I am Legend

Well my piece on actors vs actresses left no doubt about who the most bankable star in the world of cinema was and Will Smith has done it again, breaking records for December opening weekends and smashing through the $200 million dollar mark in a little over 3 weeks.

I am Legend is the 3^rd adaptation of the Richard Matheson novel about the last man on earth. Ridley Scott was slated to direct Arnold Schwarzanegger in this film (or a variation thereof) back in the 90s but however much I love Ridley Scott, I can’t help thinking it was probably best that this film was made instead.

It’s not perfect – in fact I thought the entire second half was a bit of a let down, however Will Smith is one of the few actors that can be on screen on his own for 2 hours and for that not to become a little stale. He’s not quite at his best here – a couple of scenes don’t convince, particularly when he has a bit of a meltdown. However he shows once again why the public will pay to see him and for the first 60 minutes this is a grade A action film.

New York has never been portrayed quite like this. In fact it probably surpasses Ridley Scott’s own take on New York earlier this year in American Gangster. The latter was a brilliant retro look at 70s New York, and it was totally convincing. This though is a look at an apocalyptic New York and looks even better (if you’ll forgive the slightly pointless comparison!). Grass grows in the pavement cracks, plants have grown to 8 foot tall, deer wander along deserted avenues. It’s brilliant. A big gold star for the CGI guys on that one.

A big black mark for the same guys though (if indeed it was the same guys) for the zombified human mutants. They’re not quite right – not appalling mind you, just not quite up to scratch.

I stated that the entire 2^nd half is a bit of a let down. There’s a mention of God at just over the halfway point that totally gives away the ending. I didn’t imagine God would be proved wrong in an American blockbuster and indeed he is not. It’s a pointless and stupid mention and really irritated me. However, for all its flaws I find myself preferring to concentrate on the good points and I guess that’s testament to how well they pulled much of it off. Not the perfect action film but worth seeing on the big screen.

B-