Review of I Am Legend (2007) by Matthew D — 25 May 2018

A legendary missed opportunity.

Director Francis Lawrence attempts to adapt the novel I Am Legend, but he changes too much to maintain the integrity of the original story. The vampires from the novel are changed to fast paced infected zombies. The tale of man surviving trying to find a cure for a global outbreak turns into a story of self sacrifice instead of the major morality twist of the book. The story is stripped down to the most basic version of this narrative so that nearly nothing happens during I Am Legend. This movie is entertaining once, but a missed opportunity at making something great.

The biggest mistake is the ending that could have been better. You are supposed to understand that the hero is really the monster to the vampire creatures, but the audience is left with a shallow martyrdom to save humanity. The finale is so contrived it ruins the film.

The highlight is Will Smith's performance. Smith remains engaging and emotionally gripping throughout. He is by himself for a majority of the movie, so Smith really pulls off quite the entertaining dramatic performance.

The dog is so cute that follows Will Smith throughout I Am Legend, so much so that you are constantly focused in on the dog's behavior until you are not. I realize the dog is present to have cheap emotional drama and an adorable presence to keep the movie relatable. Once the dog is no longer present, it dawns on you that there is little plot and even less suspense.

In all, I Am Legend wastes its premise, suspense, and Will Smith's excellent acting on a boring survival story in a post-apocalyptic setting. The obvious product placement and forced references aside, you will leave I Am Legend disappointed.