I Am Legend is the third adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel of the same name, although this is the first film with that actual title. The first adaptation was The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price; a classic for many, but I found it rather dull. I was always fond of The Omega Man, featuring a very cool and macho Charlton Heston, but that film has not aged well. I've never read the book, but glancing over its synopsis, none of these adaptations appear to be fully accurate.
On its own merits, the I Am Legend film is a visually smooth and lush film; some of the most memorable imagery show New York City in ruins, overgrown with tall grass and vines, overrun with animals. The film follows the main character as he cruises through the city, hunts deer, scavenges, plays golf off the wing of an abandoned airplane, and continues to find a cure for the pandemic. Even though a lot of these scenes are fun (in the same respect as it was fun watching Charlton Heston roaming around in The Omega Man), this film does throw the main character into dangerous run-ins with hoards of fast and insane zombies. There are a few gripping scenes throughout, leading up to an action-packed finale.
The story for I Am Legend is generally sound, and it tries its best to be elegant about things. The plot structure is not particularly strong; outside of the occasional zombie scare and battle, conflict is kept to a minimum. What really matters is the narrative structure, which is a little unique for its use of flashbacks. Characters are delicately handled; it's hard not to feel for a man who's been alone for so long that he talks to mannequins and treats his dog like an actual person. However, the pathos suffers a little when the character acts out unreasonably (especially toward the only other human characters he eventually meets). There are moments where the film aspires to be more than it is: the film attempts to use butterfly motifs, Bob Marley references, and profound dialogue to dig up deeper themes regarding legacy. I'm personally not so sure if such themes really work, but they are nice touches. The film overall carries a delicate and emotional tone, which does succeed in making it invoking.
This film looks really slick; photography can get a little hectic with the action scenes, but is smooth and solid in every other scene. Editing is really interesting, given the way flashbacks are cut into the narrative so abruptly. Will Smith offers a solid and emotional performance. Writing is generally not bad. This production uses some very imaginative and good-looking sets, props, and costumes. Special effects were cool for their time, but show their age slightly (the computer-generated zombies are especially notorious, for they are not all that scary). The music score is nice.
Of the three films made from the same novel, I believe this is the most respectable one to date, even if it isn't totally true to the source. At the very least, it does make for a decent post-apocalyptic drama, and fans of the genre should check this film out.
Recommended.
4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)
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