There's the old saying, "If you're going to do something, make sure you do it right." That's often told by parents, teachers, coaches, or other authority figures to younger people who may seem inclined to go about something half-heartedly.
That can obviously apply to most anything, but since this is a movie review, we're going to do so with the world of cinema. If a filmmaker has his or her heart set on making yet another adaptation of a renowned novel, or is going to venture into a genre that's become worn out from overuse, one can only hope that someone gives them the above advice and repeatedly reminds them of just that.
Apparently that's been the case for director Francis Lawrence who decided to join the line of those who've tackled Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel, "I Am Legend." Previously done as the 1964 Vincent Price film "The Last Man on Earth" and then as "The Omega Man" in 1971 starring Charlton Heston, the story is about a lone man living in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by some nasty germs and their living dead victims (vampire type beings the first time around, zombies with the second).
Accordingly, any sort of general plot novelty is a moot point, and with so many zombie films having come out of recent, you'd think there probably isn't a full cemetery to be found anywhere. Thus, the odds wouldn't seem to favor another version of Matheson's tale.
Yet, much to my surprise, Lawrence -- working from an adapted screenplay by Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman -- manages to pull it off and then some. The result is a striking, often thrilling, sometimes scary, and nearly always engaging tale about messing around with Mother Nature and her plans.
Beyond an introductory news piece about a "cure" for cancer (featuring Emma Thompson as the genius-turned eventual destructor of humankind) and some brief flashback scenes, most of the film takes place three years after all hell broke loose. Most everyone is dead, and those who are immune to the airborne and physical contact spread contagion have been hunted down by the infected, rabid creatures that only come out at night due to an aversion to sunlight.
This world is introduced in a jaw-dropping fashion as we see a sports car zipping through Manhattan with nary any sort of cautious approach to zipping through the city's various normally heavily trafficked intersections. You see, all vehicles have long since been abandoned, and throngs have worker bee homo sapiens have been replaced by overgrown weeds, deer, and the occasional far wilder wildlife that apparently got free from the old Bronx Zoo.
Inside that car is Robert Neville, the lone, non-infected survivor of the apocalypse, a military scientist who's still determined to fix this "problem." Armed to the teeth and accompanied by his faithful female German Shepherd, "Sam," Neville goes through the same, military precise routine every day. Do a little hunting, hit the video store (and talk to the mannequins he's set up as other customers), send out the same emergency broadcast, and then return to his heavily fortified home before sunset and the beasties come out to play, uh, I mean kill.
The routine occasionally also involves capturing one of the "dark seekers" for some testing in hopes of developing a vaccine. Apparently, this isn't sitting well with the zom-vamps, and their speechless leader, identified only in the credits as Alpha Male (Dash Mihok in lots of makeup), is seemingly evolving, and wants their nemesis dead (and/or for dinner).
Besides the taut direction, good script, and terrific production design (the various views of an emptied and increasingly overgrown Manhattan are worth the price of admission alone), what makes the film work so well is the presence of and performance by Will Smith in the lead role. Originally earmarked for Arnold Schwarzenegger (which would have resulted in a completely different flick, even with Ridley Scott at the helm), the role is a tough one as it's essentially a one-man show.
While Smith brings his considerable resume of good will and charisma to the part, he also manages to create a completely engaging and sympathetic character stuck in a considerably bad situation. Through humor, terror, action, pathos and more, the actor makes us care about him and his plight, and the first parts of the film (before the creepy critters show up) are nothing short of mesmerizing.
The filmmakers switch gears once Alpha Male and the others make their entrance, turning the film into something of a thrilling roller coaster ride. Although it might lose some of its depth (but not its emotional punch -- a bit featuring his pooch is heartbreaking), it never falters in terms of storytelling momentum, even if some plot holes and contrivances make their way into the proceedings (but not to the point of distraction, at least as things are rapidly unfolding).
The result is a film that obviously feels familiar, yet fresh and exciting at the same time. You may think you've had your fill of apocalyptic and/or zombie-type yarns, but "I Am Legend" is done so right that it earns a hearty recommendation. It rates as a 7 out of 10.
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