I Am Legend

Daunting it is to imagine oneself being the only survivor on a wilderness or an uninhabited island. A tangible theme for a feature, yet not many movies try to explore a scene of total solitude from human race. One forceful reason may be that it is hard to hold the audience single-handedly (for any performer), without any entertaining situations arising out of interaction with ones own kind or warmth of relationships in the life of lead actor.

Rating: 2.5/5

First it was Tom Hanks in ‘Cast Away’ who accomplished the challenging task rather glibly, and now it is Will Smith who once again proves his strength as a charmer and a potent performer, who carries out the lonely act with enigmatic ease. Famous for his aptitude of pulling crowds to the worst of his movies, Will Smith demonstrates once again why he manages to secure unfaltering loyalty from his audience.

Will Smith in I Am Legend

With only a German shepherd for a living company by his side, Will Smith does a marvelous job at enlivening the character of Robert Neville, the sole survivor three years post a virus epidemic that swiped the entire population on the island of Manhattan into evacuation and quarantining of the entire New York City. The compelling charisma of Smith successfully renders the absolute loneliness in his enactment, evoking a mix of fright and even fascination among his audience.

The movie is the latest film version of the novel by Richard Matheson. The movie portrays the life of Robert Neville, a scientist-cum-warrior, during his quest to find a cure of the deadly virus that consumed life off the island. He must roam around the city strictly during day time, as the dark corners of the city are infected with zombies. The zombies have been shown as those virus-infected human beings that have turned into hairless, whitish flesh-eating nocturnal beings that live in packs and are intelligent enough to set traps and make plans.

Alice Braga in I Am Legend

What is particularly interesting is the way Mr Francis Lawrence has shown the familiar surroundings of Manhattan wild and deserted. In fact, the location not only assists Will Smith achieve the better of his talent, but also overshadows him at times with the highly realistic and identifiable depictions. The director, Mr Lawrence, makes generous use of digital-effects, keeping in tune with his reputation of using computer generated effects extensively in his projects.

While the digital zombies at first make the movie look like a sci-fi adventure, it looses its originality as the zombies start crowding, appearing highly reminiscent hence of the monsters of the famous ‘28 Days later’. The graphics disappoint, as they fail to cater something new and exciting to its demanding viewers. While Will Smith definitely delivers better than Vincent Price and Charlton Heston as Robert Neville among the reel versions of the novel, the latest flick does not leave any memorable impression over and above its predecessors. The role of the beautiful Brazilian actress Alice Braga is small, as she appears at the climax of the movie to give company to Robert for life ahead. In all, the movie is at its best when Robert character is alone, on his own.

Rating: 2.5/5

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2007 at 11:55 am and is filed under Fantasy, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller, Drama, Action . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.