This would be my most favorite zombie movie of all time - if they had used REAL PEOPLE for the zombies. The first time a zombie roars and his jaw drops a whole friggin foot and wiggles - I just couldn't take it. Totally lost me with the cgi. 28 days later was much scarier because they used real people.
I almost like it. I love the mustang driving around, and the guns, and the premise and storyline - it's just the zombies. They ruined the whole thing.
Feeling more like 28 Days Later than The Omega Man, I Am Legend may use the original story's title, but it's not any closer to it. But I'm not judging it as an adaptation. The film is at its best showing Will Smith surviving in an empty New York with his dog, his mind teetering on the edge of insanity as he tries to cure the virus that has mostly wiped out the city's population. The visuals are strong, the acting effective, the survival techniques well thought-out. It's at its weakest when the plague zombies come out, as I truly feel it was a mistake to render them as CGI. They look fake and silly, and you can't really believe they used to be people. The white make-up in The Omega Man was cheap and simple, sure, but is still better than what we get here. So not a bad flick, but I kept getting pulled out whenever the monsters showed up.
Okay, I don't really know if I like this movie or not. I liked Will Smith's acting, the unusual pictures and the scary atmosphere when night approaches...great. On the other hand as soon as the woman (Anna) showed up the movie lost a bit of it's appeal. Additionally, the movie ended too quickly for me - I was waiting for more information, e.g. on this woman whom Smith's character tried to heal... I'm not sure what exactly was missing, but I just left the cinema feeling like some aspects of the story could have been pursued a little further.
Oh, and I forgot to mention my favorite character. The little brother/son (I don't think it was ever explained) of the chick. I don't remember his name though. But wasn't he a hell of a character? I mean, I think he even said one line somewhere in the film. He's awesome!
I haven't read the novel, but I know that they changed the ending completely to make the movie much more bland and hollywood-ish. The title doesn't make any sense now. He should have been the legend for the zombies not for the future people. Now the ending is exactly the same as the one from another "gem" of a movie called The Postman by Kevin Costner.
Alternative ending is way better and closer to the original ending, but still a little bit... you know...
Everyone who cried when the dog died have been fooled, because it's way too easy to make wievers care for a cute and innocent animal. When you care for a human being it means the movie is good. But nobody cried when Will Smith died, because this movie sucked.
If you are like me and somehow haven't seen this movie yet, don't bother. It didn't age well.
I'll start with the good. The cinematography was excellent, and many of the introductory shots were reminiscent of the Last of Us video game series - eerie but beautiful. Will Smith did well, though I felt he over-acted at times. Perhaps that's the fault of the director.
As for the rest of the movie... oof. The 2007 CGI obviously doesn't carry over too well in 2021, but even if it were modern CGI the movie still has several major problems.
The premise itself is a bit ridiculous - they've found the cure for cancer, but apparently it can only be delivered by injecting it into a virus, and then into humans. In a society where scientists are so stringent on publishing results, especially for something as large as the cure to cancer, it's a bit hard to believe that a virus that ultimately turns people into vampire/zombies would so quickly be used on the general population, let alone the entire world.
The scene that truly ruined the movie for me was the lead up to the dog, Samantha's death. We see that the lead Darkseeker sics three dogs to kill Neville, and that a mere thin line of sunlight is the difference between death and survival. The sun fades, the dogs attack and bite Sam, and Neville manages to fight off and kill them. And then... the Darkseekers do... nothing? Perhaps they watch on as he has a dramatic moment with his dog and they climb into the car. Why?
From there, we get some classic deus ex machina - literally, as Anna claims it was God who sent her to save Neville in the nick of time from his suicidal plan (side note: he wants to kill a bunch of them, and chooses the option of hitting them to death with his car rather than use his literal armory of automatic weapons?)
I could go on and on, but let's just leave it at: don't watch this movie in present day.
I know it sounds kinda vacuous said this way, but this actually is just a stupid-ass blockbuster, it actually tries too fuckin' hard, and it actually proves Will Smith isn't as good as an actor as many people put it.
Good thing is, except for the buddy-doggie, no real animals were used.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 32
porscheguy19
This would be my most favorite zombie movie of all time - if they had used REAL PEOPLE for the zombies. The first time a zombie roars and his jaw drops a whole friggin foot and wiggles - I just couldn't take it. Totally lost me with the cgi. 28 days later was much scarier because they used real people.I almost like it. I love the mustang driving around, and the guns, and the premise and storyline - it's just the zombies. They ruined the whole thing.
grit
Not so bad, but the alternate ending is worse than the one in the movie, in my opinion.Scratch47
Curiously hollow. Bad CG.HeikoScharnberg
Omega Man was better.babblebuth
They screwed that story up in so many ways it's not even funny. Poor Richard Matheson.Prof. Lumpcicle
I am legend, hear me bore.Camille Deadpan
Naked Terror (1964) is better. It has Vincent Price.Siskoid
Feeling more like 28 Days Later than The Omega Man, I Am Legend may use the original story's title, but it's not any closer to it. But I'm not judging it as an adaptation. The film is at its best showing Will Smith surviving in an empty New York with his dog, his mind teetering on the edge of insanity as he tries to cure the virus that has mostly wiped out the city's population. The visuals are strong, the acting effective, the survival techniques well thought-out. It's at its weakest when the plague zombies come out, as I truly feel it was a mistake to render them as CGI. They look fake and silly, and you can't really believe they used to be people. The white make-up in The Omega Man was cheap and simple, sure, but is still better than what we get here. So not a bad flick, but I kept getting pulled out whenever the monsters showed up.rabsi1
Book ending > Alternate ending > Theatrical endingIreneAdler
Okay, I don't really know if I like this movie or not. I liked Will Smith's acting, the unusual pictures and the scary atmosphere when night approaches...great. On the other hand as soon as the woman (Anna) showed up the movie lost a bit of it's appeal. Additionally, the movie ended too quickly for me - I was waiting for more information, e.g. on this woman whom Smith's character tried to heal... I'm not sure what exactly was missing, but I just left the cinema feeling like some aspects of the story could have been pursued a little further.jktomas
Oh, and I forgot to mention my favorite character. The little brother/son (I don't think it was ever explained) of the chick. I don't remember his name though. But wasn't he a hell of a character? I mean, I think he even said one line somewhere in the film. He's awesome!jktomas
I haven't read the novel, but I know that they changed the ending completely to make the movie much more bland and hollywood-ish. The title doesn't make any sense now. He should have been the legend for the zombies not for the future people. Now the ending is exactly the same as the one from another "gem" of a movie called The Postman by Kevin Costner.Alternative ending is way better and closer to the original ending, but still a little bit... you know...
Everyone who cried when the dog died have been fooled, because it's way too easy to make wievers care for a cute and innocent animal. When you care for a human being it means the movie is good. But nobody cried when Will Smith died, because this movie sucked.
oyolasigmaz
a disgrace to richard matheson.AgentKay
If you are like me and somehow haven't seen this movie yet, don't bother. It didn't age well.I'll start with the good. The cinematography was excellent, and many of the introductory shots were reminiscent of the Last of Us video game series - eerie but beautiful. Will Smith did well, though I felt he over-acted at times. Perhaps that's the fault of the director.
As for the rest of the movie... oof. The 2007 CGI obviously doesn't carry over too well in 2021, but even if it were modern CGI the movie still has several major problems.
The premise itself is a bit ridiculous - they've found the cure for cancer, but apparently it can only be delivered by injecting it into a virus, and then into humans. In a society where scientists are so stringent on publishing results, especially for something as large as the cure to cancer, it's a bit hard to believe that a virus that ultimately turns people into vampire/zombies would so quickly be used on the general population, let alone the entire world.
The scene that truly ruined the movie for me was the lead up to the dog, Samantha's death. We see that the lead Darkseeker sics three dogs to kill Neville, and that a mere thin line of sunlight is the difference between death and survival. The sun fades, the dogs attack and bite Sam, and Neville manages to fight off and kill them. And then... the Darkseekers do... nothing? Perhaps they watch on as he has a dramatic moment with his dog and they climb into the car. Why?
From there, we get some classic deus ex machina - literally, as Anna claims it was God who sent her to save Neville in the nick of time from his suicidal plan (side note: he wants to kill a bunch of them, and chooses the option of hitting them to death with his car rather than use his literal armory of automatic weapons?)
I could go on and on, but let's just leave it at: don't watch this movie in present day.
demagogo
I know it sounds kinda vacuous said this way, but this actually is just a stupid-ass blockbuster, it actually tries too fuckin' hard, and it actually proves Will Smith isn't as good as an actor as many people put it.Good thing is, except for the buddy-doggie, no real animals were used.
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