Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-04-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A mainstream Hollywood actor who seems committed to igniting science fiction features, Will Smith chalked up another sizeable hit in the shape of I Am Legend, the latest cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson's book of the same name.

This time, Smith plays Robert Neville, the last man on an Earth emptied by a deadly virus that he continues to try and find a working vaccine for. With just his dog for company, and the fear of the vampires that haunt the night never far away, I Am Legend quickly establishes itself as a taut, highly watchable blockbuster, with plenty of reasons to gnaw at your nail.

Where I Am Legend really scores is in the excellent first half. The scenes of a deserted New York are quite staggering, and it's also to Smith's immense credit that he holds the attention even though for the most part he's the only person on the screen. It's a quite wonderful opening hour that the film enjoys, and one that easily stands repeat viewings alone.

The back half of I Am Legend is, almost inevitably, not quite the match of what's gone before, as the threats of the night don't, when you finally see them, live up to expectations. Nonetheless, for Smith's performance, and the sheer quality of the build up, I Am Legend can stand side-by-side with the last take on the story, the Charlton Heston-starrer The Last Man On Earth. Take either home, and you're in for a rollicking good night in front of the telly. --Jon Foster

DVD Description
Robert Neville (Will Smith, Men in Black) is a brilliant scientist. But when a man-made virus can't be contained, Neville finds himself the last human survivor in New York City and potentially the world. For three years he faithfully sends out daily radio messages, desperate to find other survivors. But he is not alone... Mutant victims of the plague (The Infected) lurk in the shadows, waiting to catch Neville out. As perhaps Earth's last hope for mankind, Neville is driven only by the desire to somehow reverse the effects of the virus before it's too late...

Stills from I Am Legend

Synopsis
Richard Matheson's classic chiller gets its third adaptation (after THE OMEGA MAN and THE LAST MAN ON EARTH) with this film from director Francis Lawrence (CONSTANTINE). Will Smith plays Robert Neville, the last survivor in a post-apocalyptic New York, but there's still danger left on the city streets.

Customer Reviews

An intense and moving portrayal of one man's quest for survival
First off, why the obsession with this film's CGI? This film is not meant to be an action-packed CGI extravaganza, it's story-driven, not CGI-driven, so to dwell on the CGI sequences is completely missing the point.

Will Smith is the sole survivor of a devastating plague that has wiped out nearly all of humanity. He has survived because he is one of the very few who have a natural immunity to the plague. During the mass evacuation of New York he decides to stay (with his dog for company) and works frantically on a cure, trying to find a way to transfer his body's disease immunity into an antidote that can be used as a cure.

The film powerfully illustrates the desolation that has taken place, with amazing scenes showing a completely deserted New York, full of overgrown vegetation and general decay. These scenes give an awesome sense of the loneliness that Will Smith's character must endure day after day, with only his dog giving him any kind of company. The complete emptiness of this once bustling metropolis creates a very eerie kind of tranquility as you watch Will Smith picking corn growing in the middle of this concrete jungle.

But this unnatural tranquility hides a shocking fact - some people did in fact survive the plague, but unlike Will Smith, they've been turned into a mindless zombie-like state where all they want to do is kill. These 'survivors' are reminiscent of the race of Morlocks from H G Wells's The Time Machine. They have become like a sub-species of human, lurking in the shadows away from the sun during the day, then coming out at night to inflict their carnage. Will Smith's character always has to ensure he is back in his fortified house before sunset so that he isn't attacked by these monsters.

But although he fears these creatures, he realises they are merely victims of this horrific plague and that the survival of mankind depends on finding a cure for these very people that constantly endanger his own life.

Will Smith's portrayal of a man battling against both extreme loneliness and hopelessness is very believable and, at times, very moving. Despite tremendous adversity he never gives up hope and works relentlessly on trying to develop a cure, no matter what the cost to him.

This is a very powerful and evocative film with amazing cinematography and another superb performance from the ever reliable Will Smith.

Will Smith holds up well on his own
A scientist creates a cure for cancer which ends up causing a virus turning people into cannibalistic vampires. Those who were not infected were eaten, and those who were hide in the dark until the sun goes down. One man remains, and he and his dog stalk the city looking for uninfected survivors by day, while trying to attempt to cure the infected.

Will Smith holds up well on his own, but he really needs another character to play his lines off to really shine. Most of the movie is consisted of him alone, talking to himself, talking to store dummies, or talking to his dog.

The action is minimal and the feeling of tension is felt more by what you can't see in the daylight. it was still entertaining, but I felt it was lacking something, and the ending is kind of anti-climatic.

Remade for the sake of the almighty Dollar
Having previously seen Charlton Heston's take on this in the Omega Man i was quite interested to see what the latest remake would do any differently. And the answer is crib in bits of Tom Hanks' loneliness and isolation in Castaway, Tom Cruise's bewilderment and epic scale of War of the Worlds, the plague victims from 28 Days Later and then recycle the original plot (from the book obviously). Unfortunately, Will Smith spends most of his time overacting and posing for the beefcake shot, the isolation aspect is done far better in Castaway, the plague victims are far better in 28 Days Later, the back story told in flashback lacks reality, drama and tension and when all told leaves a feeling of "so much for that." And the ending is much the same. The aspect of Will Smith going slightly mad is clunky, obvious and forced and really adds nothing to the overall effect.

What the hell was the point in remaking this film? Sorry, forgot, crass remake time along with Omen, Poseiden etc.

On a slight tangent, the lighting for the setting was surely a mistake. New york has come to a violent end, but there are countless basking sunshine shots across the verdant potted plants, particularly in Times Square. It all looks so sunny and warm and pull up a deckchair, not like the end of civilisation.

If you've never seen the previous versions of the film/book then this will pass some time in a very undemanding way, but if you have then i really wouldn't bother. And the CGI deer are cack as well.