| Product: |
I Am Legend (DVD) |
| Date: |
28/01/08 (126 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Established a creepy, unsettling atmosphere, Will Smith does well acting against no-one
Disadvantages: Loses focus in the second part; dull, derivative ending
By 2009, humanity has been all but wiped out by a virus which turns survivors into ferocious vampires. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the sole survivor in New York, left trying to find a cure for the mutation.
I am Legend is a curious film which works on some levels but fails on others. Its plot is not wholly original - the post-apocalyptic vision has been done before, but it is implemented very well. From the opening shots of Will Smith hunting deer in the centre of New York, it's a hugely atmospheric film, which gives off its own peculiar, unsettling feel. Whilst the endless shots of empty streets do eventually become overused, they are, initially at least, used to very good effect to establish exactly how alone Smith is.
Plot-wise, things are kept pretty basic, but this serves the film well. There are no multiple plot strands, no crosses or double-crosses, just a simple battle to survive. This is instantly understandable and instantly engages. Much of the film is shot in a slightly shaky documentary style, which makes us feel as though we are right in the thick of the action trying to survive with Neville.
The plot is slowly built up and proceeds at a languid pace as we follow Neville around. This slow-burning atmosphere serves the film very well. We gradually become more aware of the dangers facing Neville and this allows the darker elements of the film to have more effect. The scarier sequences are well-handled, if nothing new and, although it never comes close to outright horror, there are some genuinely creepy moments which will make you jump.
There are a few negative elements to the plot, though. Firstly, the flashbacks are unnecessary and actually slow the pace of the film down. The attempts to provide more details of Neville's backstory are handled rather clumsily and add little to the film. Indeed, by constantly flipping backwards and forwards between the past and the present, they actually undermine the sense of isolation which the rest of the film works so hard to create.
More seriously, the film begins to run out of steam after about an hour. Partly this is because there are so many shots of an empty New York you can see before you become desensitised; partly, it's due to the fact that the first half uses suggestion, suspicion and shadows to unnerve the viewer, whilst the second half is less subtle; but mostly, it's because of plot developments. I can't tell you exactly what causes this, because it would give away a major plot point, but you'll almost certainly recognise it when you get to it. It represents a major shift in the tone and nature of the film. All the tension drains away and it changes from a slow-burning, unsettling battle to survive into more generic Hollywood action fare.
Will Smith holds up pretty well as Robert Neville. Having to go through a whole film as the sole human character is a big responsibility, and for the most part, Smith proves up to the task. He pitches his performance just right. He puts in enough small snippets of humour to lighten the mood and make his character appear more human, without ever resorting to the wise-cracking persona he used in Independence Day. Similarly, he brings enough gravity and intelligence to the role to convince as a scientist - or at least what Hollywood sees as a scientist! Where perhaps he is a bit of a let-down is when the plot turns darker and he is required to use a wider range of emotions (anger, confusion, bitterness and particularly anguish and sorrow). Smith doesn't quite possess the acting range needed to convey these and the sequences fall a little flat.
That's also true of the ending, which is very predictable. Even if you haven't seen The Omega Man (of which this is a remake), you'll quickly work out where it is heading. The cheesy, derivative ending points to Hollywood's need to have a multiplex friendly finish to draw in the crowds. I Am Legend was originally slated to be directed by Ridley Scott (and star Arnold Schwarzenegger), and you can't help but wonder how much darker, bleaker and more fitting the ending would have been had Scott's vision been realised.
Criticisms aside, though, I Am Legend is a perfectly watchable film. It loses its way in the second part and appears unsure how to resolve itself in a realistic and satisfactory manner. For the first hour, though, it provides an interesting, chilling (if slightly unoriginal) vision of the future.
Basic Information
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I Am Legend
2007
Director: Francis Lawrence
Running time: approx. 101 minutes
Certificate: 15
Best bit: the extended opening sequences showing Will Smith driving round a totally deserted New York, now home to lions and deer.
© Copyright SWSt 2008
Summary: Half way to being Legend. Which I guess makes it LEG
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