Will Smith stars as Robert Neville in this Boxing Day release about the last living man on Earth. But he soon finds that he is not alone. Just how long can one man survive in a world full of vampires?
The Fresh Prince & Rin Tin Tin appear to be the only survivors of a cataclysmic event that mutates humanity beyond recognition, in Francis Lawrence's long awaited adaption of Richard Matheson's groundbreaking 1950s sci-fi novel. 'I Am Legend', here in its third incarnation since Chuck Heston's 'The Omega Man' (1971) and Vincent Price's 'The Last Man on Earth' (1964), was initially lined up for Ridley Scott to direct Arnold Schwarzenegger (though a deadly encounter with some vampirc horde seems preferable to enduring an hour of Arnie emoting), is a fascinating, flawed but consistently entertaining movie. Will Smith, in a role that's every actors dream, puts in a powerhouse, one-man performance as an immune doctor patrolling the streets of an abandoned New York (eerily realised by an army of SFX wizards—think the brilliant Times Square dream sequence from 'Vanilla Sky' only stretched throughout an entire film) with his trusty mutt and shotgun in tow, Smith goes tête-à-tête with grisly cannibalistic mutants; holding onto his vain hope of finding a cure from the infected. You can see shades of this apocalypse in everything from Gilliam's '12 Monkeys' (i.e. animals roaming the streets) to Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later' (i.e. desolate London) and whilst some of the 'stalk n' shoot or be eaten' scenes may seem over familiar thanks to a revival of the zombie flick, 'I Am Legend' is unique in its use of an iconic landscape and the manner in which director Lawrence ('Constantine') touches upon the psychological breakdown that often stems from prolonged periods of externally imposed solitude. Essentially a non-linear, 'one-man-against-the-elements' story, Will Smith is ably supported at the halfway mark by young Brazilian actress Alice Braga ('City Of God') though Smith, who holds his film together like the pro he became after 'Ali', has to take all the credit. For whilst its strange to see such a gregarious and vocal actor doing long scenes in virtual silence, 'I Am Legend' works in spite of its many logistical and narrative hurdles. An atmospheric adventure through an abyssopelagic nightmare (somehow I always knew Emma Thompson would be singlehandedly responsible for destroying the human race) that may lack repeat viewing potential, but is still a must see. I Am Sequel?
We will publish your review of I Am Legend (Special edition) [2007] on DVD within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play. Robert Neville (Will Smith, Men in Black) is a brilliant scientist. But when a man-made virus can't be contained, Neville finds himself the last human survivor in New York City and potentially the world. For three years he faithfully sends out daily radio messages, desperate to find other survivors. But he is not alone... Mutant victims of the plague (The Infected) lurk in the shadows, waiting to catch Neville out. As perhaps Earth's last hope for mankind, Neville is driven only by the desire to somehow reverse the effects of the virus before it's too late... Stills from I Am Legend
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
