I Am Legend
2007
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. Read more
| Starring | Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Paradox Pollack, Alice Braga |
|---|---|
| Director | Francis Lawrence |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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I Am Legend
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.
| Starring | Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Paradox Pollack, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan |
|---|---|
| Director | Francis Lawrence |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 36 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
| Language | DVD: English, English Audio Description Blu-ray: English |
| Released | DVD: 21 Apr 2008 Blu-ray: 21 Apr 2008 Production year: 2007 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Throwing Will Smiths star power and shed loads of CGI at a remake of the 1971 sci-fi movie The Omega Man makes... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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223 out of 229 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
They're not Vampires or Zombies...
First off let's get some points straight. 'I Am Legend' is NOT based on Omega Man, 28 Days Later or any other 'zombie movie'. Instead it is an adaptation of an excellent little book from the 1950s called 'I Am Legend', written by Richard Matheson, which was in fact the inspiration for the above movies. Sadly the excellence of the book doesn't quite translate but this is still the best attempt so far to capture Matheson's story on screen.
Our 'hero' is Robert Neville, the last surviving man of an epidemic that swept across the United States and then the world, destroying the whole populace. But it didn't kill everyone as many were turned into mutant like creatures that stalk the night, eating any living thing they come across. During the day Robert must see to his own needs and try to cope with being alone for so long, with only a dog to keep him company. And this is where Will Smith excels, capturing the madness that is slowly taking over Robert's mind. From his conversations with mannequins in the DVD rental store to his accurate quotations from Shrek 2, Will Smith brilliantly plays a man on the verge of a breakdown. And mention must be made of the dog, possibly the best animal performance in film since Pirates Of the Caribbean's undead monkey.
Unfortunately despite the brilliant atmosphere of 'I Am Legend' (if you thought London looked creepy in '28 Days Later' wait until you see New York), combined with impressive performances from the lead, this isn't enough to entirely save a film from it's two major flaws: the ending and the 'mutants'. The zombies in 'Shaun Of The Dead' were more impressive than the creatures in this film. The director Francis Lawrence seems to have liked the CGI used on the city so much he decided to use it again for the mutants. Entirely. This makes them seem more cartoon than anything else and definitely decreases the fear factor substantially. Secondly is the ending which, without spoiling it, is nothing like the book and feels rushed rather than satisfying, though it does get the job done.
'I Am Legend' is really a 3 star film, but is lifted to 4 stars due to Will Smith, the dog, and the valiant attempt to deal with a complex psychological issue set in a terrifying situation. If you're after a scary horror film look elsewhere, but if you'd like to see an alternative treatment of the vampire/zombie genre (as the creatures are not referred to as either it's up to you which term to use), this is definitely worth a look. -
Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
One Man And His Dog, with monsters
Touted to me as Hollywood does 28 Days Later I was not anticipating much as a) Hollywood rarely improve someone else's idea and b) 28 DL wasn't that good.
I was pleasantly surprised then as Will Smith put in a pretty good performance in an excellently portrayed desolate New York City.
The only let down was the monster element but guess these were necessary for the film to ultimately go anywhere, otherwise it would've been like an episode of One Man and his Dog, without the sheep, and what'd be the point in that? -
News and features
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Willow Smith to address Nobel concert in Mandarin
- 13 Dec 2009
Will Smith's nine-year-old daughter will show off her language skills at the Nobel Peace Prize concert on Friday (11Dec09) when she introduces celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang in his native Mandarin. The I Am Legend star and his family spent the summer (09) in China, where Smith's son, Jaden, has been filming the Karate Kid remake. Willow Smith picked up useful words and phrases in Mandarin during their long stay in the Far East and she will be putting her knowledge into practice when she... Read more
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