[Review] I Am Legend
I went with the nerd happy hour crew to see I Am Legend, the new Will Smith movie about him being the last person on earth. And I thought it was quite good.
In case you haven't seen a preview yet, Will Smith plays the last man in New York City -- perhaps the last man on earth. The entire population has been wiped out by some kind of apocalyptic event. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of that event is that he must lock himself in at sundown to protect his life against...well, I'll let you find out for yourself.
The movie was as slow-paced as you'd expect for a movie that follows around a man who has only a dog as a companion in an eerily-deserted Manhattan Island. It starts off slowly, setting an appropriate stage for the life of a man who is more alone than any of us could ever imagine. Then the film picks up in the middle and stays fast, and the ending is refreshing. Ultimately, the entire film works thanks to a great performance by Will Smith. His acting ability was first put on display in Six Degrees Of Separation, and he is very impressive here in conveying the determined yet delusional focus of a man who seems to have only one thing left to live for.
That said, the film doesn't light the world on fire. The pacing is awkward at times, and you feel like they could have developed the backstory a bit more. Some aspects of the film simply go completely unexplained, or left for the viewer to interpret, when they easily could have been explained. I'd be curious to see a director's cut or extended version (even though it isn't a short film).
All in all, I thought it was worth seeing -- hence the 3 1/2 Obsidian Potency reels. Check it out, or wait for the DVD. You shouldn't be disappointed.
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since: 18 Oct 2004