The first thing that struck me about I am Legend was the special effects and how obvious it was that they were special effects. And then it struck me – they were the same quality as the Xbox Game graphics that is bound to follow this zombie flick.
That is selling the movie a bit short. It is actually quite good, Will Smith putting on a fine performance as Man Alone, Robinson Crusoe stranded on the deserted island of New York with only a faithful dog (better than a football for companionship), 20 or so mannequins and a zillion zombies for company.
It’s really only the end of this film that lets it down. After quite a promising beginning, it kind of loses its way, going down the fairly tried and true zombie path (running around avoiding the hordes) rather than investigating a more interesting take on the genre that I had thought it was working towards (emerging sentience in a zombie). And the very final scene was… well, one of those wrap ups that made one want to throw things at the screen in a way – a very “and then I woke up” kind of ending.
28 Days Later was more satisfying in that respect, though the use of real humans and a lot of blood and gore in that movie made it a bit more gritty than this, more “family friendly” film. But 28 Days Later didn’t have Will Smith in it; and when Will isn’t in I am Legend, the film suffers for it.
The funny thing is, I am really not a zombie flick person. In general, I don’t like the horror genre. But I do like an idea done well, and, for the most part, this film is.
Verdict: The end is nigh and in Will Smith’s hands. 6 zombies out of 10.
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