I AM LEGEND: A DISAPPOINTMENT January 21, 2008
Posted by arun in entertainment, movies.Tags: action, bad, boring, comedy, dog, English, horror, i am legend, movie, non-entertaining, sci-fi, thriller, will smith, zombies
trackback
SPOILER ALERT:
How to waste 90 minutes? Watch this movie.
Movie: I am Legend
Starring: Will Smith and a German Shepherd.
Genre: Drama / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller
My Rating: 3.0/10
I have always liked Will Smith movies. But, it sure is totally adventitious for this movie to have a 7.3/10 in IMDB. Unbelievable.
People who loved this movie, I am sorry to disappoint you. The way I see it, this movie is a total waste of time. The plot outline from IMDB is,
It is the year 2012. In the ruins of New York city. Robert Neville who is a military scientist who is the lone survivor of a biochemical disease which was supposed to cure cancer 3 years previous. With only blood thirsty zombies as his neighbors and his trusty dog, Samantha, Robert is trying to discover a cure for this disease and to find out any other people who might have also survived.
The movie starts with a lady scientist being interviewed who claims to have found cure for cancer which then turns into a disaster spreading a virus which devolves almost every being into fearsome overzealous zombielikes. They are for some reason reluctant or unendurable to sunlight. Therefore implying they are a threat only after sunset. Will Smith is one of the very few who is immune to the virus, though the only survivor in New York. One fine morning, he goes deer hunting in the city of New York, yes, on the streets. While targeting a deer which is almost cornered, a Lioness pounces on it while the whole of the Lion family (including cubs) are on their way to feast it. He carries a gun, but backs off magnanimously saving his gallantry for Zombies. His German Shepherd dog is with him all this time. An alarm in his watch goes off, a signal to return home owing to sunset. On the way to his house after the futile hunt, he decants some liquid in front of his house, which I can only guess is not water, probably to keep the zombies away from detecting some smell?
He was a Lieutenant colonel military scientist assigned to this particular base – ground zero. Obviously, he goes to his research laboratory in his basement, where he checks and records his current results on his animal experiments with different strains. He finds that, one particular strain has begun to reverse and wither the zombie effects thereby destroying the virus, somehow. He is ready to test on humans. Every night, he closes his special blinders which completely seals the house. This you can see through out the movie, every night when he is about to sleep. Also, we see a glimpse of his past as his nightmares, before the pandemic occurred. He has lost his child and wife over it. And till now, Will Smith converses only to his dog. Fortunately, the dog doesn’t speak back. Further emphasis on his loneliness over the past 3-4 years happens when he goes to a deserted DVD shop where he initiates conversation to the cut-outs and lifeless human models laid for advertising in the shop. Every day afternoon, he sits in a particular place transmitting a message on AM radio seeking out to help people and that they are not alone. 50% of the movie is over, where the monologue is mostly with his schipperke.
I couldn’t bear it anymore. But just then comes the much awaited pivotal scene, he sets trap for a zombie, it is successful. However, another zombie, the alpha male of its kind, seeing it roars rambunctiously expressing his discontent. He could not come out of the dark building because of sunlight. On his next day-trip, “Fred” one of the lifeless shop model character has been replaced somehow from his usual position which is in front of the DVD shop to somewhere else. Will Smith asks him, “How did you end up here?”. He goes near Fred to fall in to a similar trap as constructed by him to capture the zombie earlier. Now, while trying out his strain on the captured zombie earlier, he claims that they are now totally inhuman and that they lack the human instincts because of lesser brain functioning ridiculing them as pseudo-intelligent species. I don’t understand how the zombie reconstructed the trap. Will Smith falls for it. Who the hell is intelligent??? One thing is for sure… I aint!! to continue watching this movie.
He manages to escape from the zombie’s vicious attack, however his dog is attacked, wounded and infected. The dog starts to exhibit the same wild zombielike characteristics. He is forced to kill by strangling it. I don’t know why he couldn’t advocate his researched strain which yielded better results on animals. With extreme anguish and frustration, he decides to kill as many zombies as possible by baiting himself in the dark. Just when he is about to be killed, a flash of light shines upon and he is rescued. His damn radio has been finally put to some use. He is rescued by Anna, another survivor with immunity. However, he is followed on his way home by the zombies. Again they seem intelligent and powerful to me!! Rest is climax where the movie ensues with some typical fight sequences.
I don’t even want to discuss the climax for the philosophical crap the movie portrayed. I am glad if I could help a few to not fall for this pretence enthrallment. I am happy I could write my views without lambasting about this utter piece of shit. Why canines are impervious to airborne virus attack alone? What the hell was he doing in his laboratory? There was no scientific content that engages a meaningful or convincing sequence over his discoveries or experiments. Why sunlight is harmful to the zombies? I only remember a 1001 days of research. Now, even if I accept his quest for finding a cure amidst his otherwise pathetic and lonely life for over 3 years to be admirable, speaking with a dog and a bunch of shop banners almost the entire movie makes it worse.
I can only assume that the intension was to bring out the essence of self-destruction and the aftermath of isolation and paranoia. The only best thing that combats the googolplex of loop holes in the plot was Will Smith’s acting. It was an inexplicable performance, be it delivering his agony over losing his dog with whom he had been speaking over for 3 years (50% of the movie too) or when he is incensed at Anna, when she tells him that she coming here was for a reason. He upbraids her over her meaningless consolations that God has spoken to her and reneges on her offer to join to some other safe place. However, in toto, a depraved and a callow movie, with sci-fi being the weasel word.
Perfectly portrayed man. It was the dumbest movie in recent times. Also, it is mocking at science and its tough achievements. These film makers have no idea how they influence the public in wrong way. Sometimes i feel, these science fiction movies have to be reviewed by a panel of scientists before they are released to the public. Hell! i was so irritated wit the way they portray those zombies man!! shit..and how did he get those powers of immunity!!!!!
But did you also watch “The man from earth” ..amazing cynic..watch it..
Take care.
Power of immunity -> No idea, a contract with the virus for 3 years, may be??
He is one among the millions who are immune… We saw only 5 of them in the movie in toto. Himself, Anna, the boy, and the 2 ppl who open the gate for her! 
I dont understand a lot of things. The safe city is only a day far from this place… I wonder if they dint have an AM receiver!! or dint they heed for 3 years?? These two alone heard it…
Where did he get food, water, petrol, gas?? And Lions and deers have survived the zombies for 3 years…
Crazy crazy crazy…
Ah, the plot outline remids me a bit of that book: Papa is a dog.
I hate what they did to ‘I robot’ but it was still watchable. I’m avoiding ’sci-fi’ a bit now. Seems like it was good choice. Won’t waste time on I am Legend. Won’t have to say, I hate what they did to I am Legend.
they are not zombies!!!! vampires are more appropriate…. vampires with their autoimmune, i think. they are weak against ultraviolet light. same in the movie: “Interview with a Vampire”
^_^
the IMDB plot read as “zombies”. I got carried away. Though the original plot outline from WB doesn’t mention it so.
hey arun,
I’m not going to argue that I Am Legend is brilliant or anything (I think I gave it 3 netflix stars) but I have to agree with mes_mes that they are vampires. This confused a lot of people, probably because of all the misinformation out there and that zombies are so popular these days.
I also think his actions in the car after he loses his dog Sam are just a blatant suicide attempt. I mean, sure he wants to take as many as he can with him, but he’s just given up. Which is why we get Anna in the form of shining redemptive flashlight. A little unbelievable yes, but I think they were just trying to get their point across.
Also, this movie is based on a really fabulous and kind of revolutionary book called I Am Legend written by Robert Matheson in 1954. The story, until the end, which I very much did not like, is actually quite similar to Matheson’s tale, but obviously updated to our 2007 standards and sensibilities. As you said, it is really more about his loneliness and the feeling of being a pariah than anything else. I agree with you that there are logic/science holes in this film, but I find that with pretty much any sci-fi these days don’t you?
The ending is really the fatal flaw in this film for me, because in the original book, there are two kinds of vampires, ones that have risen from the dead and are brainless and not that impressive and ones that have caught the virus and are smarter and slowly developing a society of their own, unknown to Neville, and so he goes out everyday to gather supplies and to kill them, and in the end of the book they use a woman, Ruth, as a decoy and eventually capture and kill Neville, because in their world he has become the boogey man…he is the bad guy on the outside killing them all by day, and that is the reason for the title…I Am Legend. It is the best part of the book and it’s too bad they had to lose it just to satisfy Hollywood standards and expectations.
But still, having seen the other two adaptations that are out there The Omega Man (with Charleton Heston 1961 – HORRIBLE) and The Last Man On Earth (1964 – Vincent Price – also bad), this one seems like the best adaptation so far…maybe someone will get it really right in 2020. There’s actually a FOURTH adaptation that came out a couple years ago as well called I Am Omega, which looks really really REALLY bad, so I didn’t even bother with it.
I’m sorry you hated it so, but maybe knowing some of the history will make you feel a little better about the fact that it had so much to overcome.
Hi Kelly,
That was extremely informative. I did read in other blogs that its adopted from a novel…But I dint know about other voluminous informative stuff u provided… and the ending in the book where he becomes the boogeyman is awesome!!
In Indian mythology, Lord Krishna’s sayings on battle field is compiled as “Bhagavad Gita”, akin to say “Bible”. In that he says, “if there are 1000 bad ppl and there is 1 good guy, and by losing this 1 guy, the 1000 bad guys will be good, then there is no mistake in doing so”. I have roughly translated… Don’t read between the lines. I hope the gist is pretty much understandable.
That would have made one hell of a movie!
And yes, I stand corrected reg. “Zombies”. I wrote in my earlier comment too. I read the Warner-Brothers version of plot in IMDB where no references are made to “zombies”. I got carried away by another review.
I am equally lazy
Thanks for visiting my blog!!
No problem arun – and thank you for visiting my blog too. I’m sorry my first comment here was such a massive one – but I had a lot to say about that issue I guess!
As for Bhagavad Gita – that sounds AWESOME. And is exactly the idea that Matheson was trying to get across. So, well said!
hey Arun,
You are absolutely right correct.
I am of opinion that no one lese on earth other than the Hollywood writers, directors have been infected with aome deadly virus that has eaten down their brains and so they are unable to produce good movies.
I am getting sick of all those movies which portray attack by viruses, aliens, predators, live machines…yikes!
yeah, the hard truth I see is that it becomes extremely difficult and takes extraordinary effort to please audience of passel of backgrounds when it comes to SCI-FI. However, with regard to my post on “I am legend”, you might gain a better perspective on reading the 1979semifinalist (kelly’s) first comment here.
thks for visitng my blog!!
cheers,
— arun.
thought i was the only one giving bad reviews to all the movies..was thinking not to review john rambo ..but as i am not alone i am set to write another bad review..
yes “i am legend ” was dum ..with no proper story line which they could maintain.
i have a pic in my flicker which u woudl find in my blog sidebar ..that pic oi took while watching i am legend..theater was empty..
however i liked the special effects they have used..well ,we have to accet that..
Well I guess you have scientifically analyzed a lot wat’s goin on in the movie and thats totally unnecessary. May be that’s the reason you haven’t found a “logic” in there. But, it’s not abt the logic, it’s the abt the art of film making which made this movie shine. It’s an awesome fiction with and no wonder why this movie is rocking the box office !
hmm… may be. Hi, thanks for reading my blog. You should read the comment by 1979semifinalist. I guess that is the reason (mostly) it has hit the boxoffice.
Arun..
I have seen the movie..the movie is not grt enough for a bumper box offcie..but equally not bad either to get a post like this.
Well..you have done too much analysis by going by logic and stuff.After all science fictions do lose logic for entertainment.
What i liked most was the horror aspect of the movie.Some scene’s were truely amazing and nailbiting like the one where smith is trying hard to get in the car.And I loved the Zombies…they were so dangerous and that’s the true technical expertise shown.
We Indians are habitual of Happy endings..So wat if smith died?
Even i expected him to win over them..but this is not bollywood…
all in all.. a one time watch and forget.. But i will never forget the car scene..It was awesome!
I am sorry but you have totally misunderstood my post and my opinions regarding it.
However, thanks for your comments.
Well i like it the movie is not a wast of time sure it could of been longer but still its a gerat movie.
well done will smith
OMG the movie was epic!!!
i actually loved the original type of tension felt throughout the film, i know the public will now be concerend with medical vaccines and such but for the few of us that are smart enough to know its highly improbable and can comprehend the themes of loneliness, desperation and such which is involved, it is a great film.
mood often affects our feelings towards the film so maybe i was in the right mood and could relate to Will Smith’s lonely character (minus the zombies haha)
the relationship with sam is simple and admirable, man and his best friend, and the fact that sam is all the contact he has, until later, is great in movie terms and original. the tension when he is searching for sam in the building was personally terrorfying, maybe cause im the perfect audience for that kinda hollywood thing =)
anyway i just wanted to say this film is , in my view, fantastic and highly memorable despite its lack of scientific practicality and lost plot. I hope you can apprieciate my opionion. cheers =)