I Am Legend (2007)

[Deleted member 604]

Title: I Am Legend

Tagline: The last man on Earth is not alone

Genre: Drama, Horror, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Willow Smith, Emma Thompson, Darrell Foster, Joanna Numata, Dash Mihok, Samuel Glen, Pedro Mojica, Marin Ireland, Alexander DiPersia, Raul Torres, April Grace, James McCauley, Anthony C. Mazza, Steve Cirbus, Calista Hill, Gabriella Hill, Madeline Hill, Adhi Sharma, Tyree Michael Simpson, Blake Lange, Abraham Sparrow, Pat Fraley, Caitlin McHugh, Deborah Collins, Mike Patton, Katherine Brook, Vince Cupone, Lynna Davis, Anika Ellis, John Grady, Moses Harris Jr., Kennis Hawkins, Marc Inniss, Eric Jenkins, Reed Kelly, Grasan Kingsberry, Drew Leary, Asa Liebmann, Deborah Lohse, Jon-Paul Mateo, Ian Mclaughlin, Luke Miller, Courtney Munch, Kimberly Shannon Murphy, Okwui Okpokwasili, Erin Owen, Victor Paguia, Paradox Pollack, Will Rawls, William Schultz, Hollie K. Seidel, Hannah Sim, Eric Spear, Mark Steger, Charlie Sutton, David Hamilton Thomson, Anthony Vincent, Greg Wattkis

Release: 2007-12-14

Runtime: 101

Plot: Robert Neville is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone.



I love the book by Richard Matheson
Actually it's one of my Fav novels of mine.
It wasn't entirely true to the book but that's Hollywood for you and the original novel is only about 160 pages long.
But there is a great bit in there from the one and only Stephen King and how 'I AM LEGEND' Inspired him.

 

[SteveWhy]

I feel like this is one half or maybe three quarters of a very good film. The start is great. Will Smith is the lone survivor in a post-apocalyptic city. The man has only his dog for companionship. Smith is just so good. It's all him; he's the whole show. You feel the character's loneliness and isolation.

SPOILERS
There's this beautiful sequence where he pretends to go into a record store which he's rigged up to resemble what it used to be when there were people still around. He goes to meet up with a mannequin of a woman he's mocked up, as a replacement for all the human contact he's been deprived of.

Part of the way through the movie, he's forced to putdown his dog. It's a great moment because of how his relationship with his dog has been established. It's his only warmth and comfort, and the sense of loss is palpable.

I love how small scale and grounded this earlier part of the film is, the way it goes into how this character has managed to build a life for himself in this impossible situation. It's very detailed, showing his day to day routine, his house and how he gets food.

The problem, of course, is when the plot gets going. The CGI zombies did not look that good in 2007, and they certainly haven't improved with age.

Rather famously, the original ending was excised after it tested badly with audiences. The replacement ending they soldered in place isn't that much better.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

I feel like this is one half or maybe three quarters of a very good film. The start is great. Will Smith is the lone survivor in a post-apocalyptic city. The man has only his dog for companionship. Smith is just so good. It's all him; he's the whole show. You feel the character's loneliness and isolation.

SPOILERS
There's this beautiful sequence where he pretends to go into a record store which he's rigged up to resemble what it used to be when there were people still around. He goes to meet up with a mannequin of a woman he's mocked up, as a replacement for all the human contact he's been deprived of.

Part of the way through the movie, he's forced to putdown his dog. It's a great moment because of how his relationship with his dog has been established. It's his only warmth and comfort, and the sense of loss.

I love how small scale and grounded this earlier part of the film is, the way it goes into how this character has managed to build a life for himself in this impossible situation. It's very detailed, showing his day to day routine, his house and how he gets food.

The problem, of course, is when the plot gets going. The CGI zombies did not look that good in 2007, and they certainly haven't improved with age.

Rather famously, the original ending was excised after it tested badly with audiences. The replacement ending they soldered in place isn't that much better.

The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston, is a better film.
Remakes Vs. Originals: Omega Man Vs. I Am Legend | Den of Geek