Very moving, but missed opportunity

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2011)

"I am legend" is about a woman finding a cure for cancer, but it turns out to be a plague. It kills of most of humanity, turning them into mutants. A few years later, a survivor from New York City - immune to the plague - struggles to find a cure.
This film is definitely moving, and the story was easy enough to capture. The problem was, is was incredibly slow to get going. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is a survivor, living alone with his dog Samantha, in New York City. For a large fraction of the film, there are no other characters involved. Apart from a few mutants randomly appearing, the amount of action is very minimal.
The film is still successful as a scary movie. Many of the scenes show horror, and there are incredibly intense scenes which make the film what it is. There are quite a few dramatic scenes that crop up around the ending time of the story. One of them featuring Robert and Samantha, the rest featuring Robert, Anna and Ethan. There are definitely a few missed opportunities throughout the film which could have made it more enjoyable, but to me it wasn't much of a bother.
In the second half of the story, Samantha ends up dying after getting bitten by a mutant. Shortly after, Robert is close to death, until he is rescued by Anna (Alice Braga). They both arrive back at his house where we meet Anna's son (Charlie Tahan). From then on, the film starts progressing rapidly, and a lot more action takes place.
The use of the character "Samantha" is a main feature in the film. The dog shows how Robert copes with a companion and alone. Without Sam featuring as much, the film would not mean the same to me. Marley Neville (Willow Smith) also plays a big part in the story. She shows us how Robert relates to her, and the rest of his family. She also provides a talking point later in the movie.
The director, Francis Lawrence, uses many successful and unique techniques to construct the film. Even though it is quite slow near the start, the events that happen keep the viewer on edge, just waiting for something to happen. Personally, the lack of action does help structure the story in some way. Some people may not carry on watching it after about 1 hour, but I think the majority of viewers will find it a unique technique. His use of flashbacks also keep the story going, and it is far more interesting than playing the movie straight from the start, and making us watch every single detail.
Overall, "I am Legend" is very dramatic, and I recommend this film to anyone who likes horror, thrills and a lot of drama.
9/10