I Am Legend

When writing movie review blogs, I try to stay away from spoilerish material; I’d hate to keep adding spoiler alerts to a column. So, I will try and do the same with this review of I Am Legend. So how do I tell you what bothered me about the film? Let’s just say, the last half hour or so lost its grip on me and leave it at that. Telling you why would ruin too many things for the average moviegoer. Luckily there is still plenty to talk about.

Will Smith is an amazing actor. You can tell that he is a man who works hard at being the best actor he can be. It seems so easy to dismiss Smith as just another action hero; he has made a living off saving the world time and time again. But Smith injects a lot of emotion into his roles. His work in such dramatic fare as Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness has rubbed off on his action flick roles. Sure, it’s Will Smith against an army, just like I, Robot and Independence Day, but he is able to infuse this role of Dr. Robert Neville with a wonderful mix of humour, seriousness, bravado, strength, intelligence and fear. Like Tom Hanks in Castaway, Will Smith has the charisma to keep audience members engrossed without a large supporting cast. This movie is definitely a credit to his hard work.

The other amazing actor in I Am Legend is Abbey. She plays the faithful German Shepherd who keeps Smith company on the desolate streets of New York. Not only is this dog incredibly cute, but she also packs some emotional punch. The moments between Abbey and Smith are priceless; any dog owner or dog lover will instantly relate to the connection between man and his dog.

Despite the amazing performances of these two, it’s the shots of a dilapidated and overgrown New York that gets the most stunned reactions. The emptiness is very reminiscent of 28 Days Later, with garbage-strewn London locales replaced by New York City landmarks overrun by tall grass and animals. Now, I haven’t seen the LA locations used in the similar Omega Man with Charlton Heston, but New York seems like the perfect place to set this post apocalyptic story.

The action sequences are pretty well done but nothing too extraordinary. I Am Legend is directed by Francis Lawrence, whose previous credits include Constantine and various music videos by Janet Jackson and Britney Spears. The attack scenes are pretty much carbon copies of I, Robot and 28 Days Later, so nothing there is fresh, but what Lawrence excels at is creating suspenseful moments throughout the film. He definitely knows how long to stretch the silence before shocking us with something or other (remember, I don’t wanna ruin things).

Again, things fall apart in the last half hour, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

So, is this a movie to see in the theatres? You bet it is. Will Smith’s lone figure among the giant building of New York needs to be seen on the big screen to totally appreciate it’s scope. Are you going to have questions about plausibility and such? Probably, but not enough to ruin the experience. Are you going leave the theatre, impressed with Smith’s performance? I would be shocked if you didn’t. And if all this doesn’t make you want to see it on the big screen, the first preview was for The Dark Knight, which showcases Heath Ledger’s Joker with such creepiness that it would make Jack Nicholson want to hide under his loud purple jacket. Now, are you convinced?