Review: I Am Legend

Even though I Am Legend came out in theaters two weeks ago on December 14th, many people have not seen it yet possibly because of the mixed reviews it has recieved.  Ever since we saw the first teaser that gave no indication of anything other than Will Smith being alone in the city, my wife and I were really excited to see this movie.  Last night we finally got to see it, and I have to say we were both incredibly satisfied with the experience.  Neither of us has read the book on which it is based, nor have we seen either Omega Man (1971) or The Last Man On Earth (1964) (both movies based on the same book), but the new movie does not present itself as a remake of either movie and instead borrows ideas from the book and builds on its own. 

I Am Legend is a movie that does not waste time and the directing clearly conveys this, it has completely shunned much of the current epic movie feel and instead focuses entirely on the character of Robert Neville and what he is going through.  As he is the last man on earth, a lot of what defines him is his daily routine going about the city with his only companion, a German Shepherd named Sam.  The scenery and setting of this movie are simultaneously beautiful, creepy, and awe-inspiring.  I imagine a lot of heavy CG was used to create an abandoned New York City for the film, but it all blends together very well to create stunning feelings of neglect and solitude.  I was quite surprised at the amount of character development which Will Smith accomplishes, the psychosis and mental anguish of Neville are perfectly executed.  

The movie seamlessly blends the genres of science fiction and horror in a dystopian near-future.  While there are numerous scenes that are very frightening, it never resorts to cheap thrills or lame surpises, instead presenting the truly creepy and terrifying in a believable way.  I Am Legened manages to be a big-budget, visual heavy film that presents itself as an independent, low-key production kind of movie.  All of the focus is put on Robert Neville and how he has lived his life, how events have shaped him, and he deals with everything that happens to him.  I highly recommend going to see it while it is still in theaters.