I Am Legend reviews

[MaxFly]

Yep spot on maxfly.. Will obviously put up a good performance in this.. hater! wave em off :bat:

Block ‘em out, ignore ‘em (wave em off)

Don’t pay these jokers no mind (wave em off)

Made you sore

Mad cause they in the coat section of the hate train & they can’t get off

:susel[1]:

[viber_91]

http://aintitcool.com/node/34999

"well, I saw "I am legend" yesterday. I am a miserable old coot with no life, a deep rooted hatred of Hollywood schlockbusters, and a sincere conviction that a) Akiva Goldsman should burn in hell, and that b) the Fresh Prince just isn't an action star, not matter how much he pumps up (to Dolph Lundgren-esque proportions by now).

I have followed the development of this movie since the time it was supposed to star Schwarzenegger (a story perfectly retold in "The greatest sci-fi movies never made" - buy it!). I know the original story, I have the Vincent Price version (odd, but strangely satisfying), I love the Charlton Heston version (I'm a kid of the 70's - sue me), and I recently listened to the superior BBC radio adaptation. All of which should strongly indicate that I went into this screening with a desire to hate whatever the director of numerous J-Lo videos, the writer of "Batman & Robin", and the lead actor from "Wild Wild West" were going to throw at me.

And yeah - it started tacky enough: Loads of attention grabbing shots of a digitally depopulated New York coupled with a "chase scene" that combines Fast & Furious-style driving with distractingly obvious CGI animals.

But then the movie proper started - and man, it's a BLAST! I don't care what everybody else says, but this bitch ROCKS. Not just because they actually manage to build a plausible backstory (even for the "vampires"), and give the scenario an atmosphere of dread and isolation. No, "I am legend" works because despite all the action sequences and FX fireworks, it's still very much the story of a lonely man incapable of accepting fate. The finer details of the script are too numerous to list here, but if you look for it, everything in the movie has a subtext, a mirror opposite, or some deeper connection. Mankind brings the plague upon itself, and every time things take a turn for the worse, someone has caused it. Even Robert Neville is responsible for everything karma throws at him, and when his carefully balanced world starts to unravel, it's strictly because he made mistakes, ignored facts, slipped up.

I can not praise Wil Smith enough in this one - his Robert Neville is a man clearly trying to hold on to his sanity, but man, it is slipping. You can see that his strict daily fitness and security schedule is the only thing that keeps him from going totally bonkers. And when things go from bad to worse (well, in this case from worse to worst), he rapidly unravels. He is no hero. He is frightened, mad, alone, desperate, hateful.

That's another thing: Despite the big budget, big property, and big star, "I am legend" is not a heroic blockbuster. It's almost - intimate. There, I said it. Robert Neville might be a trained scientist and soldier, and he is trying to save mankind, but he is also a lost soul. Again, it's all in the

details: His daily radio call to find other survivors ends with "Please...

you are not alone". And in the "please" we feel his pain, because: HE is alone.

I was stunned how well Goldsman and Protosevich have not only updated the original script, but filled out all the blanks, eliminated a ton of inconsistencies, and elevated it from a "survivor movie" to a deeply affecting human drama. Only after seeing this film did I realize how unsatisfying the previous adaptations were.

Apart from the core drama, the action scenes are really well done, with enough pizzazz to satisfy die hard movie fans, bit also enough restraint to make them plausible and real (no Michael Bay style editing here). There is also actual suspense built into the action scenes - the "dog attack" is nothing short of stunning. I also liked the way they told the backstory fast, and integrated it into the movie. Zero fat, folks.

You may not want to hear this, but "I am legend" is a blockbuster remake that actually stands head and shoulders above the original.

Is it a perfect movie? No. The decision to depict the "vampires" as agile CGI creatures was a big mistake. They sap a lot of the reality out of the movie. And they are not very well done, with unconvincing movements and distracting facial tics.

And while Neville is never painted as a messiah (see the ending of the Heston version), some unnecessary references to religion and faith could've been eliminated. But that's a matter of personal taste. The story also requires Neville to be immune to the virus, a bigshot soldier, AND a proficient scientist. That's a bit much.

I was going to list numerous references to "Ground zero" as a drawback, but thinking about it, "I am legend" actually uses the analogy to its advantage:

Seeing Robert Neville in a depopulated city, saying "This is Ground Zero!

This is my site! I can still fix this!" works on numerous levels...

Final verdict? I am STUNNED. This is better than it has any right to be.

While it is not (and was never supposed to be) a true adaptation of the Matheson story, it delivers on the potential and dramatic power of the source material. For anyone who claims that big movies can be big entertainment, but not quality entertainment - this one should shut them up."

Edited December 7, 2007 by viber_91

[Mr K]

You know what? I stand corrected...

At first I was really worried, but when the discrepancy IS in fact this huge like MAxFly said - something's gotta be off. And now especially with the guy from AintItCool...that is a massively positive review. I managed to become super excited about the film again :)

Cheers

[Typhoon20]

The thing that surprises me the most is we got 2 VERY different reviews from the SAME SITE AICN.COM. At least the second positive one admits he went into this movie hating on akiva and Will, then admitted he loved it. But the bad one from AICN.COM just felt like he ripped it for no apparent reason.

But so far 2 things are almost a fact:

1-CGI of the monsters seems to be bad.

2-The movie is not faithful to the book.

But other then that it's a perfectly fine movie, aside from 1-2 hater no one critisized Will's performance, in fact they praised him. And everyone talked great about the first hour of the movie. To be honest, I've read a spoiler from a guy who saw this movie, and I know how it ends. It's really not that bad, I kinda like it. There I said it.And when you consider that the original ending will have it's place on the DVD, it's really pretty good.

[Typhoon20]

Another VERY positive review

http://variagate.com/legend.htm?RT

"How many subjects did you test with your new vaccine for cancer," the TV news anchor asks of the medical researcher (Emma Thompson, uncredited) being interviewed.

"10,008," comes the precise reply.

"And how many of those were cured?"

"10,008," the doctor again replies, restraining any sign of pride.

Skipping forward a few years and, instead of a world population cured of its major disease, only one man appears to be alive. The vaccine, it seems, has a side-effect that, with time, has proven far worse than the affliction it was intended to eradicate. As though the pandemic it caused wasn't enough, it turns people into nocturnal beasts that feed on human flesh. And, only one man one dog, lots of deer and a couple of lions have so far escaped both the vaccine's effects and deadly attack by the viral beasts.

As the last human still breathing in the great city of Manhattan, with its weedy, overgrown streets littered with destroyed vehicles and downed lampposts, Robert Neville (Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness," "Men In Black") can pick up and drive the hottest car he can find and race it up and down streets and avenues trying to nail at least one deer out of a swiftly moving herd. Four-legged animals have staked out a claim on Manhattan real estate.

Free to pick and choose just about anything, Neville has taken up residence in a posh, multistoried apartment off Washington Square, probably because of its security doors and windows. As the medical officer in charge of this area, he has set up an experimental lab in the basement in search of a cure, using infected rats until he captures one of the ex-humans whose new instinct is to bite anyone still alive, in the normal sense. These inhuman creatures have become freakingly swift zombies on steroids, if you will.

Based on Richard Matheson's 160 page novella of 1954 (it has since been expanded) , Francis Lawrence ("Constantine," "Britney Spears: Greatest Hits - My Prerogative from the video "I'm a Slave 4 U") directs from a screenplay by Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman whose adaptation strongly echoes "The Omega Man" of 1971 with Charlton Heston. That screenplay was written by John William Corrington from the same source novella, in which the experimental vaccine caused an apocalyptic war with biological weapons. Either way, the decimation of mankind as we know and cherish it is the conceptual point.

While the production is first rate and the visual elements update the prior version to fulfill expectations (a blasted away Brooklyn Bridge), the key to success for a movie with a single personality on screen for most of it wouldn't be better found than in Smith. He brings a warm dimensionality to everything he does.

Flashbacks tell us of the events surrounding the attempts to flee the island when the seriousness of the outbreak became evident. We see how he carted off his family for sanctuary in New Jersey and stayed behind as the medical officer in charge of finding a cure -- and he takes his charge very seriously. This, while he was unable to project the extent of the danger. Smith gives full expression to the range of emotions he goes through as he adapts to his evolving and desperate circumstance.

This writing of "I Am Legend" does good work in establishing the terror a survivor finds hiding in dark places. An emotional high point is attained in a horrific sequence in which Neville must fight paralyzing fear in attempting to rescue his dog from the monstrous mutations -- which is when we become aware that he's living among a horde of cannibals.

One may empathize with the residents and workers of the Big Apple. The bare streets, the wreckage, the implanted greens and the sheer scope of destruction on its normally teeming streets tells us something about New Yorkers grumbling over the inconveniences of a film crew and its equipment. Imagine the freaked-out phone calls to 911 about Black Hawk helicopters, tanks, swarming military activity, hundreds of extras rushing about in a panic, lots of lights near the Brooklyn Bridge and... what all this does to traffic congestion.

Camerawork by cinematographer Andrew Lesnie ("King Kong," 2005) is a major contribution; and there's a very nice appearance by Brazilian actress Alice Braga in her first big American film. This very promising talent (niece of Sonia) was last seen here in the sensually splendid "Lower City."

Editor Wayne Wahrman does the only cutting that leaves things mostly unbloodied and at survival pace. The score by James Newton Howard ("The Interpreter") feasts on the eerie destitution and the biting terrors.

Which reminds us that this isn't a character study of a nobel prize-winning immunologist who loves his dog, but a zombie movie. The good news, though, is that it's one of the more creative presentations on that very worn theme despite the usual pathology to devour or infect humans. This production may, in fact, make some fans thirst for more, but they'd have a hard time finding a match for Matheson's futuristic take on the genre within the film crypts of the undead.

[Hero1]

The wheel is turning! Positive reviews are starting to come in!

[viber_91]

http://www.wildaboutmovies.com/movies/I-Am-Legend-Movie.php

" Perhaps the greatest compliment to Smith came from the man who first created the character of Robert Neville. "I think Will Smith is the perfect person to portray Robert Neville," author Richard Matheson states. "I've seen almost every film he has made, and he is always totally convincing in whatever role he is playing. In this story, his character is key and, therefore, he is key." "

[Hero1]

Hollywood Reporter

Smith, sporting a newly buffed physique, delivers an extraordinary performance as a man slowly coming unglued under the strain of no human contact and a constantly alternating role of hunter and prey

Lawrence is in complete control of his actors, stunt people and visual effects. These, when blended with Naomi Shohan's knock-out production design, Andrew Lesnie's mobile camera and James Newton Howard's magisterial score, create a New York City that is a literally an urban jungle.

The third act either ups the ante of action and suspense or falls apart, depending on one's taste in science fiction.

Bottom Line: A fascinating take on old sci-fi tale but too CG-dependent and an unconvincing religious ending damages its credibility.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/r...;&rid=10309

[Hero1]

http://www.comics2film.com/index.php?a=story&b=30339

The film's run time is barely ninety minutes, which is perfect for anyone with ADD. However, for those of us who are looking for a bit more substance and an ending that leaves more to be desired, you may be bound for disappointment.

That said, Will Smith's performance is mesmerizing and since most of the film relies solely on him, the film is well worth the price of admission.

[Typhoon20]

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935602...yid=31&cs=1

Remarkably eerie yet annoyingly larded with cheap horror-film shock effects, "I Am Legend" stands as an effective but also irksome adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic 1954 sci-fi novel. In what is to a considerable extent a solo turn as the last healthy human on a post-plague planet Earth, Will Smith strongly holds the screen in a one-man Alamo besieged by marauding cannibals. Potent B.O. looms worldwide.

The only and biggest downfall seems to be the CGI of the darkseekers.

I'd wish they would have left that in bigger & better hands, obviously it didn't work out well.Seems like francis lawrence overexaggerated a bit and he missed it. Shame because that could have been done better and now the reviews would have been near perfect.

[viber_91]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/r...?&rid=10309

Bottom Line: A fascinating take on old sci-fi tale but too CG-dependent and an unconvincing religious ending damages its credibility.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The third act either ups the ante of action and suspense or falls apart, depending on one's taste in science fiction. A young woman and child (Brazilian actress Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan) suddenly appear out of nowhere. A Judeo-Christian theme gets introduced, the creatures lay siege to the townhouse, and Robert discovers the antidote for the plague. All of which leads to an upbeat ending few are going to swallow.

Edited December 8, 2007 by viber_91

[Jazzy Julie]

These are amazing reviews. i wonder if its possible that Will could get an oscar nomination for a blockbuster, now that would be cool.

[Typhoon20]

This movie is a sensory experience that it’s hard not to recommend, so enveloping is the production design and sense-of-scene. I can only suggest the compromise of staying for the first 75 minutes. That’s all the film-makers seem to have done.

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/7232/i_am_legend_review.html

:shakehead:

So far every reviewer said very good things about the first hour,

but totally destroyed it for the final half hour (with the CGI monsters and the script).

[Hero1]

whats so funny is the ending is the greatest part of the novel..if they had kept the original ending we prob would have had a classic..

[Typhoon20]

whats so funny is the ending is the greatest part of the novel..if they had kept the original ending we prob would have had a classic..

Yeah, and if they would have dumbed down the CGI of the darkseekers, this would have not only be the best thriller but it would be part of the greatest movies of all-time.

That's what makes me mad, this had the potential to be legend. It's still probably a decent movie, but it was not so smart to change the ending like that, with alice braga. I'm not mad cause it doesn't have the same ending as the book, it's the way they did it, that just didn't work out. Also it would have been sooo better if the infected would be smart, would have given the movie a deeper meaning to it. Instead they just focused on the solitary of the character, which is cool. But they didn't bother much with the infected and the ending.

And if they somehow could have added Ben Cortman to the movie...ah well.

I mean, it had so many possibilities, very powerful stuff, but they didn't use any of them. And that's cool, but your version has to top that one if you're going to make your own version. Everyone calls the 2nd part of IAL a B-horor movie. That's seriously embarrassing.If they would have followed the books ending they still could have added CGI and action/fantasy stuff in there. They could have hit a homerun with this one, but they only reached 2nd base.

Akiva did it again though, and yet Will keeps working with him.

Will keeps saying the next couple years is his peak, but if he doesn't want to waste those years he better stop working with the likes of Akiva and start making true movies. I'm sad cause his performance is probably going to be overshadowed by the faults of the movies second half. It's easy in this business to make a great movie, you just need to work with the right people. I mean why did he had to work with akiva again ? Wasn't it enough in I,Robot ? And Akiva isn't the only one to blame though, Will did work with the script too and had a saying. Will's movies in general lack a good script. He really needs to understand that part because without it he won't reach his peak, and even if he does (like in IAL) he won't get the deserved reward for it.

My hopes for Hancock have been seriously decreased because of this.

Will carries those movies by himself, every review of his movie sums it up in ''Will was the only great thing about this movie''. I wish we'll see more reviews of his movies that sum it up in ''Will was one of the many great things about this exceptional piece of work''.

This sums it up:

"Maybe the WGA strike kicked in early, because Legend leaves you with the feeling of not only a great city but a great motion picture abandoned in its prime."