WEBmikey: I Am Legend : 3 of 5

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I Am Legend : 3 of 5
12.29.2007 6:32 PM \| Link	I didn't expect to be seeing this film, but Mom & Dad are Will Smith fans, so we decided to see a third movie together while I was in Oklahoma City. I Am Legend is based on the same book that inspired The Omega Man with Charlton Heston, which was a pretty cool (yet goofy) movie, so I already knew the basic plot idea, but this time around things are much more intense and serious. The main character (just about the only character, actually) is a military scientist who is immune to a terrible virus (caused by an engineered cure for cancer), now living alone in New York City trying to find a cure. He spends his days driving around the abandoned streets, breaking into empty stores and homes to take what he needs, and hiding at night with his canine companion, since the virus has turned everyone else into light-sensitive zombies! The zombies are the worst part of the movie, actually, since they are all CG and definitely show it. The tone of the movie is serious and played as reality, so I wish they would have just used extras in make-up, since the zombies end up looking like a video game. But putting the effects aside, the story is really told well, using just enough flashbacks to keep the audience informed, and it does a great job of showing both the strength and vulnerability of Will (especially as we watch him start to go crazy). I enjoyed the small details such as Times Square ads for movies we haven't heard of yet, $6.00 gasoline prices, and even Will's obsession with Bob Marley, which is a nice thread running through the film. The ending seemed a little tacked on (and had to stoop to narration to make everything clear), but overall the pacing was great. It's certainly not a feel-good holiday film, but definitely a cool near-future action movie! Labels: movies


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