I Am Legend (2007)

This past Christmas season, there were two movies we really wanted to see in theaters: National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (2007) and I Am Legend. However, due to one reason or another, we didn’t get a chance to see either.

Now, the first of those films, I Am Legend has hit DVD (National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (2007) doesn’t arrive until May) and we couldn’t wait to check it out.

Will Smith takes on the main character in the film, Robert Neville, and gives one of his best performances to date. As soon as he appears on screen, the viewer is confronted with a much more focused Smith than they are used to. Gone are the wisecracks, the quick smile (a la Hitch (2005)). Instead, his face is a mask of grim determination, the expression of one who has survived unspeakable loss but is determined to live on.

As the film progresses, and the viewer becomes more aware of what he’s actually gone through, Smith does a good job of letting them get glimpses behind the mask. At first, the viewer is impressed with how well he’s holding it together, despite being the only human left around – heck, he’s even singing as he bathes his dog!

As the movie progresses, however, and the real weight of his desolation hits him, the viewer is witness to his gradually increasing loneliness, to the point where, in one emotional scene, he begs a mannequin to speak back to him. It’s a powerful performance, and draws the viewers into the film almost deeper than they want to be.

The storyline, while not without it’s faults, is a decent one. A virus (measles in this case) is engineered by man to alter it’s purpose and cure cancer – only to mutate and cause the population to turn into savage beasts. It’s got a strong dose of the ever popular “man shouldn’t play God” theme, and seems realistic enough in these modern times. Toss in a determined scientist who is desperate to find a cure, and of course some attacks from the human mutations, and this film has a solid storyline behind it.

With Smith’s stellar performance, the scenes where it’s him and his dog just getting through daily life are the highlights of the film. Whether Neville is chasing animals through the quiet city or hitting golf balls off the wing of a plane aboard an aircraft carrier, these scenes quietly showcase the devastation and utter emptiness of the world he now lives in.

So many times, apocalyptic films tend to go through a montage of empty streets and abandoned buildings, which, while somewhat effectively quickly displays the emptiness, does take the viewer a bit out of the film. With I Am Legend, the scenes like those mentioned above (golfing, hunting) highlight the devastation almost as an afterthought – the viewer really gets the sense that these scenes of emptiness and devastation aren’t anything new to Neville, and he’s come to accept them long ago.

These also help the viewer feel like they are figuring out the desolation factor for themselves, rather than being led by their nose. The viewer feels more like an active participant in the film – and that makes the impact of the scenes that much more powerful.

When the film does finally expand it’s focus to include more than just the daily life of Neville, it does seem to lose a little bit of it’s impact, making it’s final sequences not as shocking as they could have been to the audience. In fact, after building up this sense of kinship with Neville, it’s a bit surprising the movie takes the turn it does, since it causes the viewer to question much of Neville’s beliefs.

Still, with such a powerful performance by Smith, and the subtle approach to desolation by director Francis Lawrence, many will walk away from I Am Legend feeling well satisfied. While the ending leaves a little something in originality to be desired, the rest of the film is almost perfect.

If you haven’t seen I Am Legend yet, you should. It’s not to be missed.

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