Writer: Mark Protosevich, Akiva Goldsman
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 18, 2008

I am Legend is an interesting film right off the bat. Knowing that this is a movie that has been made twice before with lackluster results made me surprised that this film got a chance in the first place. Both The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man ended up getting some pretty bad reviews overall.

The majority of fans of Richard Matheson’s novella, I Am Legend, assumed that there would never be a film that could do the written work justice. Studios held out because they wanted to be sure that this time things would be different. Considering the other two outings, I can’t say that I blame them.

It got to the point where nearly everyone in Hollywood (whose anyone, anyway) ended up attached to this project in some manner. Lead character Robert Neville could have been played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, or even George Clooney. However, it was Will Smith that would take on the part and bring it to fruition. Fans of the story seemed worried that this I Am Legend would end up being as bad, if not worse, than the last attempts.

While Will Smith is a very likable actor that has played in a number of decent films, when you immediately think of this project he does not come to mind. This is a role that was handled by the likes of Vincent Price and then later by Charlton Heston. The actor playing this role had some big shoes to fill and it didn’t seem like Smith would be the one to fill them. With the actors that we have today I would have put my money on Mark Wahlberg in the role of Neville. However, getting Smith was definitely not bad. In fact, the movie was much better than I was expecting. I was entertained by the idea of the film and Smith’s performance was filled with subtle emotional actions and plenty of intensity.

Release Information:
I Am Legend was set for a November 21, 2007 release though it was delayed until December 14 due to some problems with additional release dates. The film ended up being the highest grossing non-Christmas film ever for December. Critics and fans have found I Am Legend to be an enjoyable film. The movie grossed over $77 million during its the opening weekend and a worldwide total of over $583 million. It’s hard to argue with numbers like that.

I Am Legend was released on DVD on March 18, 2008. The film is offered in a one disc set and a two disc special edition, which is the version being reviewed here. If you’re going just for the movie the one disc will be more than suitable, but if you want the alternative to the original version with an alternate ending and plenty of bonuses you will need to spend a little more for the special edition. You should be able to find both the one disc and the two disc sets at any major retailer. If you decide to look for this online the two disc set is available at Amazon for $23 and the one disc is just a few dollars cheaper, at $16.

The I Am Legend Plot
The opening moments of I Am Legend inform us that in the near future a scientist is able to find a viral cure for cancer. However, this success is short lived and we are flashed three years into the future to a desolate New York street that is positively empty. The city barely looks like how you’d imagine a major metropolitan area would look, with vegetation taking over the entire city and no one to be found but Neville (Will Smith) and his companion, a dog named Sam. At this point, it becomes obvious as Neville stalks the city with his rifle that he is looking for food. He sees some deer, but ends up having to leave them behind when some lions decide to take them for themselves.

In these beginning frames people that are not familiar with the novella this film is based on will be on the edge of their seats. As you watch Neville board up his home as the sun goes down and you watch him shake nervously in the tub as he hears the noises on the once busy New York streets, you will want to know what has him so frightened. You will be waiting to see what Neville is up against.

Through flashbacks we learn that Neville was married and had a child. He sent both of them onto a helicopter, out of the city, before the quarantine took place. As a top scientist, it becomes clear that Neville blames himself for not coming up with a cure to heal the people that end up with this severe type of disease that was similar to rabies only incredibly extreme and less treatable. So, as he goes through his daily routine, with Sam as his only source of friendship, he continues to try and cure this disease.

In this first and second act, I Am Legend is absolutely fantastic. Knowing that Neville must be going mad from lack of contact (at least 90% of the population were infected), Smith plays the part with all of the emotion you would expect under the situation. He manages to carry the movie without any problems and Sam adds in a touch of cuteness as only a family pet could.

Near the end, in the third act there is the inclusion of some additional characters. Anna (Alice Braga) and Ethan (Charlie Tahan) establish themselves as survivors who make contact with Neville in hopes of finding others. This causes a few problems because it is established that all ways in and out of New York were destroyed. However, here they are. It makes no sense, because if there was a way out of New York, it seems Neville would have tried to find others at some point, as he could continue his research anywhere. However, this does not take place and the idea of additional survivors showing up out of nowhere leaves you scratching your head.

In this section of the film, Smith continues his excellent portrayal of Neville. He appears very awkward with both of the new additions to his life, which would be expected. It’s obvious in these moments that Smith makes the best of the plot from here on out even though there are some awkward moments that don’t fit.

On the second disc and in the second film, the inclusions of Anna and Ethan are still part of the film. It is only the ending that is different. I think that I prefer the original ending, though it was nice to see the alternative version and feel that it’s certainly worth watching.

The mutants in the film are meant to be like a new version of society (90% of people turned into this or died). However, the film does not openly look at these options or discuss this in enough depth to even count. It could have added an interesting element to the film. In the end, the movie definitely had more good points than it did bad ones.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
When it comes to the picture quality of I Am Legend there really is not much, if anything, to take issue with. The colors are clean and crisp and the transfer is near perfect. The video is shown in a 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen setting. If there were any issues I did not notice them and they were not related to how this film transferred onto DVD. Of course, it deserves to be said that the larger your television is for this movie, the better. The desertion and desolate nature that this film requires comes through much easier on a larger screen.

The audio is handled with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Like the video, the sound comes through beautifully and there are no complaints worth mentioning. Most of the sound that comes through is nature based sounds rather than using a heavy amount of music or out and out sound effects. You are more apt to hear Smith breathing than you are a musical score in this film, but that is one of the things that gives the movie the chilling quality that it has.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
There are a number of bonus features in this two disc set. Some of them end up feeling more important than others and at times you wonder why certain types of bonus material has been left out altogether. I have to assume that at some point another version of this film will be released onto DVD. For now, this version suits the needs of fans quite well.

If you count the alternative version of the film as a bonus then this is going to be your obvious selling point. Along with the extra version of the film you have four animated comics that show how survivors in other areas of the world deal with the virus. Each short is between three and eight minutes long, give or take. They are definitely worth watching and they open up the idea of additional stories that could be told along the same vein.

There is a series of 21 featurettes that vary in length. “Creating I Am Legend” offers plenty of information about what it took to make this film from start to finish. The lengths of the short featurettes vary, some being a minute long and others clocking in at over five minutes. The shorts are accessible through a DVD-Rom PC connection, which means that this won’t be an option that everyone can enjoy. That seems a little unfair, but if you have the chance and can see them they are well worth watching. Finally, there is a documentary that discusses deadly viruses. As you can imagine this is not for the faint of heart. It can leave you feeling pretty disturbed.

Deleted scenes and commentaries are not present and were certainly missed. As I said, it leads me to believe that another version is on the horizon.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
I Am Legend is a pretty enjoyable movie. With the fact that this has been made more than once, I was a bit worried about what the outcome would be. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The majority of the movie rests on the shoulders of one man and Smith did a fabulous job. They would have been hard pressed to find a lead that could have given them a more dramatic and intensely emotional performance. As you have probably guessed by now, despite its flaws, I Am Legend comes highly recommend. You should definitely check this out, whether it means renting it or buying this movie.

Overall Rating:

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