Let me state upfront, that I am not a great fan of flesh-eating zombie/horror/gore films. I would never be caught in line to purchase a ticket (nor rent the DVD) to watch 28 Days Later (the 2007 version). Therefore, after watching various trailers for I Am Legend, I was reluctant to view, let alone review, the movie. That, and the fact that I had heard rumors of mutant rats—I am also not a fan of rodents—be they mutant or non-mutant. Even though I am a longtime admirer of Will Smith's work, I entered the movie complex with a bit of trepidation. Yet, much to my surprise, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat for an hour and forty minutes, and my heart continued to race, even after I had left the theater...

The Backstory

Akiva Goldsman's script [which is an adaptation from an earlier screenplay by Mark Protosevich and the screenplay of the Corringtons' The Omega Man] is an homage to Richard Matheson's 1954 science fiction novel, I Am Legend. However, the movie is not, nor does it allege to be, a literal interpretation of the novel. Even though Goldsman did his best to keep true to Matheson's novel's ideologies, other than the film's title and the name of the main character, most every other aspect of the transformation from novel to the "big screen" has been changed. Still, as Goldsman states in a recent press junket, "The movie stays true to the spirit of the source."

Two previous adaptations of the novel, I Am Legend, were brought to the big screen in the mid-sixties and early seventies: The Last Man on Earth (1964), staring Vincent Price, and The Omega Man (1971), staring Charlton Heston.

The Plot

A miracle treatment for cancer has been dispensed world-wide, with a 100% cure rate. Unfortunately, the vaccination that initially cured and prevented cancer to the global populous, has proved to be anything but a miracle cure. Instead, it has morphed into an inescapable contagious microorganism. To prevent the now airborne virus from spreading, large cities are not only evacuating the uninfected, they are also preventing the infected from exiting...leaving an island metropolis, such as New York City, especially abandoned and vulnerable.

Fast forward to 2012. Three years after the initial evacuations, the world is in chaos. The fatal airborne virus has nearly annihilated the human race. Those few who have survived, known simply as the Infected, have mutated into semitransparent, hairless monsters, with a terror of sunlight and a thirst for blood.

 

I Am Legend Photos © Warner Bros.

 

At the center of the story...a lone human survivor...Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith), and his solitary companion, Sam, his family's faithful German Shepherd. Dr. Neville is a military virologist. He is immune to the virus, and holds the secret to the restoration of humanity in his blood stream. Animals are also immune to the airborne virus, but are at risk of infection from open lesions, such as being bitten by one of the Infected.

Cut off from civilization, Dr. Neville refuses to leave New York City, ground zero. For the past three years, he has worked relentlessly to discover an antidote to the fatal pandemic. More than a cure, he hopes to discover a reversal of the degenerative process that has turned humanity inhuman.

A typical day with Dr. Neville exposes the beauty, decay and isolation of his existence, as he searches an apocalyptic New York City for food and his sanity. Each day he sends out a radio message in hopes of discovering another like himself...a human survivor.

 

I Am Legend Photos © Warner Bros.

 

 

 

Dr. Neville also divides his time holed-up in a makeshift laboratory located in the basement of his fortified brownstone, and doing his best to avoid being seized by the Infected.

The slow decomposition of the city, mirrors the gradual mental decay of Dr. Neville's demise—and his inevitable downward spiral, as he does his best to hold on to what little hope and sanity that he has left.

The Effects

The outdoor scenes of I AM Legend were not shot on a soundstage, instead the director, Francis Lawrence, opted to close down different sections of the Big Apple for days-on-end (which is a remarkable feat in itself) to film the backdrop of Dr. Neville's desolate existence. Although the scenes were shot on location, there was still massive amounts of CGI magic to be worked, such as: removing lights from buildings, taking out the stray passerby from the streets, or a pedestrian's reflection from a window. The transformation from a thriving borough morphing into urban decay was accomplished with perfection thanks to a variety of visual effects software, which included: Autodesk Maya and Autodesk Flame, Side Effects Software's Houdini, and Pixologic ZBrush.

 

I Am Legend Photos © Warner Bros.

 

To further complicate matters...during the first days of filming, Lawrence, unsatisfied with the dailies featuring the human versions of the of the Infected, replaced the flesh and blood humans with computer generated imagery. To breathe life into the inhuman civilization, award winning visual effects supervisor, Janek Sirrs, enlisted the talented team of SPI (Sony Pictures Imageworks). Still wishing to utilize his actors, Lawrence put the original mutant cast into motion capture suits. This process saved Will Smith from acting and reacting in front of a blue screen and delivering his lines to tennis balls on sticks.

I always judge CGI generated figures by their ability to create an effective "suspension of disbelief." I found that the SPI team's attention to even the most minute details was meticulous, and the MoCap generated creatures rivaled even Gollum (The Lord of the Rings), which is my personal gage for recreating human reality.

Besides creating the Infected humanoids, SPI also generated mutant animals. Among them a pack of genetically altered, ferocious dogs, and the above mentioned mutant rats (Spoiler Alert for the rodent phobic: the mutant lab rats are only prominent in the beginning of the movie, and are locked-up in cages). All the non-mutant animals (lions, deer, birds, and even butterflies) were also computer generated, with the exception of Sam (the German Shepherd), played by three-year-old newcomer, Abbey.

With any thriller film (especially those projects that star Will Smith) there has to be an abundance of action. I Am Legend delivers in a big way, providing numerous car chases (created with a combination of live-action and CGI), and a profusion of impressive theatrical pyrotechnics.

The Stars

To proclaim that Will Smith and his co-star Abby, "own" I Am Legend, is an understatement. Although it would be hard not to steal the scenes, especially since the duo are the only human cast members (minus flashbacks) for the majority of the film. Even so, Will Smith is the perfect fit for Dr. Robert Neville. He oozes a charisma that makes you care. He commands the screen. He is in total control of his emotional roller coaster ride—from subtle innuendos to terror-stricken panic. Smith constantly draws the audience into his character's slow decent into madness created from years of lack of human contact.

In a recent interview, Will Smith explained how he prepared for the role of Dr. Neville. Which included supervised daily workouts and a strict dietary routine, resulting in his character's military buff physique. He garnered extensive training with military and weapons expert, Sam Glen, in the correct usage of Dr. Neville's modified rifle. Smith also gained invaluable knowledge of Dr. Neville's chosen profession of a virologist, from the director and producers visiting the Centers for Disease Control. The extensive research and preparation paid off in creating a believable character...by the beginning of production, Will Smith was not just playing a role, he had mutated into Dr. Robert Neville.

 

I Am Legend Photos © Warner Bros.

 

Equally believable was Will Smith's co-star, Abby, who played the doctor's faithful dog, and soul companion, Samantha. The character of Sam was a pivotal catalyst to propel the storyline, and she provided the movie's more humorous and emotionally charged moments, as well as its most suspenseful ones. The two fed off one another, creating a riveting and powerful dynamic.

Easter Egg Hunt

I Am Legend is a movie that begs to be seen more than one time. The movie is packed with hidden bits of trivia that movie (and computer geeks) affectionately refer to as Easter Eggs. On the first viewing it is easy to miss many due to being immersed into the storyline. However, to really enjoy the full expanse of the movie, try to keep a watchful eye for the carefully placed veiled clues that elude to plot understanding, as well as just plain fun trivia dispersed throughout the film by the director and crew.

There is one specific scene with a hidden meaning that can be revealed without giving out a spoiler alert. Pay attention to the walls of both the interior and exterior of buildings that Dr. Neville lives in and explores. For example, in his home, an old tattered newspaper clipping hangs on the wall. The front page headlines reveal a relevant piece of information pertinent to the mutant dogs. Also, there are bottles of vinegar dispersed about Dr. Neville's apartment, which he uses to mask his scent and Sam's, which in turn, keeps the Infected at bay.

Conclusion

The one thing missing (which did not bother me in the least) was the gore factor. Mindless, nauseating dismemberment and blood splatter were replaced by cunning wit and suspense. If you go to see I Am Legend expecting a typical horror movie filled with blood, guts, and gore...save your money, this movie is not for you.

Equally, I cannot emphasis enough, that if you are a fanatic follower of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, you will also be sorely disappointed. Especially if you go into the theater expecting to view a literal interpretation of the novel. For those who have read the novel, I suggest that you view I Am Legend as if it were a totally different entity. For those who are contemplating reading the novel before watching the movie, I highly recommend that you wait and read the book after you leave the theater to avoid being disenchanted.

 

I Am Legend Photos © Warner Bros.

 

I adamantly recommend I Am Legend, if nothing more than for an old fashion pure movie enjoyment experience (and of course for Will Smith). There are lots of heart-pounding, squirming-in-your-seat, jumping-out-of-your-skin moments. For a Sci-Fi movie, the storyline is reasonable, at least most of the time. There are some "what the Frail" moments, filled with gaping plot holes that engulf the third act. However, overall the movie was an exhilarating thrill ride that left me not only on the edge of my seat throughout the movie, but in a nervous heart racing state for over an hour after I had left the theater. If I could only use one word to describe I Am Legend, it would have to be...intense!

Credits
• Cast: Robert Neville (Will Smith), Samantha (Abby), Anna (Alice Braga), Ethan (Charlie Tahan), Zoe (Salli Richardson), Marley (Willow Smith)
• Director: Francis Lawrence
• Screenwriters: Akiva Goldsman, adapted from a script by Mark Protosevich (based on the novel, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, and the screenplay The Omega Man by Joyce H. Corrington and John William Corrington)
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Janek Sirrs
• Editor: Wayne Wahrman
• Running Time: 100 minutes
• MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of Sci-Fi action and (non-gory) violence

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