Theatrical Review of I Am Legend

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"I Am Legend" might as well be called "The Will Smith Show." Alone on screen for the majority of the 101 minute running time, Smith draws the audience into the story about the (presumably) last man on earth using a combination of his former personas. Part father from "The Pursuit of Happyness," part action hero from "Bad Boys" and part "Fresh Prince" wisecracking smart ass, his Robert Neville commands the screen like so few actors can.

In the near future, the human race is nearly exterminated by a virus designed to kill cancer. The population has turned into pale, blood hungry creatures, sensitive to sunlight. Neville is one of the only survivors along with his dog, Sam. He has New York City to himself as his search for a cure slowly progresses. What does the last man in the city-and maybe the world-do?

Will Smith´s performance here has been compared-perhaps unfairly-to Tom Hanks in "Castaway." Both actors are put on screen for prolonged periods of time with no other human actors to play against and with a non-human (in Hanks´ case, inanimate) co-star. But whereas "Castaway" is triumph of the human spirit, "I Am Legend" showcases the race at its very worst…or at the very least, the over hubris in our ability to control nature. And it´s not only the cancer cure which gets away from the human race, it´s the virus it mutates into.

Take notice of one of the flashbacks of an evacuating New York City. The military clearly is out of its league in trying to contain a mass panic. Forget the idea an executive order quarantining the city comes down before all the necessary personnel have been airlifted out or the bridges and tunnels destroyed. To control the populace, logic dictates a quiet evacuation of VIP´s and then the presidential order. In a previous flashback, watch the technology developed to screen for the virus. It´s an eye scanner-how it works, we don´t know nor does the movie really care-which gives false positives. By extension, isn´t it reasonable to expect it would also give false negatives, thereby condemning virus free people to whatever fate the government decides? And, by further extension, a false negative would allow the virus to get out while it is attached to infected "safe" people?

This is but one part of the narrative which doesn´t hold up to any sort of scrutiny. What does hold up, though, is Smith. He is the anchor, the soul, the reason for watching. His is an emotional performance, that of a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He makes reference several times in the film to having to correct the mistake, to make everything right. Is he merely trying to motivate himself or does he actually believe he can bring the dead back to life? An argument can be made for both, but whatever the reason, he´s never anything less than captivating. And it isn´t until the last twenty minutes when new characters enter the picture the picture stumbles just a bit. Not because of poor acting, but because their inclusion is an obvious way to end the story.

Let´s face it: Neville has survived in NYC by himself for three years. He´s fought these dark seekers, conducted medical tests on them and rabid animals, constructed elaborate defenses in his home and built a pseudo-life with mannequins in stores. There´s nothing to suggest in the film he wouldn´t have been able to keep going for another twenty. Which would make an entirely boring movie with no real resolution. Unless he makes a mistake.

That´s what happens, without giving too much away. A mistake. An innocent mistake, but one nonetheless. When his companion is taken away, it seems to sap Neville´s strength, sending him on a road to utter destruction, perhaps as suggested, even suicide. It´s the same thing Tom Hanks faced while on his makeshift raft with Wilson. Neville treats Sam as a real person, carrying on complex conversations with an animal he knows he´ll get no response from. For three years, she is his only companion and he´d go to great lengths to keep her safe. It´s no more obvious than in our first encounter with the creatures.

And there is the thematic turn in the movie. Instead of remaining true to the premise of the last man "on earth" trying to make things right, "I Am Legend" devolves into an action film. Running, shooting, fighting, screaming, exploding. It´s all very by the numbers. The ending looks spectacular with top notch effects, but nothing created in a computer (or practical on set) can compare to seeing the skyscrapers of the city shrouded in weeds and the eerie silence of a jungle. We´re conditioned to expect all the sounds associated with a bustling city that when there is nothing, it´s the greatest effect the film can have. Those scenes of the empty New York streets create a mood no music cue, no line of dialogue can. It´s far more effective in involving the audience than any action sequence.

Although, I will concede, the ending would not be possible without that action climax, let alone the name of the film. Certain things have to happen in order for a person to become a legend (hence the title). A long and celebrated life isn´t one of them.

Now, considering "I Am Legend" takes place in the middle of New York City, it is perhaps inevitable businesses and other products are featured. However, there comes a moment early in the film the product placement becomes entirely too much. As Neville and Sam zip around in a red sport car, it comes to a sliding stop, eventually showing the car model squarely to the camera. It´s not just the car, though. Name brand companies prominently displayed on skyscrapers, retail stores and restaurants, Broadway productions. The camera seems to take extra time to look for the product placement. Among the strangest is a clip from "Shrek" late in the film. Strange considering it has little to do with anything in the movie and doubly so "Shrek" is a DreamWorks production, not a Warner one.

Despite my small nitpicks-including a puzzling lapse which sets up the climax-"I Am Legend" is completely recommended. Viewers looking for an action won´t be disappointed and those looking for something a bit more involved will find new questions come to mind long after the credits roll. Unfortunately, as already mentioned, the script hopes we get on board for the ride without asking those extra questions. It´s then, and only then, the chinks in the armor of "I Am Legend" come out. Therefore, it gets a 6 out of 10. Enjoyable throughout without holding up to detailed dissection.

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