Now What In The Hell Would YOU Do In This Situation? I Am Legend

Rating: 8/10 (20 April 2016)

Living in an unpredictable, ghostly world makes this 'Pursuit of Happiness' a little more difficult for actor Will Smith. Besides the failures this sci-fi story has had in the past, Director Francis Lawrence found a way to organize "I Am Legend" into an amazing, action-packed, emotional thriller. This film, almost a decade after its' release, can still be said to keep audiences around the world on the edge of their seat, waiting anxiously for Dr. Robert Neville's (Will Smith) next move.
From the very beginning, we are introduced to a world much like the one we live in now. The plot is based in a very familiar area of New York City that many of us have probably seen in other movies, TV shows, and/or possibly first hand. As a viewer this movie makes it extremely easy to start asking questions, such as the 'What if' scenarios, and virtually live alongside Dr. Neville. Well let's just say, if an extremely dangerous virus, which once upon a time was supposed to cure cancer, ended up turning people into nocturnal zombie-dinosaur like people, I would feel pretty good about having Mr. Smith and a badass German Sheppard (Samantha) alongside me. Luckily I haven't been in a situation where my entire city ends up under quarantine, but watching each step Dr. Neville takes is definitely one hell of an adventure.
On a day to day basis, Smith makes his meals from preserved food, keeps his guns loaded, seeks to find a cure for the infected, as well as any other survivors that may be left. As the days go by, things become more and more intense. Dr. Neville's observations state that the infected people are changing and their symptoms are leading to very dangerous behaviors. In this case I would rather run into a mean grizzly than a growling human that wants to eat me! Screw that.
Francis Lawrence definitely directed this film in an exhilarating way, keeping his audience engaged and focused. From the start it may be hard for the viewer to understand what is going on but as the film takes a turn and reveals flashbacks from Dr. Neville's life things become more and more clear. This film technique is used extremely well. As we watch the sequence of events from Neville's current life (3 years after the virus began), we also get to slowly unravel the answers of why things happened the way they did. When it comes to the acting and directing of the film, I would strongly say there are many more pros than cons.
On the contrary, I will warn you about the CGI effects used to create the infected characters. This can easily be perceived as the biggest and possibly only con of the film. When first introduced to the infected population, it was kind of a struggle to believe these characters were anywhere close to real. If you're anything like me, even in this science-fiction case, I like to compare films to reality. Because of their cartoon look and clone appeal from one another, it was obvious that these figures were fake. Besides the fact that THEY ARE FAKE, I believe these effects could have been focused on more and brought out a more realistic look. Don't get me wrong, I still think this film is absolutely incredible.
Alright, before I become too much of a spoiler I'll stop there. So if you're looking to go on a journey and don't want to go far, I Am Legend is definitely a film worth checking out!
"Slick, adrenaline-fueled fun." - Los Angeles Times