I Am Legend (the movie)

2007 (DVD : 2008). MPAA Rating : PG-13. Genre : Post-apocalyptic. Length : 100 minutes. Overall rating : *** (out of 5*).

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This is actually the third movie version of a 1954 novella by Richard Matheson. The first two were The Last Man On Earth (1964, starring Vincent Price) and The Omega Man (1971, starring Charlton Heston).

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Robert Neville (Will Smith) is seemingly the last human left on earth after a cure-for-cancer had an unforseen side-effect of turning everyone but him into rabid light-hating mutants. Along with his dog, Sam, he hunts for an anti-virus, food, and any other survivors; all the while trying not to be the mutants' next happy-meal.

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What's To Like...

It's got Will Smith in it. The guy can act, and always gets great roles in good movies. There are some awesome computer-generated shots of ghost-city New York. While the movie has made some significant changes from the book, quite frankly, that's for the better. Matheson's novella, although a ground-bnreaking post-apocalyptic story, is sparse on the action and bleak in its outcome.

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Still, it would have been ambitious to tackle some of the book's details. Matheson created two types of baddies - undead vampires and not-quite-dead mutants. The latter could think and taunt. In the movie, there are no vampires, and the mutants are ferocious but dumb.

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The girl's role is significantly different, and leads to a much-brighter ending. In the book, there is a question of whether she's "one of us" or not. No such mystery in the book.

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What's Not To Like...

Spoiler Alert : The dog dies.

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The Verdict...

Three stars. Will Smith's superior acting balances out the cinematic difficulties in telling the story. The ending changes the meaning of "I Am Legend", but doesn't neglect it. This was a good choice for my first movie for 2009. I think I watched five on 2008, which is above-average for me.

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Epilogue...

"I am a superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. I am Legend." (last line in the book)