relapses from Will's dreams before the end of the world of what happened and what is happening three years later as the only survivor in New York City. He and his dog Sam (Samantha) hunt by day apparently for food by the run of deer and foliage that now inhabit vacant NYC. Obviously later on, this if for fun and to kill time, because of the solitude and boredom from being the only survivor in the city filled with enough canned food to supply a small army for life.

But it progresses into the typical stereotypical movie theme of "He is not alone." He hides at night with his dog in his highly renovated house from the survivors that did not die from the virus, but were mutated into flesh eating steroid enhanced super zombies. These zombies have a vampire weakness of the sun, hence all ultraviolet rays, and manifest in their darkened hives during the day. So Will is forced to reinforce his house with inside sliding guards, ultraviolet spotlights, and high explosives in case they find out where he lives. In his other time spent, he tries to find a cure for the virus for potential infected survivor if any, as well as the mutant zombies in his downstairs high tech lab.

His house is also equipped with generators to run the flood of electricity and electronics, as well as his basements high tech lab that I am sure the military did not supply him to play with before the viral storm.

One of the biggest Faux pas in the movie is where he explains the zombies are of non human nature and simply barbaric flesh eaters trying to survive. But, they trick him with an elaborate engineering and psychological ruse, along with the only communication from them with each other is only being able to shriek and howl, his physical nighttime address when a few zombies discover it. They also have their own leader zombie, and zombie attack dogs that they sic on Will and his dog, but they have no real agenda but to destroy and eat fresh meat.

The movie also has a few other clichés that ruin its chances to stand the test of time. Like the stereotypical heart wrench when his dog gets killed, the survivor that shows up and is the prophet to God's plan, when the heroine realizes he has been ignorant to that fact, and when she makes it to the survivors colony in what I believe was the hills of New Hampshire, and everyone is happy and will survive and repopulate the earth with Christianity in mind. (From all of this being a lesson of what happened to Sodom and Gomorra, can easily happen again)

Here are some of the other bumbling mistakes that the writers, producers, and directors failed to think about.

After 3 years, all petroleum products such as combustible gasoline and diesel go stale and turn to oily products and fail to burn efficiently in vehicles. (I.E, Will or anyone else driving any vehicle.)

Zombies with no hair and no apparent intellect (except what was stated before) that live in vacant dark buildings, will eventually freeze to death in NYC the first winter it drops to 20 degrees, no matter how much food they may have. It gets even colder than that in NYC, and especially without clothes, they will freeze like a cube no matter what their metabolism is.

Escaped lionesses and lions, or anything like that from the zoo from tropical countries such as Africa, will not survive the winters outside, or even in vacant buildings, as stated before no matter how much food they may find. Their bodies were not evolved to that type of cold like other North American and high altitude animals.

Fresh fruit such as pears and oranges (maybe they where the fake ones) on Will's table after three years of living in NYC alone. Fruit such as these are not indigenous, and will not grow like the corn he is shown picking in the fields, that are also nicely planted in straight rows and also in huge fields with a tractor, pro farming equipment, and farm boy training can only do.

Army personnel in the beginning that are evacuating certain high rank personnel and families, do not, will not, and cannot override the President of the United States decision of a FULL QUARANTINE.

SR-22 Blackbirds such as the one Will was knocking golf balls off of, are not placed, and are not launched from aircraft carriers. They also, even if they where transported on them, would not be on the launch deck in full view, especially with a variety of cluttered aircraft around it; especially in NYC harbor.

No Asians, in NYC?

An acting buffet of Will Smith

[tesnitaylor · 8/10 · 14 December 2007]

If I could sum this movie up in one sentence, it would be this: Go Will. Will Smith is the driving force of I Am Legend. His performance as Dr. Robert Neville is impeccable. Living in a deserted NY city, his acting is reminiscent of Tom Hanks in Cast Away, but instead of a volleyball, he has mannequins and a faithful German Shepard named Sam. His basement, a retro-fitted, high-tech lab to find a cure for the disease that has turned the population of the entire planet into mutant, zombie-like, hive mind, blood-thirsty monsters, and, for some reason, Robert is immune. His days, spent hunting. His nights, sleeping with a high-powered rifle and hoping that the mutants don't find him. Keeping the movie flowing are well placed flashbacks that show what happened to Robert's family and why he is there. The movie falters a bit at the end, maybe at the last 5 minutes, but it doesn't ruin the plot or acting put forth. Containing wonderful cinematography and CG, I Am Legend is a spectacular film that I will be seeing again! PS - Shout out to my NY National Guardsmen in this film! Great job!

Could have been a corker, but...

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 4 March 2008]

Two thirds of this film is wonderful entertainment, both in scope and story telling, and in Will Smith we have a cracking central performance that carries the film with consummate ease, sadly the final third undoes all the great promise and tension building that had gone before it.

After a genetic engineered cancer curing virus wipes out practically all of mankind, Robert Neville {Will Smith} appears to be the sole surviving human on earth, the only company he has is the family dog and an army of virus infected mutants that can only come out in the dark. That Neville is a former scientist who is immune to the deadly strain is a bonus as it means he can work on a potential cure.

Yes it's daft, and yes it's contrived, but there sure is a lot of good stuff to enjoy before the films major failing surfaces. Firstly is Will Smith's performance, there is no doubting he is a major star these days, but here he also cements his standing as a bona fide A lister of note. He layers the performance so well, his character not only has to deal with the heavy threat of being killed by the mutants at night, he also has to fight his own isolation, mans inherent need for companionship is a tortured thing when you appear to be the sole beneficiary of gods green earth.

Secondly the setting of a barren desolate New York is eerily staggering, overgrown with foliage and stalked by lions searching for food, it really is a big screen must to embrace the scope of it. Thirdly the mutants themselves are scary enough, but they honestly would have been better served being played by human actors rather than the CGI used that brings very mixed results, and fourthly the tension building is pitch perfect, the makers manage to have you on the edge of your seat gasping for a solution to this cracking story unfolding, but then...

They throw it all away by a rushed ending that had me positively seething, a quick turn of events should be a prelude to a fully fleshed out finale but instead we get a quick wham bam, oh The End. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth on leaving the cinema and frankly the audience deserves better, and in fact so does Will Smith, did they run out of money? Well that I don't know, but what I do know is that we so nearly had a genre classic to look fondly on for years to come, shame that. 6.5/10

Footnote: Having just watched the alternate version that is readily available on disc formats, I have to say that as weak and as frustrating as the theatrical ending is, the alternate ending is far worse, trite and totally misplaced, they chose the better ending of the two for sure.

"Legend" really separates itself from all other post-apocalyptic films.

[Brent_P · 8/10 · 14 December 2007]

Is it me, or does every movie that portrays the future, it's always some post-apocalyptic setting or the fall of man with man itself to blame? Not a lot to look forward to is it? Anyways, after years of being let down by so called scary zombie/virus movie genres and other blockbuster thriller debacles, "I Am Legend" really separates itself from the group.

Without giving too much way, Will Smith plays a sole survivor of a world dominating virus created by man that was originally created to cure cancer. Three years into the "new" world, Smith (who was a former doctor) dedicates his life to survival, finding a cure....and talking to mannequins. In order to find a cure he seeks out the infected, who only come out at night, and hoping to correct man's mistake.

"Legend" was the first truly scary movie I've seen in some time. Realism is the main factor in scary movies in my opinion. If it can happen, than that's pretty scary. Also, Smith's portrayal of despair and borderline insanity of three years of seclusion added to the effect. With the exception of his dog, Smith had no live contact with constant failure attempts of his cure only leading to his insanity. It had a "Cast Away" feel to it with his dog as to Hank's volleyball and his house reminding you of that stranded island.

The action/suspense scenes coupled with superb sound direction were also heart pounding and unexpected which added to the "scare" factor. Whenever Smith engaged with the zombie-like survivors, there was that claustrophobic feeling that I haven't felt since "Alien." My only real complaint was the overuse of CGI over real actors for these characters, but with their speed and strength that these things showed if may have not been possible.

"Legend" overall is one of the better movies of 2007 and a must see. Not Oscar-worthy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's certainly entertaining, realistically tense and maybe even thought provoking.

The Weakest Remake of a Great Story

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 24 May 2008]

In 2012, the American scientist and colonel Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the unique healthy survivor in Manhattan, missing his beloved wife and daughter, died in a deadly accident. The human race deceased or became mutants living in the dark due to the outbreak of a virus intended to cure cancer. Dr. Robert Neville keeps a routine life for his own survival with his dog Sam, fighting against his loneliness to maintain mentally sane, and entirely committed in researching an experimental vaccine using his own immune blood to get the cure in the laboratory in the basement of his hideout. When Robert attacked by a large group of "Darkseekers", he is rescued by Anna (Alice Braga), another survivor that arrived in Manhattan with the boy Ethan after listening to a message broadcasted by Robert. Her intention is to head to a sanctuary in Vermont, but Robert is reluctant to leave the ground zero and his researches. However his shelter is located by the mutants that break into the place with tragic consequences.

When I was a teenager, "The Omega Man" (1971) was a very successful film in the movie theaters and I probably have seen this movie about ten times along my life. In my opinion, it is one of the best Apocalyptic Sci-Fi movies of the 70's (together with 'Soylent Green'), when the world had the cold war to threaten and the population had a great fear of a biological weapons. A couple of years ago, I saw the original "The Last Man on Earth" (1964), a frightening and dark view of the fate of mankind. In those years, the preoccupation with radiation and biological weapons due to the cold war leaded people to this type of fear and preoccupation.

Both versions are great movies because Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend" is excellent. Therefore my expectations with this new remake was the greatest possible, especially because of the name of Will Smith in the role of Robert Neville. Unfortunately this version is the weakest among the three foregoing movies. The director Francis Lawrence forgot that a movie is not only explosions and special effects and wasted the opportunity to make a great film. The strong and fast creatures are ridiculous when compared with the zombies in "The Last Man on Earth" or the dark sect leaded by Mathias in "The Omega Man". Further, the alternative ending on DVD is something ridiculous. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Eu Sou a Lenda" ("I Am the Legend")

Gut-wrenching movie full of adventure and heart

[cdelacroix1 · 8/10 · 14 December 2007]

I just saw this movie today, the day it opened here. And was deeply, deeply moved.

I've got to start with the scenes of a deserted New York City post-apocalypse. These were so very, very moving; and very, very convincing. The clips in the trailers for the movie were good, but you really have to see the full panoply of close-up shots, distance shots, etc to really appreciate the sheer scale of what this movie is depicting. There's something of On the Beach and Resident Evil and of any number of disaster movies and zombie movies here. But none of them do justice to the New York depicted here. This is a New York City we see large-scale and micro-scale in order to show us the environment in which the main character is acting.

And Will Smith is simply brilliant as the sole survivor, Robert Neville. Will delivers movingly and convincingly on a script that really focuses on giving us a picture of "what it would be like" ... to be the last man on earth, living off the land in NYC. This is the real strength of this movie: there's really not a lot of blood or gore or zombie scenes at all. Yet I was riveted as Robert goes through his "typical days" in NYC. Every moment was full of pathos and full of menace, too. And occasionally we got some relief from Smith's trademark humor that blended seamlessly with the rest of his performance to give us "what it would be like" with a powerful delivery that just leaves me almost breathless.

There's an effective use of flashbacks that partly tell us the story of how we got to where we're at in this grim New York City; and the flashbacks also serve to give us an overwhelming contrast between Life Before and Life After the apocalyptic disaster wiped out the city. Yet use of flashback was sparing, which I found all the more effective.

Cinematography was excellent throughout, the storyline and script are brilliant, the use of a dog, Samantha, as a key actor was perfect to show us both Robert as companion and Robert as lonely, isolated survivor.

I won't give away the ending, but think it was satisfying as far as it goes, but not nearly as appealing, from my angle, as the foregoing material. That brings up my one complaint: the title. By the end of the movie, we have some sense of the meaning of the title. Yet it still seems to me to feel cheesy and really unworthy of the movie.

But that's a minor plaint. If you haven't seen this movie, and would enjoy seeing a really powerful story about a survivor in post-apocalypse New York City, hey, go check out this flick. It's really worth it.

Great first part, loses energy toward the end

[thedevilyouknow00 · 6/10 · 10 December 2007]

Criticisms about the first part being better than the last part are understandable. The mechanics and struggle depicted kept me wanting more and dreading what the next corner or shadow might bring. As with any LMOE (last man on earth) movie, the set design pertaining to a deserted world are fascinating and subliminally terrifying (the novelty of having New York all to yourself lasts only so long until you'll have New York, all to yourself). The cinematography and look of the picture are top notch. The story starts off with a great "hook" that tells you everything you need to know with ONE CUT. Will Smith doesn't have much characterization to work with, but he's a lot more believable here with a low amount of dialog than he has been in some of his previous movies. The movie doesn't have some of the philosophical conceits that Matheson's novel has, but the set-up has been retained along with the character's main purpose- future filmmakers that want to remake this in 20 years won't have to fight against the memory of this film. That said... the movie does contain a needless (and tacked on?) subplot involving "faith." I'm not talking about the belief in a creed or idea, I'm talking about the kind of one-dimensional boilerplate you'd find in a "left behind" novel where the simple fact that a character says he believes is enough for plot and character development. I've nothing against characters or plots dealing with theocratic concepts, but those ideas and concepts better be at the heart of your story. Here, it's a few lines of dialog inserted to give the characters something to yell at each other about. Oddly, most of this seems like it was inserted. My concerns about this probably stem from the fact that the "faith" element randomly pops up where it doesn't need to- the main danger of the story is that scary things are coming to kill you. Deal with that. The main thrust of Dawn of the Dead comes from the idea that there are people locked up from hordes of zombies- all their actions stem from that set-up. In I Am Legend, the main motivator of one man against rampaging ghouls is set aside because one character has "faith." Unfortunately, and I'm not sure if this is a drawback, the whole project comes across as a big budget remake of 28 Days Later (so much so that the ghouls of the picture are called "infected" in the credits). Is this bad? Only if you don't like the movie. I like most of the movie so I'm not too bothered. Final verdict, not the disaster I was expecting but not something that will stand the test of time. If you're sick of Enchanted and relatives, Joe Bob says "Check it out."

A mixed bag

[atredbaron · 5/10 · 13 December 2007]

Just finished a pre-screening here and I'm actually pretty disappointed. The first half of the movie was great and started to build something interesting despite the glaring lack of any background regarding the story. Yes, I realize that you get a few flashbacks but the writers decided not to include any flashbacks of how the disease started, no clips of people progressing through the stages of illness, in essence, everything that led to the point Will Smith ultimately arrived at.

*SPOILER ALERT* While this certainly was a drawback, it is nothing compared to the non-events that surrounded the relationship between Smith's character and what seemed to be the head of the vampire/zombie/darkstalkers. Just as the plot was beginning to develop between them, the film took an epic dive right around the time Smith's dog died. There was absolutely no further development and even though the darkstalkers seem to show some intelligence and evolution, the movie is concluded with their leader banging his head against the glass and screaming like an idiot. It all leads to an ending that seems like a cop-out and left me feeling wholly unsatisfied. *End Spoilers*

There were definitely some great parts, the cinematography was fantastic and the computer generated scenes of a dilapidated and "uninhabited" New York were amazing. It most certainly was scary and there were times that made me jump though the animation on the darkstalkers was not particularly impressive; in fact, it reminded me a lot of the movie "The Mummy" with Brendan Frasier. Smith once again proved himself a very capable and believable actor. The first half is great, though the second will definitely leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. My advice: leave halfway through and you won't be disappointed!

Excellent until it starts moving the narrative beyond a concept and stumbles and falls badly

[bob the moo · 17 February 2008]

Cancer has been cured by genetically modifying the measles virus to benefit mankind – the results are impressive. However the downside is that the virus mutates killing 90% of humanity, turning 9% into light-phobic monsters and leaving only 1% untouched due to natural immunity. Robert Neville is one of that 1% and also the military biochemist charged with stopping the virus but he has failed and now is the only person alive in what remains of NYC. Working on a cure in his basement and broadcasting fruitlessly into the sky, Neville spends his days surviving and his nights hiding.

Despite my fear of most zombie style films, I came to I Am Legend drawn mostly by the interest in the effects. Having been impressed by an empty London in 28 Days Later, I was curious to see what more money could do. In terms of impact the answer is "the same" but in terms of scale it is "much more". New York looks amazing and even those who only know it from films will feel the emptiness of the place. The irony is that, due to the sheer scale of it, visually it looks "unreal" whereas the smaller scale 28 Days Later was just plain eerie as it involved nothing generated by computer. This will sound like a criticism but it is not because I do think that this sense of emptiness is the thing that makes I Am Legend excellent for part of the running time.

The effects are only part of it but roundly the delivery makes this aspect work. The plot sits back and lets us just be with Neville in his isolation and semi-madness; talking to manikins, treating his dog as a child and so on. This is greatly helped by a performance from Will Smith that is close to towering; he is utterly convincing in his character and the film brings us an understand of his situation gradually. As we get used to his eccentric lifestyle, the reality is brought home in a moment where he goes from sun to a sweat soaked scene in a dark room, a brilliant moment where we the audience experience the fear he is living with first hand.

So why is the film itself not brilliant? Well, this comes down to the second half or so where the writers start to take steps to bring out a narrative that will go somewhere in the traditional sense rather than exploring the character of Neville as its sole reason for being. In doing this the script made many jumps that were convenient, illogical or just plain lazy and it is disappointing. Bear in mind that this is a film that had managed to convince me that the majority of humanity was dead due to Emma Thompson, the man responsible for finding the cure was one of the few left alive and that New York was completely empty – I never questioned any of this so how much of a dropped ball is it to suddenly introduce a narrative that has the audience looking at each other saying "yeah right"? It is not as bad as I make it sound though because at this point the action steps up and provides sufficient noise and explosions that perhaps many viewers will find themselves distracted away from the problems with the story telling. However these are too obvious and too big and contrast badly with the patience and emptiness of the first half and, with the rush to a conclusion the film does really feel like the majority of the work was done on the concept and this plot was an afterthought. The writers don't help themselves with some of the dialogue anyway. Having got it so perfect with so little early on, a massive shoehorn is used to get Bob Marley in there – one of several things that conspire to undermine all the good character development that had been done in the first half.

Overall though the film is worth seeing. The first half is very impressive thanks to patience, special effects and a very strong turn from Smith. Sadly the second half lets it all down as the plot devices used to provide a tradition flow and ending are clumsy and unconvincing and the noisy action sequences that are produced didn't manage to distract me from them.

Solid popcorn flick - but should have been soooo much better.

[oneguyrambling · 6/10 · 3 November 2010]

I can't explain just why the finale of I Am Legend sucks without major spoilers, so search for it on oneguyrambling.com and see exactly why this film is so frustrating to me.

When the initial teasers for this hit the cinema I looked into it, I knew nothing about the book but was still really, really looking forward to it. I wanted it to be "All-Time" good.

So it was disappointing when I finally caught it and saw how they managed to still mess it up.

Will.I.Am-Legend Smith, plays Robert Neville, the only apparent survivor of the latest cinematic pandemic. This time a botched cure for cancer backfires, killing a large proportion of the planet and turning most of the rest into enraged zombies by night, and hibernating spooky guys by day.

It is three years since the virus hit, and NYC, the source of the initial outbreak is long since quarantined. Neville walks the deserted streets by day, now overrun by wildlife (Lions?) and vegetation, and hides in his home by night along with the family dog and only buddy Sam. The family and their destiny are introduced and explained piece by piece in Neville's dream sequences.

As Neville was part of the cause of the initial outbreak, (just how responsible is never exactly explained), he feels it is his duty to find a cure, and he runs around the clock experiments in his basement on rats. To date none are successful, though Neville carefully documents all tests and file notes results, and his diary events on camera.

In between experiments and hiding, Neville and Sam roam the streets, hunting, shopping and foraging for supplies and things of use. Scenes were Neville visits the video shop show both how long he has been alone and just how Castaway bored and frazzled he has become.

So where have they gone wrong? Well so far, so good, in fact even though nothing really happens in the first 30 odd minutes we feel like it is building, and we get an idea of Neville's circumstances and feelings of isolation.

In fact around 25-30 minutes in the best scene in the film occurs, in chasing a deer Sam runs into a dark building, despite Neville's cries of stop. Given the choice between running and losing his best friend Neville opts to save his lone amigo and heads in. We don't really know by this time what the bad guys are and what they do, so as Neville creeps carefully through the rooms whispering for Sam we feel genuine tension, even when he finally comes across the huddled, shivering baddies.

In the ensuing escape Neville catches an infected (it is apparent that he has set traps at various places), and takes her back to run further tests.

Things come to a head when Neville falls into one of his own traps, and the subsequent escape doesn't go well.

In my opinion it all goes wrong from here.

Neville decides "enough" and takes his death wish to the streets at night, even though he kills many infected he inevitably loses through sheer weight of numbers… Except - and without giving the game away - Neville himself says that it has been over 1,000 days since he saw other survivors, and the events that follow are simply too ludicrous to be coincidence, even when they feebly try to explain them away as such.

The bottom line: Stoopid Hollywood.

The ending is over the top and deeply flawed, totally ignoring the source material on which the film is based in favour of BOOM BANG CRASH crapulence.

I've watched this twice now, and each time I enjoyed the build up and let down in a major way by the compromises and short-cuts taken in the second half, even when I know it's coming now.

Final Rating – 6 / 10. A golden opportunity to make a big budget zombie movie (with credibility) wasted by a short cut ending.

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Has its share of thrills and poignancy

[Beta_Gallinger · 8/10 · 7 November 2008]

I am aware of the fact that this 2007 blockbuster is a remake of a remake. It's a remake of "The Omega Man", which is a remake of "The Last Man on Earth". All three films are adaptations of the novel, "I Am Legend", by Richard Matheson. I haven't seen the previous two versions, but definitely intend to. However, for now, since I've just seen this 2007 version of "I Am Legend", and haven't seen the rest, I'll just have to judge it strictly as a movie, not how it compares to the previous two, or the book. So, while this particular version of the story seems to be polarizing, I was definitely impressed.

In 2012, three years after a genetically modified virus which was supposed to cure cancer ended up wiping out most of the world's population, a scientist named Robert Neville, immune to this virus, appears to be the only uninfected human left in New York City, maybe even the world, and his only companion is his dog, Sam! Neville does research in his basement laboratory to try and find a cure for the virus, and regularly sends out radio messages, calling for other survivors to come and meet him, if there are any out there, but so far, this has not worked. Eventually, the scientist discovers people in New York who have not been killed by the virus, but have been mutated by it, and as a result, they have become dangerous monsters! Worse still, there are many of them in the city, and Neville is still waiting to see another uninfected human, so he is grossly outnumbered!

This film is slow-paced around the beginning, but this works well, starting with the introduction to the virus which was yet to fail, and going from there to views of a deserted New York, which are reasonably intriguing. Some scenes may be a bit tedious, such as Robert Neville looking through the dark building before finding the mutants, and the camera is sometimes a bit unsteady, but to make up for the flaws, there's quite a bit of tension (which includes scenes with the mutated, zombie-like humans and they're chases and attacks, even though I'm sure we've seen scenes like that before in movies), as well as some poignant moments, with Neville and his loneliness. Also, for Bob Marley fans, the main character is a big fan of his, and at one point, he talks about Marley and his philosophies. As someone who listens to his music and has read a lot about his short life, this part definitely touched me, and it obviously isn't featured in the previous two adaptations, as they were both made before Marley became an international superstar.

Yes, this film has its flaws, and seems to have gotten a lot of positive feedback as well as negative, but personally, I have to give it a positive review. While not quite a masterpiece, I still found it to be a memorable sci-fi/horror film, with a fair amount of suspense, action, and poignancy. Once again, I don't know how it compares to the book or the previous two adaptations of it, and clearly, it seems to be widely considered inferior to those, but while that may be true, I cannot join the naysayers on this one. If you see this version of "I Am Legend", I guess you could easily end up on either side, but if you want to see a combination of sci-fi, horror, and drama, and you're a Will Smith fan, I think it's worth a try, and yes, it just MIGHT help a BIT if you're a Bob Marley fan.

Read the book!

[juanicuesta · 6/10 · 4 February 2022]

Although I found this film entertaining, I beg you, do yourself a favor and read the book. Richard Matteson I am legend is amazing. I can't believe it was written almost 70 years ago.

A really great performance by Wil Smith

[charlesaf1 · 9/10 · 19 January 2008]

The way that they created the look of Manhattan in this movie was just wonderful and Will Smith pulls off one of his best acting turns as Robert Neville. The way he has his days planned out and still attempting the research to find a cure for the virus is a key part to the development of both character and plot.

Samantha (Sam) plays a strong part in the movie and is a great companion, friend and protector figure for Smith. The way he holds conversations with Sam is very touching indeed and makes you really feel that Sam is integral part of his survival and sanity.

Just a great movie, and I will not offer any of the things that will give the ending away. I can watch this movie many more times as it is that interesting and each time, it seems to reveal something that I missed in the original viewing.

Omega Man meets 28 Days Later

[pjmerrill · 6/10 · 1 January 2008]

Let me say first that I am a huge fan of Will Smith, and I think that he did a great job in this movie. It's always a pleasure to watch him work. A fine actor at the top of his game. But I suspect that if you put Casey Afleck as the lead in this one, it doesn't gross 30 million in the complete run.

Hollywood appears to have given up on actors all together, and is moving into complete CGI characters for no reason at all. The main "villian" is a CGI character only categorized as a "monster." As are the rest of the villains. Impossible to develop, and used only for cheap theatrics (leaping up buildings, really?).

Backdrop: The human population is decimated by a man-made plague that wipes out most of the world in one fell swoop. The remainder are mostly flesh eating creatures, and there are a few survivors who, for some reason, are immune to the virus. For some unexplained reason, Smith is trying to cure the effects of the virus. What is lost, unexplained, or simply not thought of, is the why? The bad guys are never developed as sympathetic victims in need of cure. Thye are just monsters to be avoided or shot. Even that is underdeveloped.

Huge plot holes exist in the story, around nearly every corner. The villains are monsters who have lost the ability to reason, but can work together in groups to construct (unnecessarily) elaborate traps? It reminded me of an old Bond film.

Spoiler here: and why exactly did Smith not just get into the duct work with the woman and child? Apparently his (must have been nuclear) hand grenade was going to blow up the entire building, so what was he sticking around for? Apparently it was safe in the basement fire/duct work....with some sort of escape route too...

The whole film seems like a bad combination of Heston's Omega Man and 28 Days Later - both films that were actually better than this one. At least in Omega Man, they attempted to develop their mutants (cheesy lines and bad makeup, but they gave it a shot).

Once again, a Hollywood blockbuster based on pretty backdrops, heavy CGI graphics, and lots of things blowing up.

It's a good rental if you're in the Hollywood mood, but you'll be left with more questions at the end like, "did you think that one part (those seven parts) even made sense?" Ultimately, I believe that this movie, for all the cash that it is making, will be shelved as junk cinema. There are good action/drama high-dollar movies out there, but this isn't one of them.

Beyond The Omega Man...(***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***)

[zillabob · 10/10 · 14 December 2007]

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.

Breathtaking remake in big budget with great production design , adequate cinematography and and top-notch performance by Will Smith

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 17 January 2008]

In 2o12, New York post-holocaust caused by a virus, Robert Neville (Will Smith) is only survivor along with his dog . He's accompanied by wife's (Sally Richardson) records and his son, developing by means of various flashbacks. Neville is immune to the effects of a biologically engineered plague and while fighting an army of blood-suckers bent on destroying what's left of the world and constantly harassing him . The pale-skinned mutants are led by a sneering and creepy leader , they want to eradicate what is left of mankind , but they feel Men are responsible for the disaster and this , of course , includes Neville. But Neville isn't only survivor , there early appear a few survivors, a woman (Alice Braga) and his son. The last man on earth is not alone. Welcome to earth. Population 1. Before Logan... There was... I Am Legend.

Strong intrigue and suspense with considerable violence based on novel by Richard Matheson , which is also the basis for the film ¨The last Man on Earth¨ directed by Sidney Salkow and starred by Vincent Price . Furthermore, the classic version(1971) with Charlton Heston and directed by Boris Sagal .

This is a blockbuster production manages to convey an eerie atmosphere to dismay . The film packs chills , noisy action , tension , thrills , terror and results to be quite entertaining . Exceptional performance by Will Smith , usual player of spectacular Sci-fi movies (Men in black , Independence day , I robot). Here appears uncredited in special cameo as a Doctor , Emma Thomson . Interesting screenplay by Akiva Goldsman based on script written for ¨Omega man¨. Atmospheric , adequate musical score fitting to action and suspense by James Newton Howard . The motion picture was professionally directed by Francis Lawrence in his second film , as he's usually video-clips director (for Britney Spears , Jennifer Lopez , among others) and occasionally filmmaker (Constantine) . Rating : Above average and well worth watching.

The stuff of legends

[TheBillKenny · 9/10 · 29 November 2007]

Just saw an advance screening at the TV Academy tonight and all I'm gonna say is that my heart was racing the entire film and I feel sorry for the poor people sitting next to me cause I was screaming and gasping throughout. The scenes of the deserted NYC have to be seen to be believed. Will Smith is back in action mode and pulls it off effortlessly. This movie was a great ride with tons of scares, terrific special effects, great pacing. Cameo by Emma Thompson is truly amusing. Recently saw the old Vincent Price version on TV and this version simply blows it out of the water. Kudos to all involved. A terrific thriller.

Could have been a lot better if plot/logic gaps addressed

[mrcohiba · 6/10 · 14 December 2007]

I'll second that the film captures viewers' interest through first 2/3 of the film, and then it goes Hollywood schlocky and looks for a pat ending. Will earned his salary, and the set designers and location scouts did a great job and hopefully were paid well above scale, which must have left insufficient funds for the the CGI folk and the script writers.

So some problems I had with the story -- spoilers for sure: 1) So um, how did the later introduced pair of characters drive to and out of Manhattan? Bridges down, tunnels too (or if not, zombie-infested)...

2) Did the storyline change in the cutting room? Dr. sets animal trap and captures girl zombie, male leader zombie howls, Dr. falls for same but even more creative animal trap set presumably by male leader zombie, male leader zombie captures but doesn't kill Dr. in later dock encounter, male leader zombie tracks Dr. back to his lab.... um, why didn't the whole story line of zombies are evolving and are regaining "human" emotions get explored with this "love rescue" setup? Who is the monster, etc., etc.

3) Dr. is this Time-magazine-cover superstar virologist. How does handing over a single vial of a problematic test vaccine help without the means or associated research to synthesize more? Hundreds of more zombies on the scent, so hiding in a cubbyhole will save you? 4) Lot of deer in an unbalanced ravenous carnivore environment.

5) I lost the logic where Dr. is flatly reciting the numbers of outright dead, infected, immune -- sounded like no good scientist would believe that given large numbers of theorized immune why he would be the last human on earth. Isolated islands, small population areas, areas with no caves/permanent structures to shield sun's UV, Government pathogen barrier facilities, etc.

First half good, second half embarrassing.

[john_sinbad · 5/10 · 28 December 2007]

Having seen some promising trailers I today decided to go and see I Am Legend. The film kicks off with a newscaster interviewing a scientist about what is thought to be a cure for cancer. The scientist's amateurish method of helping the layman understand how the cure actually works - using the simile of a car and its driver - made me wonder whether the film would persist with this kind of dumbing down.

We are then taken instantly to the post-apocalyptic New York in which Robert Neville (Will Smith) lives. Just about everyone has either died or contracted some sort of zombie-ism because of KV, a virus originating from the genetically-modified measles virus which was used to try and cure cancer. This part having been brought in so soon you are hoping that the director will be able to quickly establish the sense of complete human absence, and at first the broken skyscrapers and the overgrown grass make you think that yes this is will make a nice backdrop for Will Smith to do his thing. But then come the zoo animals, the first of many CGI cock ups that this film will probably become famous for one day. We have deers, lions and, well, a distracting, generic looking computer-generated animal that looks like a cross between a bear and a liger.

Will Smith's interaction with his dog companion Sam is probably the best thing about the film, and it all happens within the first half hour or so. Will Smith does a very good job of conveying Neville's dependence on Sam for interaction and companionship, especially in an amusing scene involving Neville giving Sam a dog bath while listening to Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' (every little thing's gonna be alright).

During the first half of the film we are every now and then treated to a few emotionally charged flash backs that detail the evacuation of Manhattan and the separation of Neville from his family. A particularly touching scene involves a woman and her child frantically trying to beat the checkpoint despite the fact that she is infected.

The first interaction with a zombie occurs when Sam takes a detour through a dark area of town and into some building. Neville enters the building himself to rescue his friend and soon comes face to face with a horde of horrifically tame looking CGI zombies. An unflattering close-up of one the zombie's faces reveals every last computer-generated flaw, from their ridiculously fast animation frame rate to their laboured and drawn out facial expressions. Every time a zombie appears in this film you can't help but think you're playing a first-generation Xbox 360 game.

The final decent scene of the film has Neville hanging upside from a trap, and he and Sam have to escape from a tactical ambush that the zombies had planned out. Sam gets bitten by one of the zombie dogs while protecting his master and contracts KV, thus marking the end of a decent first half of the film.

Neville takes a mortally wounded Sam back to his home and holds him in his arms. A few moments of silence occurs and I thought to myself right there and then "I bet any second now, Will Smith will start singing Three Little Birds," and just as if by magic Will Smith read my mind and decided to give a broken, 'emotional' performance of that very song. If you had to state an exact point in the film at which the quality suddenly took a turn for the worse, this was it. A whole scene exhibiting a cringe-worthy caricature of the relationship that carried the first portion of the film. Neville then strangles his zombie-infected dog to death, but instead of seeing this scene we are treated to a two minutes mini-film of Will Smith's gurning face.

More fights with zombies in the dark ensue, and then out of nowhere Neville is saved by a woman called Anna who had responded to a radio message that Will had sent out. Her plan is to reach Vermont to live in a survivor's refuge community. Anna takes Neville back to his place and makes him a Sunday morning fry up. The film's director suddenly decides to remove all of the social skills and optimism that Neville had evidentially maintained in his interactions with his dog and have him turn into an unsympathetic and hopeless loser.

The film's biggest 'sin' is the utterly blunt pro-Christian subtext that is introduced after Sam's death. When Neville is saved, we see his rescuer's cross necklace dangle before his eyes. Later, we see some of Neville's wounds: punctures on his wrists. Then a chat between Anna and Neville reveals that Anna believes that God sent her there and that God will save them. In the second to last scene, Neville hands Anna a gourde containing the antidote to KV that he created in his laboratory, sends her out into the world and then becomes a martyr by hurling himself into a mob of computer-generated zombies, a scene that draws allegorical parallels with Jesus in the bible sacrificing himself to save mankind. Anna's journey from Brazil through the east coast of the America's locating survivors represents the Christian preaching work, and her eventual arrival at Vermont represents the ascendancy to heaven: the first building we see behind the huge gates is a Christian church.

Now I'm not saying that Christianity is a bad thing, or even that pro-Christian subtext in a film is a bad thing. What's bad is the fact that the subtext is so unsubtle that even Christians would take offence. The soliloquy that closes the film might as well say, "Christianity is the only answer to all of life's problems".

Too long; didn't read? First half is good, second half is an embarrassing glurge fest, and both halves are virtually ruined by laughable CGI.