Movie Review - I Am Legend

Movie Review - I Am Legend

Starring Will Smith. Directed by Francis Lawrence.

Run Time of 1 hour 40 minutes and rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

What I really should say is that I am Legend stars Will Smith. Go watch it. End of review.

Well, I suppose I'll go into more detail for those few people who are unexcited about the prospect of a new Will Smith film. Myself, I have been a fan of Will from back in the day when he was just the rapper. He's grown into the most bankable star in Hollywood and the world due to his extremely high work ethic and desire to promote his films around the world. Plus, he tends to be quite a mesmerizing actor on screen.

If you didn't catch on yet, Will Smith is pretty much the only actor in I Am Legend. Sure, there are a few other bit parts, but Smith and his dog are the only ones on screen long enough. The movie starts off with a simple premise and stays pretty simple throughout. A prominent doctor/scientist finds a cure for cancer. In thousands of human tests, the results are all positive. The world rejoices and the new medicine begins to be distributed. Soon after, the patients start having negative reactions and develop symptoms that have them appear like zombies, become extremely aggressive, sensitive to light, and no longer resemble a human in appearance or actions. The 'virus' becomes airborne and transmittable through those who have it and almost everyone in the world either dies or becomes one of the zombies or darkseekers. A select few are immune to the virus including Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) who leads the charge in New York City to find a cure for the new virus. Soon, he is the only human left in New York City. The entire movie is about his fight to find a cure and stay alive, while slowly going crazy being the only human left.

The movie is based on a book which I have not read. Once again, I feel this gives me a better perspective on if the movie is good rather than comparing it to the book and my own imagination. I think the movie is really good and I managed to find time to go to it twice this weekend. The second time, I brought friends. I liked this movie enough to go drag friends to it who were going to wait for it on DVD. I love DVD's, but watching films like this on the big screen are well worth it.

The action scenes are excellent with wonderful pacing and guidance from both the camera and the actors. The CG effects are great. Many critics are complaining that the CG is questionable. I understand where they are coming from as if you look at movies like Lord of the Rings and then look at I am Legend, it does feel like the CG effects were either rushed or not made very well. I don't think it distracts from the movie as long as you don't go in comparing it to something else. They don't distract from the overall tone and feel of the movie so I didn't even think twice about them.

Enough cannot be said of Will Smith. His amazing performance propels this movie through. He commands the screen and makes you pay attention to his every facial expression. It is through Smith that we learn of these tragic events and it is through Smith that we experience loss, pain, and ultimate sacrifice.

I really enjoyed this show and highly recommend it. Most people I chatted with after the shows all gave it high marks and over the weekend, Legend debuted at #1 on the Box Office charts with 76.5 million dollars. That's the highest ever winter opening, just 5 million above Lord of the Rings Return of the King's opening weekend numbers.

The flick is showing at Cinema 3 in McCook, Nebraska. For more information including showtimes, please visit www.fridleytheatres.com.