I Am Legend Review

Well, holiday movies this year are two for two in my book. All I'm gonna say is, go see I Am Legend. Just go. You will NOT be disappointed.

The film tells the story of Robert Neville, the sole survivor of a virus outbreak that was originally supposed to be a cure for cancer (the cure was an altered form of the measles virus). He is in New York City, which had originally been sealed off because the man-made plague had become airborne. The infected ended up feasting on the uninfected. However, Neville, and his faithful canine companion Sam (canines are immune to only the airborne portion of the virus), remain on the island, as Neville is somehow immune to the virus. The infected cannot come out in the daytime, as their skin is sensitive to any UV exposure.

I will stop the summation of the story there. If I said any more, I would literally be giving spoilers. Sorry for the bare-bones summary, but it was necessary to keep the integrity of the film's plot and story.

Will Smith is awesome. He is perfect for the role. It looks like he bulked up for the movie, and he's pretty ripped. He portrays one of the strongest characters I have ever seen in a movie. For a person to go through what he goes through, and to remain that strong, it's almost unbelievable. But he pulls it off perfectly, as he almost descends into madness, but fights it.

The film (at least the first half) really portrays isolation well. There is some very smart cinematography work here, as many of the camera movements and positions show the complete and utter loneliness that Neville is stuck with. The music is quite sparse as well. Silence is golden here, and as sounds disappear, the tension mounts.

This leads right into the scary portion of the film. Things jump out at you, and the film is quite loud at these points. This will turn some off, and at points I found myself irritated by the fact that I had to prepare to be startled once again. But I found that that was the point of those moments, and I appreciated them a little more after this realization. The movie wants you to be tense and on the edge of your seat. And they definitely get that done.

The movie does dip into the whole zombie film realm, but not as much as I expected. Like I said, things do pop out frequently, and there is a bit of roaring. But honestly, it really is not that bad. I think the movie sort of portrays it like the infection though. You gradually get more and more infected people exposure, but it does not overwhelm you if you fight it.

The only real problem I had with the movie was that it was too short! It could have easily used at least another half hour, if not a full hour. A bit more character development could have been used to the film's advantage. But the film isn't necessarily hurt by the shorter 101 minute running time. It's just that I would have loved more.

This is one of my top picks for the year. Honestly. There is a lot at work here, and though it could be a bit longer, the movie really flourishes at every moment. It was very hard to find something I did not like about it. I feel like this movie can get mixed reactions, but with a sci-fi theme, great cinematography, and great atmosphere, it is one of my favorite movies of the year, hopefully an Oscar bid for Smith, and my highest recommendation.

This doesn't happen very often, but I stand behind my decision...

5/5