Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, War
Duration: 1 hr. 41 min.
Cast: Alice Braga, Will Smith, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Salli Richardson
Director: Francis Lawrence
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: December 14, 2007

Don’t let the film studio’s marketing fool you into thinking “I AM LEGEND” is only an apocalyptic thriller. It’s also a monster movie with star power. Here, Will Smith “PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS” plays Lt. Robert Neville, the last man on earth who is trying to survive a world filled with flesh-eating creatures.

Call them zombies or vampires or a hybrid of both. They are known as “Dark Seekers” and only come out at night. The monsters were accidentally created when a genetic experiment failed to cure over 10,000 cancer patients.

In 2009, scientists believed they found a cure for the disease and injected a virus to fight the sickness. Three years later, billions are dead and the rest have transformed into these disturbing beings. Somehow, Robert, who assisted on the experiment, is the soul survivor.

Taking refuge with his dog Sam in his New York City home, Robert spends his days hunting the deer that are now running rampant through the deserted city streets and hitting golf balls into the abyss. He also broadcasts a message on the radio hoping to find any other humans that might still be alive. Along with his recreational activities, he continues to study the plague and searches for an antidote.

Intense for the first half of the film, “I AM LEGEND,” a remake of 1971’s “OMEGA MAN,” gets ridiculously top-heavy with the computer-generated effects. Any type of emotional effectiveness is overshadowed by these unmemorable action sequences.

Smith is at his best when he works alone and screenwriters should have realized this by offering audiences a deeper look into the psyche of a man who has been isolated for the last three years. Instead, they turn “I AM LEGEND” into a creep show and leave out a much more interesting story about the survival of one’s own mind. Grade: C

Watch I AM LEGEND trailer!