Smith Success!

Rating: 9/10 (23 December 2007)

I Am Legend kind of has a Cast Away feeling. It is about one man isolated and trying to survive. But the circumstances are different. This time the main character has a small arsenal, a dog Sam to keep him company, mannequins, and an entire city to live in.
He spends his days active: exercising, hunting, and seeking for a cure to a disease (which he is immune) that has wiped out and turned most of humanity into zombies. His nights are on the lookout, barricaded and ready for the bloodthirsty monsters.
Once again, Will Smith shines as one of Hollywood's most influential actors. He is his usual self, funny, energetic, and overall entertaining. However, his character is not an ordinary protagonist like he was as Jim West in Wild Wild West or Agent Jay in Men in Black. His character is vulnerable and imperfect. He is not a super hero, but an ordinary, everyday person in a nightmarish situation. Of the movies I have seen him in, I have to say this is one of his best. The story is not cheesy; it's rather engaging and sometimes emotional with the well-timed flashbacks.
The action sequences were well-done, particularly with the scene in the beginning of where Smith chases after a pack of deer in a fast sports car. The camera angles and the computer-generated deer were amazing. Additional to the action, the movie had several suspenseful moments. There was one scene of where Smith goes into a dark room to find his dog. Each move and turn he makes put me on the edge of my seat, as I wonder what could pop up on the camera and scare me.
But unfortunately, my expectation of a quick pace was not as I hoped. The 101 minute movie felt more than two hours long. I also felt that some of the moments of where Will talks to the mannequins to be a little off. Other than that, I really liked this movie. 9/10