Improved Solitude
Before I proceed with the review, I want to say that living in solitude with all the cool stuffs in the world is rather cool.
This movie is based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. The first silver-screen adaptation of this book was the 1971 The Omega Man, with Charlton Heston (a.k.a. the NRA tai gor in USA) as Robert Neville. In this version, Dr Neville is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons, due to an experimental vaccine. The plague, caused by the war has killed everyone else except for a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people calling themselves "The Family". The plague has made them sensitive to light, as well as homicidal and psychotic. Neville is trying to get out of the city and find a human colony. In terms of execution, the movie is somewhat similar to the sci-fi movies of its time, e.g. Planet of the Apes, etc.
Fast forward to 2007, in the latest adaptation of the novel, the producers decided to name the movie as the novel title, I Am Legend. I do have to admit; it is definitely an improvement to its predecessor. In this version, the movie begins with a newspaper interview with Dr. Krippen (Emma Thompson) who is speaking about her scientific breakthrough. She has taken the measles virus and altered it at a genetic level so that it attacks only cancerous cells. The treatment has proven a hundred percent effective in over 10,109 clinical trials. The film then cuts to three years later and we see that New York is deserted. Grass is breaking out through concrete floors, cars are rusting in the streets, and entire buildings are covered in titanic sheets of plastic with biohazard signs plastered all over them. Our hero, Richard Neville (Will Smith), comes blazing in his Mustang GT500, hunting deers in downtown, run-down New York. (In The Omega Man, Charlton Heston breaks into a deserted dealership and drives out the Mustang from the store window.) As in the earlier version, Neville is the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague – the Infected – lurk in the shadows.
In a nutshell, the special effects of this movie are OK. Not that it is bad or anything, but after watching Beowulf and playing countless gory video games such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, etc., the Infected looks unrealistic; nothing more than hundred-percent CG characters fresh from a PC. I really wished the director paid more attention to this. As for the storyline and cinematography, the pacing was good, and there were times I was on the edge of my seat, especially when Neville was entering an Infected hideout trying to get his dog back. The other characters are Alice Braga (Anna) and Charlie Tahan (Ethan). Though their contributions didn't matter to the plot, they were in the movie till the end.
The movie centered on Neville trying to cope with his solitude life and constantly battling to stay away from the Infected. And by portraying the consequences of embarking in risky genetic biotechnology projects with inadequate safety protocols, I believe the movie highlights the state of our modern biotechnology industry, where companies rush to produce cures for major ailments from the most unlikely sources to claim novel discoveries and patents and attain the instant fame, glory and monetary rewards that come with it.
In short, I would say that this is one cool movie, and I am definitely getting a DVD copy of this movie. - Spoovans
Read my unedited review here. |
