If you see me in the hall...
It isn't so much that the movie ruined the book as the book ruined the movie.
I read I Am Legend more than five years ago. Yet, I was left was such an overwhelmingly strong image from the last scene, that it was inevitable that I would dislike the mediocre, pandering final scene of the new Will Smith movie.
Not to say the movie was all bad. In fact, I thought the suspense and horror was remarkable. I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I even had a hard time watching some of the mutant/vampire/zombie scenes.
Then there were the merciless dangling plot lines and unfilled back stories. The movie starts to develop that the monsters seem to have some sort of social structure. Then they get blown up. The humans miraculously find a cure in someone's blood. Then one of the immortals gets buried alive, the other dates a lame-o and the other forgets he's immortal. Oh wait. That's Heroes. (Same problems here.)
But overall, the most remarkable thing about I Am Legend is how uneven the experience was from start to finish. It's bricolage at its worst. A little bit of everything, and not enough of any one thing. Part Cast Away. Part 28 Days Later. Part action movie. Part virus movie. It all adds up to not quite a whole movie.
Yet, despite it's failings, I'd still recommend everything except for maybe the last five minutes of the movie. And you should read the book too. Just make sure you read the book AFTER you see the movie.
I read I Am Legend more than five years ago. Yet, I was left was such an overwhelmingly strong image from the last scene, that it was inevitable that I would dislike the mediocre, pandering final scene of the new Will Smith movie.
Not to say the movie was all bad. In fact, I thought the suspense and horror was remarkable. I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I even had a hard time watching some of the mutant/vampire/zombie scenes.
Then there were the merciless dangling plot lines and unfilled back stories. The movie starts to develop that the monsters seem to have some sort of social structure. Then they get blown up. The humans miraculously find a cure in someone's blood. Then one of the immortals gets buried alive, the other dates a lame-o and the other forgets he's immortal. Oh wait. That's Heroes. (Same problems here.)
But overall, the most remarkable thing about I Am Legend is how uneven the experience was from start to finish. It's bricolage at its worst. A little bit of everything, and not enough of any one thing. Part Cast Away. Part 28 Days Later. Part action movie. Part virus movie. It all adds up to not quite a whole movie.
Yet, despite it's failings, I'd still recommend everything except for maybe the last five minutes of the movie. And you should read the book too. Just make sure you read the book AFTER you see the movie.
Labels: Mark
posted by M S Martinez at 12/17/2007 01:17:00 PM
3 Comments:
I had the same problems with dangling plots. . . I thought the movie was a whole bunch of really good parts, but they just didn't fit perfectly together. Like your example of the humanness of the dark seekers (right?) just being completely discarded. Or how the whole first part of the movie was about Will Smith's character going crazy and then he takes a shower and any psychological problems from 3 years of isolation are taken care of.
It might not sound like it, but I liked the movie too, and I didn't hate the ending, maybe that's cuz I haven't read the book.
Also I think this is Will Smith's best acting to date. Even better than Independence Day. Seriously though, he's good in it.
I am amazed there has been this much talk about I Am Legend with nary a word about The Dark Knight trailer.
For shame!
I saw I Am Legend in IMAX, so it was a Dark Knight trailer so much as it was five minutes from the movie.
Honestly, Batman looks amazing.
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