I Am Legend

I Am Legend You can’t possibly have missed the marketing for this one. They have been pushing it for a year now. Based on the old sci-fi classic of the same name, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, the last man on earth. The story has been changed and updated to resonate with contemporary society. In this new version (another one came out in 1971—Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston) a major breakthrough having to do with genetically engineered Measles virus has apparently cured cancer. This of course goes bad and kills 90% of the world’s population. 90% of the survivors develop symptoms similar to mega-rabies and kill and eat almost all of the immune. These infected survivors cannot abide ultra-violet light which keeps them in the dark until sundown. Neville (Smith) is one of the few remaining immune. He is an Army Colonel and a genius researcher trying to find a way to stop and reverse the virus. He and a German Shepherd are all that remain of humans (and dogs) in New York, and as far as he knows, the world. (Canines can’t get the airborne strain of the virus, but are susceptible to the physical contact variety, and that’s all I will say about that). The dog is wonderful and should get nominated for best supporting actor. Neville lives a life dedicated to order, organization and constancy, never giving up on his single-minded attempt to cure the infected. His life is solitary but full, as he divides his days into distinct chores, radioing each day in the hopes of finding other survivors, hunting, farming, working in his lab, replenishing supplies, and keeping track of where the infected congregate during the day. It has to be a daunting task to be in every scene of a movie with virtually all the dialog, but Smith is excellent in this picture, showing us new depth and range. The back-story comes to us via flashbacks which work well and are nicely timed. Which means other people are in the film but not for long, until the very end. It’s a good story, and a sensitive look into the mind of a man fighting loneliness and despondency, as well as his own demons and fear of insanity. The special effects are up to snuff, with grand views of a deserted New York City being overrun by nature. The infected creatures are scary but a little uneven in their abilities to reason. Their strength is superhuman of course, but they are killable. And despite the fact that they are technically still alive, they exhibit all the major characteristics of Zombies, which makes the movie that much better. The ending is bittersweet, reminding us of the vagaries of life, the need for sacrifice and the joy of survival. It is rated PG-13. There is no sex, no skin, no cursing. The violence is momentarily intense, but not gratuitous, and not overly graphic. I liked it a lot and recommend it to the action-adventure, blockbuster fan. All you Will Smith fans will enjoy the scene where he is working out and displays a totally ripped physique. He is starting to show a touch of gray around the temples these days and I liked that he didn’t dye it out. Unless the gray was makeup. All in all, a great treat that lived up to its hype and long-awaited release.