I AM LEGEND Francis Lawrence, known for Constantine brings us the third adaptation of Richard Mathesons 1954 novel. The first adaptation was in 1964 known as The Last Man on Earth, the second was in 1971 The Omega Man, and now in 2007 - I am Legend. October 2009, a medical researcher, Dr. Krypton (Emma Thompson - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) created a genetically engineered variant of the measles virus, which was meant to be a cure for cancer. There was a brief period of great clinical trials, however, the virus mutated into a strain that killed 5.4 billion people worldwide. The people that survived, 558 million devolved into aggressive creatures known as Dark-seekers, which heightened agility and strength along with animalistic behaviour, though, also developed photosensitivity. They then began hunting down and killing the remaining 12 million humans who were immune to both the virus and the mutation effects. In September 2012, military virologist Robert Neville (Will Smith - Men in Black) is the last human in New York City, and potentially the last human on earth. He lost his wife and daughter in a helicopter accident during the quarantine of Manhattan. His daily routine includes; experimenting on infected rats to find a cure for the virus, trying to isolate the gene in his blood to make him immune and trips through Manhattan to collect food and medical supplies and even hunts dear that have wandered into the city. Many animals managed to escape from the zoo and thrive like wild animals, who seem unaffected by the virus. He also listens each day for a response to his recorded radio broadcasts, which instructs any survivors to meet him at midday at the designated South street Seaport, where he sits on a bench and waits every day for 30 minutes. The only communication he has is with his dog, Sam and interaction with mannequins he has set up as patrons of a video store. With the outbreak, Robert uses knowledge from the Dark-Seekers habits, he has shielded his habitat with UV projectors and iron shutters inside the window. He also set up some generators inside the house to provide electricity. One day, he goes out deer hunting with Sam, who chases one into an abandoned building. He finds the deer and finds a dog hiding and realises it is filled with Dark-seekers. They then flee. To test a treatment, Robert sets up a snare trap that uses the scent of blood to capture an infected person. As he inspects a captured woman, a male Dark-seeker emerges from the building and screams with the pain of the sunlight. Robert thinks this is due to the increased hunger and notes down that the loss of all human characteristics in the Dark-seekers are gone. Back in his lab, he tries a new serum on the infected woman, with no success. The next day, Robert notices one of his mannequins has moved onto the street infront of Grand Central Terminal. He is caught in a snare trap and passes out. Once he regained consciousness at dusk, he manages to free himself, however, a pack of infected dogs attack both him and Sam. Sam is attacked and Robert takes her home to inject a strain of the serum in the hope to save her, however, it is too late and Sam begins to mutate, forcing Robert to strangle her to death. Full of grief and rage, Robert attacks a group of Dark-seekers in the seaport the following night with his 3rd generation Ford Expedition which is equipped with UV lights, which looks like a suicidal last stand. He manages to kill many of them, but he is almost killed before he is rescued by a pair of immune humans, Anna (Alice Braga - City of God) and Ethan (Charlie Tahan - First movie role), who have followed his radio broadcasts from Maryland. Anna and Ethan take Robert back to his home and Anna explains that they are making their way to the survivors camp in Vermont. Robert does not believe the camp exists and expresses doubt when Anna says that God told her about this camp. The next night,a man leads an infected mob to attack Roberts home. Anna, who was unaware of Robert precautions in covering his scent outside the house had inadvertently allowed the Dark-seekers to follow their scent. As the Dark-seekers charge the house, Robert stops the first lot with the UV projectors, which others destroy. He destroys the second lot with mines in his garden, but finds himself defenceless against the third lot. As Robert tries to find Anna and Ethan, the leader and another Dark-seeker enter the house and the leader attacks Robert. As Robert fends him off, the other Dark-seeker gets upstairs and tears a hole in the roof so the others can get in. Robert manages to save Anna and Ethan, they retreat into the lab. They manage to seal themselves in a glass walled room with the infected woman and discover that Robert treatment is starting to work - the infected woman starts to look more normal. The Dark-seekers manage to break in and the leader begins to throw himself against the glass, managing to crack it into the shape of a butterfly. Robert then sees Annas butterfly tattoo and thinks of his daughter, who used to make a butterfly shape with her hands. Robert then draws a vial of the infected womans blood and gives it to Anna, before shutting her and Ethan inside a coal chute in the back of the lab. Robert manages to detonate a M67 grenade to destroy all the attackers and kills himself in the process. The next morning, Anna and Ethan wake up to find all the attackers had gone and they head towards the survivor colony. They manage to arrive at the colony where Anna hands over Roberts antidote. Anna states that the survivors are Roberts legacy, as his fight for a cure became a legend. I am Legend feels like another zombie type movie, the creatures are all infected and can infect others and theres one person who can save the world - like Resident Evil. However, there is one thing that makes this movie different than others - Will Smith. He is just a normal guy, not a mutation, or robot or flapping his arms about like a mad man, he is a virologist, who believes he has a cure to the Dark-seekers. He, along with his pet dog, are almost like the Terminator Salvation resistance, trying to find others like him, to prove he is not the only human left. The movie itself is very dark and quite jumpy at parts, the Dark-seekers are very different to a typical type zombie with excess skill and strength, which also cannot come out in the light due to the light sensitivity - which also differs from a typical zombie type movie. This movie is just about surviving. He has lost his wife and daughter and then sadly loses his dog. The sequence in his home as he hugs his dog, we begin to see the mutation of the dog and as the camera pans up to Will Smiths face we can here the growling, and whimpering of the dog as he strangles it to death to prevent further mutation. This sequence changes the movie. Anyone who has lost a pet, whether its of natural causes or merely putting it to sleep, Smiths character is doing it for the dogs benefit and anyone who has lost a pet will feel a lump in their throat at the untimely death of Sam the dog. As he strangles her, the camera is fixed on Smiths character, Roberts face, where you can see different emotions across his face - anger, sad, helpless and grief as he has to put down his best friend. This stands out purely because it is an action/thriller movie, we normally do not see things like that and it almost feels like Robert has no one left to live for - the dog was the last of his family, which is not only powerful to show the relationship between man and animal but also seals Roberts fate he puts himself into. The movie setting is very dark and desolate. Very little characters are seen throughout the movie, so it is purely again up to Smith to hold screen presence alone, which not many can do, but he was able to pull it off brilliantly, especially with the Castaway type speaking from Tom Hanks with the volleyball to Will Smith talking to manniquins. Will Smith is a very under rated actor and is merely seen as a action/comedy star, but in the likes of this movie and several others, we see different sides to his acting ability which is very widespread and should not been just seen as that funny guy who can shoot a gun The only negative point of the movie is the moments of flashing lights. Not only can it disarray a typical audience member but, that of those who are epileptic, who are potentially missing out on a great film. Though, taking my own precautions to watch the movie, I would have preferred to see this film in the cinema, but unfortunately would never be able to due to the flashing/strobe lighting. I am Legend is a great movie from start to finish, a thrilling ride with such emotion at parts, it is definitely a film not to be missed, however, there was no need for excessive flashing lights used in parts. Rating 4/5
Posted on: Sun, 23 Feb 2014 14:36:09 +0000
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