Reviews Mar 17 2008 @ 08:00 am
REVIEW: I Am Legend
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Written By: Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman
Starring: Will Smith
Running Time: 101 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence
If only they had changed the title. But no, the powers at Warner Brothers had to have their cake and eat it too, sabotaging the legitimacy of this film from the beginning. I knew I was predestined to outrage even before setting foot in the darkened theater, but I held out hope that maybe, just maybe, director Francis Lawrence (Constantine) had managed to pull off Richard Matheson’s original uncompromising vision of the apocalypse. I can usually set aside my prejudices when writing these critiques, but not this time. In this review I’m embracing my subjectivity, and I suggest you to take my rants with a grain of salt. I Am Legend is probably not nearly as bad as I think it is.
More high concept than this it does not come. Will Smith stars in every sense of the word as Robert Neville, the last man on Earth after a vaccine-gone-bad runs amuck in the genetic code of humanity. Instead of merely killing off its victims, the virus transforms them into pasty zombies/vampires that hide during the day but frolic come sunset. Neville, a US Army scientist, wiles the time away by hunting deer in Times Square, capturing the creatures for medical experiments, driving golf balls off of aircraft carriers, and working tirelessly on a vaccine. He clings to the hope that either there are other survivors out there or that he can manufacture a cure for the disease. Lest you think the entire film is Smith talking to himself (as entertaining as that would be), he’s given a canine companion named Sam who serves as the focus of his conversation and affection.
The film contains its fair share of jolts and extravagant action set pieces as Neville hunts and flees the infected denizens of the city. The creature FX are a little on the limp side, which is surprising considering how seamlessly the forsaken New York city has been rendered. I kept looking for the CG in the streets and skyline but it was perfect. If I didn’t know it was impossible, I would have thought they had actually built a life size New York and grown it over with weeds. Watching Neville scream down the abandoned streets in his black Shelby Mustang GT500 (yes, I had to google that) is a sight to behold.
Much as Tom Hanks did in Castaway, Smith carries the entire film on his shoulders effortlessly. He’s never dull or self-indulgent, and he’s always emotionally accessible. This is, sadly, not the kind of film or performance that courts awards, but Smith brings a depth to the role that deserves some. A touching moment late in the runtime with his dog could have easily descended into melodrama, but Smith keeps it reigned in and creates the most memorable scene in the film.
So why did I begin this review so harshly when all I’ve indicated thus far is that it’s a decent genre flick worth a bag of popcorn or two? If you have yet to see the movie, stop reading now and just go enjoy it. For the blissfully ignorant, it’s a 3 1/2 star apocalyptic thriller, easy. For those who’ve already taken it in or those who’ve read the book, read on as I descend into frustration.
SPOILERS BELOW!
They raped the ending. They beat it into the ground and then drug the title through the mud for good measure. This movie fundamentally alters the fabric of Matheson’s novel, and what’s worse, you can see signs that they tried to be true to it but just completely gave up at some point, like offering candy to a baby and then ripping it away at the last moment with a maniacal belch of laughter. What was a deeply affecting meditation on loneliness and isolation has been reduced to a generic sci-fi actioner in the most pathetic of senses. I Am Legend the film is an abortion of Matheson’s original work.
Think I’m being a bit harsh? Bear with me.
As it exists now, Neville sacrifices himself in order to save Anna and Ethan from the Dark Seekers (called the New Breed in the book). The mother and son journey on, taking with them the cure that Neville had developed, until they reach a human outpost. As the camera floats away from this happy ending, Anna’s voice can be heard: “Robert Neville saved the human race. This is his legend.” Sweet, huh? Here’s how it really goes down. Anna (who is named Ruth in the book; Ethan is only in the film) is really one of the New Breed, sent to gather information about Neville. After the virus hit, humans didn’t simply change into vampires – they evolved into another species, one that lived at night and slept during the day. Neville, going on his hunting trips, has been exacting genocide on a new breed of humans. He has become the boogeyman to them, a daymare if you will, an obstacle to the founding of their new society. They capture him, the last living human, and place him in a cell, preparing to execute him. Ruth visits him and gives him poison out of compassion. Here are the final paragraphs of the book:
Robert Neville looked out over the new people of the earth. He knew he did not belong to them; he knew that, like the vampires, he was anathema and black terror to be destroyed. And, abruptly, the concept came, amusing him even in his pain.
A coughing chuckle filled his throat. He turned and leaned against the wall while he swallowed the pills. Full circle, he thought while the final lethargy crept into his limbs. Full circle. A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever.
I am legend.
I was speechless when I finished the book and read that final sentence. The true meaning of the title, which had remained opaque throughout the book, finally made sense. Previous cinematic incarnations of Matheson’s work went by different titles (The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man), perhaps realizing that if audiences couldn’t accept his unbending vision then they had no right to pilfer the title, but Lawrence and company just couldn’t resist the marketing tie-in. The entirety of the novel centers on the title and its significance. To strip away its core is negligent; to pervert the entire work is criminal. This infuriates me on an instinctive level that I do not fully understand, and I’m angrier now than when I began the review. It’s one thing to screw up the tone of a book, or leave out superfluous details, or even alter the original storyline. Literature and cinema are different beasts, requiring different kinds of taming, and storytelling structure in one is fundamentally different than in the other. But this is outright abuse of an author’s creative vision, resulting in an inferior and stillborn product.
It’s difficult to know where to point the finger. As director, Lawrence obviously shoulders the brunt of the responsibility, whether he’s culpable or not. Akiva Goldsman took over writing duties from Mark Protosevich, so perhaps he bears the blame. More than likely, however, it’s some studio exec that has the blood on his hands. Matheson’s grim ending is not very palatable, and the perceived desires of the American public (who wants to think when you can just be entertained?) probably won the argument. If rumors are to be believed, this was a rocky production, with the ending being re-shot (an alternate version recently popped up on YouTube which, while an improvement, still fails to do justice to Matheson’s novel). Would I Am Legend have done $255 million in domestic box office alone if the original ending had remained intact? Someone over at Warners is patting themselves on the back for the lobotomized version they pawned off on the public and the mint they mined from their pockets.
I would not feel this way if the book were not so good. To take a literary gem like that and grind it down into a dusty shadow of its former self is just plain depressing. I cannot muster any more than 1 1/2 stars for this hackneyed monstrosity. Cry “Subjective Drama Queen!” all you want, but in my opinion, I Am Legend sucks.
on Mar 17 2008 @ 10:16 am 1. Marc Hall said …
Personally , I thought the movie was pretty good . I’ve never read the book so I really cant compare it to anything else . I wasnt to crazy about the ending though . I would give it 2 1/2 to 3 stars
on Mar 17 2008 @ 10:37 am 2. Joseph said …
I haven’t read the book yet, but loved the alternate ending. It’s much better than what we got in the theatrical version.
on Mar 17 2008 @ 6:46 pm 3. Rick Olson said …
Subjective drama queen!
Actually, you can’t separate your reaction to one thing — such as a movie — from the rest of your context. You can try, but it’s not possible. Anybody who says you can is itchin’ for a fight …
on Mar 24 2008 @ 5:27 pm 4. Mike Phelps said …
Evan, I want to read the book now. Sounds like a good read.
The book aside, for it to have been a good movie, I think more story development at the beginning and more investment in Anna was needed.
Will Smith did a great job, but the ending really sucked. There was 30 secs of sappiness between Neville eating a grenade and the credits rolling.
on Mar 24 2008 @ 7:58 pm 5. Evan Derrick said …
Mike, its a deep meditation on human loneliness. It really resonated with me when I read it given where I was in my life at that time. Its certainly not a happy book – but it is a powerful one.
on Apr 03 2008 @ 8:24 am 6. Ryan Walker said …
I thought the movie was just fine ending and all. You guys are too judgemental and picky. Every movie will smith is in he makes the movie so much better. Anyone else play Robinson Neville would have been garbage.
on Apr 03 2008 @ 8:41 am 7. Evan Derrick said …
I understand what you’re saying Ryan – I think I mentioned in the review that my prejudices were quite subjective on this one. Here was a case where having read the book before hand ruined the film for me. That’s not always true, but the book represented such an important time in my life that it was impossible for me to divorce myself from it.
Will Smith is great. The ending, however, was a missed opportunity. If you haven’t read the book you’re left with an enjoyable, above average popcorn thriller.
As I said in the review, “For the blissfully ignorant, it’s a 3 1/2 star apocalyptic thriller, easy.”
on Jun 26 2008 @ 6:58 pm 8. James Turner said …
What is Ryan talking about!?
“Anyone else play Robinson Neville would have been garbage.”
There are a large number of very talented actors in this world. Not merely the big Hollywood names but many foreign actors and independent film actors too.
Don’t be so foolish as to over state your apparent idolisation for Mr. Smith by insulting the acting ability of so many others who would all bring their own style to the part of Robert Neville.
It would be a sad world if there were really such a small number brilliant actors as Ryan Walker believes. As a person who works in Film and has been on a number of sets now, I personally don’t see Will Smith as being one of the best but he is a well developed actor, i’ll give him that.
on Jul 03 2008 @ 9:55 pm 9. owen said …
I was prompted to read the book after seeing the film and even before I read it I thought the ending was weak and saccharine. However, after reading what I now realize is an absolute classic, I am that much more horrified by the denouement of the movie. It’s like they shoehorned the title to fit their happy ending almost as an after-thought. The title makes sense of the whole book, but in the context of the movie’s storyline, it is totally incongruous.
Hollywood scum.
on Jul 03 2008 @ 10:41 pm 10. Evan Derrick said …
Ah Owen, a man after my own heart. Glad to see that someone else had the exact same reaction that I did. The movie by itself really isn’t that bad, but in light of the amazing source material, they really botched it, big time, all in the name of safety and money.
on Jul 08 2008 @ 1:14 am 11. James said …
Aloha,
First, let me say that I wholeheartedly agree with Evan’s review. I just saw the movie on DVD, and then I took a look at the original novel’s plot synopsis on Wikipedia… My, what a letdown. I have always been a bit skeptical of movie adaptations based on novels, but in this instance, I was unquestionably blindsided as to how BAD the movie is compared to its source material.
Truth be told, I’m kinda glad that it happened in that order. It’s even more hurtful that the storyline in the original book is exactly the kind of movie that I’d pay money to see. I look at this movie as yet another lame attempt to cash in, with Will Smith (talented though he may be) being used as bait to lure in a mainstream audience.
Don’t misunderstand me. As per Evan’s review, I agree that there are things that the movie does quite well. They nailed Neville’s isolation in New York, and I also agree that the scene with Neville and Sam in the lab is the best in the entire film. But overall, I wanted to see more of the book’s storyline on screen.
To me, it’s apparent that if you read the book and then saw the movie, then the movie will prove to be a disappointment (other examples include ALL the “Harry Potter” movies and “The Golden Compass”, which is now a personal favorite.) However, I pose the following question to you:
“When has a movie adaptation of a novel exceeds the quality of its original source material?”
I know I’m splitting hairs here, but I think my point is still pretty valid. (Incidentally, the only answer I can come up with is 2001: A Space Odyssey, but that’s immediately disqualified because the novel was written AFTER the movie was released, just like the novelizations for the Star Wars prequels.)
Why do we expect that this trend will reverse itself? Why are we somehow keeping the vain hope that a movie will come along that blows whatever it’s based on out of the water? I am always skeptical of movie adaptations, but in this instance, I was blindsided. Rest assured, I am not going to subscribe to such delusion again.
If you’ve read down this far, thanks for reading my rant. It’s nice to get stuff off of one’s chest.
Mahalo,
James
on Jul 08 2008 @ 6:08 am 12. Luke Harrington said …
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (based on Gary Wolf’s novel, Who Censored Roger Rabbit?) was an improvement on the book.
on Jul 08 2008 @ 6:35 am 13. Colleeny said …
Blade Runner was better than “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. I love PKD, but seriously the movie was the first I ever saw in the theatre, and remains lodged firmly in my top 5 films ever.
on Jul 08 2008 @ 8:48 am 14. Evan Derrick said …
I agree with Colleeny…Blade Runner is much better than “Electric Sheep,” although to be fair they are entirely different animals. They might have the same inspiration and general plot points, but the tones are completely different. Scott didn’t even read the book before he directed the film. Said he couldn’t “get through it.”
And James, technically 2001 was a book before it was a movie, although Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke collaborated on the script jointly. The movie and book were designed to complement one another, although the book did come first. Both were based on an earlier short story by Clarke. Your point still stands, however…no one remembers the book anymore, and for all intents and purposes, the film is better than it.
on Oct 25 2008 @ 4:08 am 15. BB said …
Excuse my spelling errors.
But honestly I’m bored and all other comments on the movie sound quite, well their jerks when describing the emovie. And me having a slightly ignorant opinion to anyone who disagrees on mine I jus want to state mine. Why today does everyone have to be strongly on one side or the other. “I like Pepsi” ‘I like coke, pepsi suck” “I’m a democrat” “Well i’m voting for bloc” “I’m muslim” “Christianity is the only way to the golden gates of heaven” Everybody is either strongly one way or the other. And when I sya strong, they’d probably shave their head to make the point. I know tis is so completly off topic, but it’s been bothering me, and I could get my own blog but I’m home alone right now and when I would normally rant I’d rather do it right now to anybody who will read. I am legend was so good, you’ll get various opinions but some people are way too absorbed and picky with this movie. It’s just a movie get out of it what you will. But there’s no need to anaylize and compare it and state a bad opinion of it, just go on and write a whole long tale about a movie that you do. Will smith as the protagonist was perfect, he captured human nature to a T (A t?) and he was weirdly antisocial to the brink of making you feel uncomfortable. And that was only 3 years of being semi alone. I don’t want to spoil much. But why does their always have to be relgiious themes? Christainity followers are wavering in numbers, Islam is going to stretch much farther than it. And yet, to make this story complete to make it seem like their was a deeper meaning, “God” had it all planned to save everybody. That’s so, so, dumb. You’d think today, 2008 that people would open their eyes up more, especially because everyone is allowed to state their opinions and are getting cruder on television and everywhere. I just wish people would be a little more agnostic. And you know, you can get ideas everywhere. Not just what you think is your beliefs and stuff. The golden compass for example. Relgion is one of those topics you just don’t touch. But everybody just needs to lighten up and open up. I’m done. Nobody needs to reply at all. But it’s nice to get attention, even in a place you would never look. Btw, how can zombie’s find the difference of living people and nonliving? They will still have human charcteristics. So they can’t smell or notice behaviour because they’re supposed to be dumb. The Zombie is a really unorginal character now that I think about it. I don’t know about the book, but I think in a way their both seperate. A person can love this movie and the book, not so much. I didn’t think silent hill 1 the game was good, not much of a story if you ask me, or ending. But the silent hill movie, is one of my favorites and blew me away. I like the golden compass and the movie just didn’t do it for me. So yeah, if there are religious themes in the actual book it just doesn’t sound that appealing. I’m guessing there is. Oh well, I doubt I’ll ever read it. That’s my fill.
on Oct 25 2008 @ 9:00 am 16. Evan Derrick said …
I am legend was so good, you’ll get various opinions but some people are way too absorbed and picky with this movie. It’s just a movie get out of it what you will. But there’s no need to anaylize and compare it and state a bad opinion of it, just go on and write a whole long tale about a movie that you do.
Hey BB, thanks for taking the time to comment. A few thoughts.
First, people express strong opinions when the feel something deeply. Your comment comes from the same place my review did – a need to communicate how you felt about a subject. Essentially, you’ve done the exact same thing I did in my review. I could easily say myself, “It’s just a film review, get out of it what you will, but there’s no need to analyze it and state a bad opinion of it.”
Secondly, have you ever considered that analyzing a film is simply another way to enjoy it? And that forming an opinion and expressing that opinion is also a way to enjoy it? Even if it is a film you didn’t like?
on Nov 04 2010 @ 8:04 pm 17. Buck Vanner said …
I managed to get help with my child support situation at http://www.childsupporthell.com/community , these people have a really good thing taking place by aiming to aid the ones that can not support their selves with this hosed up child support process which we have now-days. I swear some thing should be done about this and if anyone is to make it happen, childsupporthell.com will