This is the second remake of a classic sci-fi film in recent months, following on from THE INVASION, which disappeared without trace despite an intensive marketing campaign. Part of the problem was the public’s reticence at seeing a film that already had a strong reputation in its previous incarnations. Even with its star cast of Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman (although Nicole is being dubbed box office poison by all and sundry – but could this be a smear campaign by the Scientology movie mafia?) it failed to draw audiences, which is a pity because the movie wasn’t as bad as people were anticipating, if they had taken the time to actually see it.
Of course I AM LEGEND is in a different league because it has Will Smith in it, someone who is regularly called ‘the biggest movie star in the world’ – but even he has made some stinkers in his time. What Will does have in his favour is the power of his personality and charisma, but is it enough to carry a movie in which he is pretty much the only person on screen for most of it? And I have to say yes. In fact, when the other characters arrive is when the movie starts to fall apart.
The story hardly needs recounting. Based on Richard Matheson’s classic 1954 novella of the same name, it has already been made into two films; THE LAST MAN ON EARTH with Vincent Price (which can be watched here), and THE OMEGA MAN with Charlton Heston, as well as inspiring George A Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and Danny Boyle’s 28 DAYS LATER. Of course the expression “based on” is fairly significant as it is only the main plot strands that have survived: a man who is immune to an epidemic that has wiped out the human race leaving anyone else as vampires/zombies, and his battle to survive not only against the creatures of the night but the loneliness of his existence. Whereas THE OMEGA MAN was an NRA in LA this version is an NWA in NY. I guess for Americans seeing New York abandoned must have been a big shock, but it is no more impressive, mood wise, than the empty streets of London in 28 DAYS LATER, and Danny Boyle did it for a fraction of the cost and with minimal disruption.
As I already said, Smith does carry the movie well when he is on his own, with his dog. There are occasional flashbacks to help establish some backstory and more sympathy for the character, although it was not really necessary because his loneliness is clearly evident in his actions. But more importantly, there is enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat. In fact, during the screening I was making notes in the dark and when I read them afterwards it kept saying “great tension”. I was so absorbed in what was happening that I didn’t even remember what I had already written. Other notes were little nit-picky things, such as where was he getting all the fresh fruit that was in bowls on his table? Little things that hinder the suspension in disbelief, but that are soon forgotten when the action starts.
What started out as a great movie disintegrated as quickly as a vampire in sunlight when a terrible deus ex machina moment ended one of the most exciting scenes of the film. It was such a let down that I couldn’t buy into the rest of the movie. There were still some great action sequences and even some profound dialogue about our existence and place in the cosmos, but that one previous moment undid all the good work that came beforehand. And the ending was just too Hollywood and apple-pie American, when I wanted to see something like the closing scene of 28 WEEKS LATER, which was closer to the book’s ending.
It may have had the biggest December box-office opening ever in the US, and it has certainly been given plenty of hype here too, and is the best genre film around at the moment. It is good but not legendary.
I AM LEGEND opens nationwide on December 26.
Watch clips and interviews here
As a footnote, I AM LEGEND will be showing at BFI IMAX on London’s Southbank from January 25, along with DARK KNIGHT PROLOGUE, the first seven minutes of Chris Nolan’s sequel to BATMAN BEGINS, which was shot in the IMAX format. I was among the select press that were invited to a special screening recently and it is a stunning seven minutes, and if it is any indication of what is to come it looks like being even better than its predecessor. So if you want to see I AM LEGEND it may be worth waiting to catch it on the huge IMAX screen.