I thought it was a really solid movie. The first hour is really thought-provoking and impressive. Seeing New York City so completely deserted is really pretty eerie. And many scenes are extremely creepy (especially the uber-quiet scene in the building Sam the Dog runs into). The movie also does an excellent job showing the psychological torment that Neville is going through. On that note, Will Smith should be commended for his excellent performance. Acting like this is not usually seen in big-budget blockbusters, but Smith is truly impressive. A bit off the shine does come off when Ana is introduced, with the amount of action increasing a little too much to come off believably. However, the film is still relatively solid even in this section.

First half: B+
Second half: B-
Overall, you get a...B

I should mention it was certainly much sadder than I expected. I mean, in addition to watching Neville have to experience this sort of loneliness, the part where...

The first hour was building to one of my favorite movies of all time.

The last forty minutes or so, when the movie takes a turn, brings it down a lot from the path it was taking. I don't think it was handled properly...most of the blame here falls on the screenwriter I think. The last half was still very strong, just not nearly as strong as the INCREDIBLE first half.

Will Smith gave a career-defining performance and one of the best I've ever seen.

A, borderline A+. I'm seeing it again Tuesday so I'll have a better idea then.

I liked it.

I liked it's nice, dark, hard edge.

Heck, it's good to see any sci-fi these days, let alone some old school end of the world shit like this.

Plus, I guess I'm one of the ones who is genetically predisposed to believe Will Smith's acting - - I mean believe it -- the guy's got the chops, yo Stella!

Nicely framed with prescript and postscript, not too much monster craziness (though it's touch and go there for a while), lots of pleasantly creepy reminders of today as history in this tomorrow vision, a story that doesn't leak before it explodes, and a downright rip roarin' spirit coursing through it's veins.

Take one dose of I Am Legend with one dose of Ultraviolet, wait for the medicine to take effect, and then follow-up with a dose of Resident Evil: Extinction, and ya got yourself a triple bill cocktail of humandoomangloom...

6 out of 5.



















Yar!!!!!!

Wow! What a review!!! It's mind-blowingly positive!!!!!

This is gotta score high:


What???!!!???!!!??? A-? Huhhh??????

.
.
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Oh, wait, there's another one:


Never mind...

A A good,scary,funny and sad film. I must now read the novel.

The scene in the video store was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the year, as was the other scene that is being mentioned.

...and action wise, I quite enjoyed the scene where he has to activate his last ditch perimeter defense around his house - - BOOM...

BTW, loved that giant "SuperBatMan" movie poster seen in Times Square just before the opening title credit - - it was a Batman crest with a Superman crest in the middle - - now I wanna see SuperBatMan too, I just hope it opens before the plague hits in 2009...

as everyone else, i had a little trouble with the last 20 minutes which knocked it down from really being a great film. I have cast away in my top 50 of all time and this film is similar in a way. I do wish they would have used normal people and not CGI as the vampire/zombie things but that is just a minor concern. Smith really does give an incredible performance again.

B+/A-

Not sure which grade yet, gotta look at the films i've rated in that area and see if i like this better then them or not.

I was rather pleasantly surprised for at least the first 2/3. Though it's terribly unfaithful to the novel, and that bugged me at times (mostly in regards to the creatures and the ending - it didn't matter that the location was changed), it still manages to take some of the key themes and elements from the story and craft its own tale. The third act trails off into convention and cliché, though, and the happy ending is completely at odds with the book, so it's not a perfect movie, but it is a damn good one and a very powerful one to boot.

Most of this is because of Smith's performance. Without seeing either of his Oscar-nominated roles, I think this is his best work to date. For much of the movie, he completely and utterly owns the screen, simultaneously making us laugh and cry, while never straying into overacting or self-parody. Even scenes that could be funny (and sometimes were, to some people), like talking to mannequins, he infuses with a sense of realism and seriousness that makes us believe in the character. Though his final act turn is predictable and corny, Smith makes the character, as a whole, relatable and likeable, if a bit too perfect. It's really a remarkable performance.

As such, the rest of the film has trouble keeping up. The direction is impressive, never really being overly flashy while still adding a touch of style to the piece. The suspense is built up immensely at times and the action isn't overused until the finish. The production design and visual effects are fairly impressive; it's stunning to see the deserted city, but the creatures needed work and should have been left as 'normal' vampires. And the story, while straying from the novel, stays relatively strong until the third act, where all logic and reason is thrown out the window.

The problem with this third act is the gaping plot holes that open up. Who sets the trap that leads to Smith being captured? How do the other survivors rescue him? How have they survived for so long? How is there a camp set up? The film really does away with all of these questions and just goes for an action-packed, thrilling, and emotionally-charged finish. It's a far cry from the psychologically dark and disturbing ending of the book, and it's really a disappointment. It's too bad, because most of the film is nearly flawless.

As I said, the differences from the novel really didn't bother me, though I think the creatures should have been made into real vampires instead of some super-strong mutant things. Neville's psychological breakdown is there (a bit), his scientific work is there, and his dark past (brought about fantastically in flashbacks) is there. For the most part, the film manages to keep the message of the novel intact, even if it completely botches the ending.

I noticed that too, and I loved it. I thought it was a great little nod to the failed project.

After looking over Akiva Goldsman's writing credits I am no longer surprised that I didn't like this movie.

#
# I Am Legend (2007) (screenplay)
... aka I Am Legend: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)
# The Da Vinci Code (2006) (screenplay)
# Cinderella Man (2005) (screenplay)
# I, Robot (2004) (screenplay)
... aka I, Robot (Germany)
# A Beautiful Mind (2001) (written by)
# Practical Magic (1998) (screenplay)
# Lost in Space (1998) (written by)
... aka LS (USA: promotional abbreviation)
# Batman & Robin (1997) (written by)
# A Time to Kill (1996) (screenplay)
# Batman Forever (1995) (screenplay)
# Silent Fall (1994) (written by)
# The Client (1994) (screenplay)



ewwww. So much for Hancock. Co-writer Mark Protosevich is also responsible for adapting Poseidon.

can someone tell me how the book ended?

Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_am_legend

If they wanted the book ending... then they wouldn't have wanted Will Smith, as that's not a role he would play well.

So, since they got him, the movie worked the way they wanted it.

I thought it was fantastic throughout most of it, until they decided that they wrote themselves into a corner and

But overall... 9.4/10 A

Movies that can get me emotionally connected, as this did, get HIGH grades from me.

hey now....make sure to put those spoiler tags next time

When did putting spoiler tags need to be used?

When you give away big spoilers to a movie that JUST came out?

People have had this discussion before. It clearly states spoilers ARE allowed. If you don't want to be spoiled, don't read the reviews.

Why are you arguing about this? You're the only one who blatantly gave away a big spoiler without putting spoiler tags, everyone else who mentioned a major part about the movie put in tags.

People read reviews to see what other people thought about it and get an idea of what to expect or if they should go see it. Theres a reason why we have spoiler tags available.

Well I chose not to use them. It's not required.

In Munky's defense the book and The Omega Man end the same way so it was no surprise to me.

So everyone who saw I Am Legend read the book and/or watched Omega Man?

Anyways, he pretty much said he wont use spoiler tags for any movie he reviews. Either way, this is a stupid argument. It's not cool to spoil movies for people, either put in tags or write 'spoiler' before you want to discuss a spoiler.

If they didn't they are morons. Yes I went there

Boring, overdone film with nothing very interesting. The special effects were rather awful too.

Grade: C-