Another Zombie Movie

Rating: 4/10 (21 December 2007)

As a big fan of Richard Matheson's work, I went into this movie wanting to like it. Will Smith has the skill to act, so there were many reasons to be optimistic. Unfortunately they just didn't do it right.
The main problem was the ridiculous superpowers that infected humans get from this unexplained, convenient, super-virus. Not only did these creatures resemble demonic bad guys from a video game, they are created by the same technology. And they're just as easily dismissed with their inability to speak or do anything but scream and murder. The probability of an anti-cancer virus genetically re-engineering humans into virtually indestructible beasts with superhuman powers is laughable at best. If they're such perfect killing machines, they would likely have run out of food really fast and ended up cannibalizing each other out of existence. Ignoring that, Will Smith's character would have ever survived for long with these things around is unlikely. The religious zealotry and rationalized insanity of Omega Man's albino bad guys was far more believable and probable despite the cheesiness.
The storyline is equally freshman, yanking on heartstrings with predictably tragic events created to incite sympathy for the main character. The scene where he is rescued from his attempt at suicide is never properly explained. The idea that an ex-Army Colonel with access to hardware wouldn't have the necessary weapons to deter an army of zombie monsters is preposterous. And I have no idea when pleasing red state piety became a Hollywood priority, but the implication of divine grace and intervention in the plot was going way too far.
So why the 4? Because Will Smith did a good job with a bad story. Because the scenes were laid out beautifully. Because Bob Marley is heavily referenced. Because I liked the ending even though it leaves a lot of questions hanging.