Terrible...and is it me or is some of the morality of this a bit off?

Rating: 3/10 (26 December 2007)

I was really, really looking forward to this. Huge fan of the book, out for Christmas, big-budget etc etc and find myself watching one of the worst films I have seen in years! I'm still in shock, if you haven't read the book, do so, you can do it in a couple of hours and like me you'll think, "If they film this, they just can't mess it up, it's brilliant! It's scary! It's got everything, it's just asking to be filmed, they just can't go wrong."
Oh...but they can...oh yes they can!
Actually, there are many good points about the awfulness of this film already made by others so I won't go on, read them, but firstly, the voting...I'm no longer convinced by it on this site anymore, I've seen far too many poor films get high votes that I'm simply left incredulous by. I really don't won't to be left with the notion that people are that thick, and I know they're not so all I can say is don't trust the voting system with modern blockbusters.
But, if it is true then I've noticed that most high votes are by "children" under 18 so I can forgive them their ignorance and lack of life experience, not that reading a short novella really takes any time or anything kids...
Secondly, why CGI? Surely the studio knew it looked awful (and it really does look dire), why on earth didn't they use actors? Surely 28 Days Later set a benchmark, and that was one of ours! (Sorry Brit here, used to low budgets you know, you have to like, improvise...) Of the million and one ways you could make a vampire/zombie type thing look scary and you totally and utterly fail on every count. Or was it deliberate? To maybe add to the unbelievability of the story? Or was this deliberate sabotage? I'm serious, they looked that awful I'm left wondering if there isn't more to it...
Then there's the third and more serious point I want to make. This is a classic science fiction novel, about the "science" of vampires. There's an awful lot to digest, and it's fairly light stuff really, let alone the heartbreaking stuff with the heroes (or antihero depends how you look at it)wife returning from the dead.
How dare someone then, turn this into a dodgy polemic on racism! Or at the very least in an extremely banal way on "bad" people. Is it me, or did all the infected look like members of the Neo-Nazis? Even then, what's with the religious spin? What's going on with a "colony" of uninfected in Vermont...land of the chosen few? Puritans!?!? The first settlers!? I noticed a lot of very dissatisfied grunts in Greenwich cinema, admittedly a more educated audience than most, but it really didn't sit well at all. Most I'd guess are expecting science-fiction, not some seriously messed up and confused comment on current US morality.
Fourthly was simply how much was missing. Will there be a fuller cut in the future perhaps? Was it cut to shreds for some reason? There's an awful lot unexplained and when it is it's done poorly. In fact when Anna and Ethan arrive I genuinely thought the film was going to return to the book and have them as more "evolved" vampires or something. But, oh no, they came all the way up from Brazil, all sweet and sound, totally safely and saved Will's life when he was having a bit of a turn. I mean, for crying out loud!! We went through this with 28 Week's Later - will studio types stop insulting our intelligence!!
Oh yeah, and what was it with the leader Nazi/infected headbanger? He some former "bad" man or something? Maybe political? Gee, maybe like, he was supposed to be George Bush Jnr, and like Will was the righteous man fighting for truth, you know like, keeping it real, right to the end.
Actually the sad thing is, Will Smith is really quite good in this, his performance simply cannot deny what a truly awful film this is. I'm a little disappointed to see however the film get rave reviews simply because he is in it, that's a shame, but credit where it's due. If the film was half decent they'd be talking about him in this in years to come. They won't now.
Still, I'm left feeling that I want to cry now.
One day someone will make a really good film of "I am Legend". They Will, really. (OK, terrible pun...)