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UK SciFi / Horror and Fantasy |  |
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I Am Legend [2007]
This time, Smith plays Robert Neville, the last man on an Earth emptied by a deadly virus that he continues to try and find a working vaccine for. With just his dog for company, and the fear of the vampires that haunt the night never far away, I Am Legend quickly establishes itself as a taut, highly watchable blockbuster, with plenty of reasons to gnaw at your nail. Where I Am Legend really scores is in the excellent first half. The scenes of a deserted New York are quite staggering, and it’s also to Smith’s immense credit that he holds the attention even though for the most part he’s the only person on the screen. It’s a quite wonderful opening hour that the film enjoys, and one that easily stands repeat viewings alone. The back half of I Am Legend is, almost inevitably, not quite the match of what’s gone before, as the threats of the night don’t, when you finally see them, live up to expectations. Nonetheless, for Smith’s performance, and the sheer quality of the build up, I Am Legend can stand side-by-side with the last take on the story, the Charlton Heston-starrer The Last Man On Earth. Take either home, and you’re in for a rollicking good night in front of the telly. --Jon Foster
Editorial Synopsis Richard Matheson's classic chiller gets its third adaptation (after THE OMEGA MAN and THE LAST MAN ON EARTH) with this film from director Francis Lawrence (CONSTANTINE). Will Smith plays Robert Neville, the last survivor in a post-apocalyptic New York, but there's still danger left on the city streets. Lacks bite Review date: 2008-08-18 Rating: 6 out of 10 This film had a lot of promise, and delivered... up to a point. Will Smith is a scientist trying to cure a disease that has turned most of the worlds population into vamp-like creatures. Based in Manhattan, the scenes of deserted streets and huge over grown foliage are great, and give a real sense of our world passing into the hands of nature. Other scenes, such as the video store, give excellent insight into a very damaged character. So why only three stars? It's the last act that really lets this down. Far too Hollywood, far too cutesy, and frankly had me ranting at the screen. This is a dark sinister creeping film that should have been an excellent exploration of one man's character when faced with the loss of all he knows and the gnawing voice that tells him he's never going to get it back. So why spoil it with a happy (and unbelievable) ending? Great shame. ReviewsDo not waste your time. Review date: 2008-08-14 Rating: 2 out of 10 This film left me angry...angry because it cost me both time and money but in return provided nothing but immense disappointment. I was left with hundreds of "why would he have done that?" "Well, that doesn't make sense" "That wouldn't have happened!" "Why didn't he just...?" It was a very flawed film that left huge gaps in the explaination. !Potential Spoiler Warning! Flaws - Significant changes in behaviour and implied evolution of 'wildlife' (such as the deer and lions), despite the fact the disease outbreak has only been 3 to 4 years. The 'domestication' of the diseased canines. If Sam lost her recognition of her beloved 'Master' when she became infected, why on earth would the infected dogs still be at the command of the diseased humans? Why didn't the helipcopter pilot transporting Neville's family (in the flashback) make any attempt to avoid the out of control one? Why was his wife given a second screening? If she had a faulty reading, surely everyone else would have to be re-screened. It is mentioned that Robert Neville (Will Smith) is a military scientist...so how would he have the power to command Soldiers who had been given commands from higher up than himself? How did the woman and child survive? They are both clean, well-fed and well-groomed...yet apparently didn't have anything like the supplies Neville had collected. How did the woman and child get off the Island? (after all exit routes had been destroyed in a last minute attempt to contain the virus) If the exits hadn't all been destroyed, why hadn't the woman and child already gone? How did the colony of uninfected humans survive? If the diseased humans can scale the wall of a building in mere seconds, surely the colony's 'fortress' was just as vulnerable! ...Why did Robert Neville allow himself to die? There was enough room for him to shelter with the woman and child, why not just throw the grenade and hide. This action apparently made him a legend. No. Dying without a purpose does not make someone a Legend. What if the vaccine had been incomplete and still failed? the 'test subject' had only partially recovered. Surely he should have tried to escape to ensure his work was a success? There a hundreds more irritating flaws that would make this an extremely long review. Conclusion - Watch it if you don't have to pay for it and want to waste some time for no gain, if you enjoy poorly thought out films or if you just don't notice whole gaps in logic. good adaptation Review date: 2008-08-13 Rating: 10 out of 10 I have read the book before and, exceptionally for an adaptation, I really liked the movie too and I was not at all let down. Matheson's book is quite old, but not dated as you read it today. There are story differences in the movie, but nothing that destroyed the spirit of the thing. And Will Smith is great as the main character. As a stand alone movie, it is good, and since it is also one of these VERY rare cases where you are not cringing while watching if you have read the book, I would totally recommended it. It,s the end of the world as we know it and Will Smith is,nt feeling fine Review date: 2008-08-09 Rating: 6 out of 10 We have a cure for cancer announces Emma Thompson in a rather odd little cameo as a doctor as the start of I Am Legend . It seems they have manipulated the measles virus with a 100% success rate .Wow we think except the movie cuts to three years down the line to 2012 And Dr Robert Neville(Will Smith) Is wandering around a deserted and frankly shabby looking New York( expertly rendered by Lord Of The Rings lens man Andrew Lesnie) hunting deer along with his faithful Alsatian pooch Sam. Putting out a message over AM for other survivors to contact him it would seem he is all alone in the city. Excerpt he isn't for we soon discover he is a brilliant scientist attempting to find a cure for a virulent disease that has wiped out nearly every human being on the planet. Apart that is for the ones who have been turned into sunlight phobic ravenous flesh eating zombie /vampire thingies . Night time is therefore is not a time to be hanging around the streets ( rather like some areas of the U.K.) so Dr Neville retreats to his former home which conveniently has a laboratory in the cellar as well as electricity , bolts down the windows and doors and carries out his experiments on animals and specimens of the infected he has ingeniously captured . I can fix this he mantra's as we observe flashbacks to the initial outbreak of the disease and his attempts to get his family to safety. Dr Neville is slowly going ga ga we observe as he interacts with shop window dummies he has placed around the city to maintain some semblance of normality .This section of the film is actually the most effective. Will Smith really gets to show off his quality as an actor and the relationship between him and the dog is revealed to have real depth. The film struggles when Neville has to confront the creatures. Apart from one very tense scene in a dark tenement building the action just doesn't convince. The decision by director Francis Lawrence to utilise CGI for the night dwelling beasties is a disaster. They just aren't convincing .They would be a poor effort for a video game let alone a major blockbusting movie. The film also loses focus for the last third with feel good guff about colonies of survivors and Bob Marley CD,s , though Smith tries manfully to make it believable , it just doesn't sit right. I love end of the world apocalyptic fiction and movies , but this adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel by Mark Protosevich ("Poseidon [2006]") and Akiva Goldsman ("Batman And Robin [1997]" "Practical Magic [1999]," I Robot - Single Disc Edition [2004]," ) just does,nt work . They haven't remained faithful enough to the original novel for me .I prefer the previous adaptation "The The Omega Man [1972]" which is also flawed but far more powerful. Having stated that there is enough here to make I Am Legend worth watching at least once. Visually it's stunning -the pathetic CGI monster people apart - and Will Smith gives an admirable performance ...as does the dog. The end of the world just seems to bring the best out of some people ....and canines. Not quite one star..... Review date: 2008-07-22 Rating: 4 out of 10 Not quite one star, but I will award this two. I won't bleat on about CGU which I personally loath in the way it's included in most films these days, but cut to the chase.... (Spoilers) 1: Apparently New York's streets are thin enough to allow vegetation to grow through them in three years... if this is true, so be it, but the depiction in the film looks very poor, and distracting. 2: We are led to believe Smith is a sole survivor of the virus, and he has been broadcasting radio messages for three years to advise others of his presence. Completely unblelievably, at one point in the film, another survivor (and child no less) are introduced. This is by means of the other person saving Smith from certain death. Where on earth had this person been? Did they tune in to a radio after three years? Had they been tracking Smith over a long period? Simply, a ridiculous script. 3: New York is abandoned, but, apparently, all the power supplies are in good order (at least for Smith's apartment) as he is able to run industrial quantities of equipment as he seeks a vaccine. Again, totally incredulous. and finally, the ending (standard) is just plain ridiculous. It's as if someone said 'That's it' and they just decided to come up with some silly paragraph of speech for the ending. I give an extra star as Smith does a reasonable enough job in the movie, but, it's no more than a 'wash over the head' flick for me. Product Details/SpecificationsActor(s): Dash Mihok Will Smith Alice Braga Charlie Tahan Salli Richardson Creators: Alice Braga (Primary Contributor) Charlie Tahan (Primary Contributor) Director(s): Recording label: Warner Home Video Manufacturer: Warner Home Video EAN: 7321902294476 Binding: DVD Number of items: 1 Format: PAL, Release date: 2008-04-21 Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region code: 2 Running time: 96 minutes Theatrical release date: 2007
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