Good could have been great (No Omega Man even w/better graphics)

Rating: 6/10 (27 December 2007)

Good movie that could have been great.
The movie built up great, Will Smith is likable as always. The ending, although different perhaps in relation to the usual Hollywood ride off into the sunset, everything is wonderful ending, was refreshing in its unexpected result although seemed like a rush to finish rather than develop better. If you like end of the world, mutant human type movies then this is a good one. As stated good, but could have been great.
Stop here if you do not want hints and plot information "Spoiler alert"
1.The CGI graphics were great for NYC and the animals, but lost it with the infected people. They all looked the same and not very real.
2.The infected humans were rabid, crazy, hyper-accelerated yes, BUT were still people that were infected but still alive since a cure could theoretically bring them back. These were super fast, climbing buildings, smashing through metal barriers and bullet proof glass. Physics says flesh and bone are inferior to steel and concrete. The actions and antics of the infected made the movie less believable. Had they retained some human semblance they would have been scarier and more believable, especially if they were crazy but still human in mentality, like in Omega Man.
3. They imply that they eat any live meat and blood they can find. Okay. However, infected or not, they must eat to stay alive and since they are, what are they eating? The movie suggests deer and other animals as well as survivors at first, but an island the size of Manhattan has a limit population support ability for deer and other animals, and if there are at least 100,000 to 200,000 infected humans on the island (movie estimates based on 2,000,000 inhabitants in Manhattan 10% survive etc.),they would eat up the food supply in weeks and starve soon after since you can't get off the island (bridges blown up). Big hole in plot.
4. Neville (Smith) is trying to find a cure. He seems to make progress on an animal early on then no more mention. His dog gets bitten, why not isolate it, and work on it for a cure? Instead, he holds it until it gets infected,then kills it. Sad, but makes no sense considering.
5. The lady and the boy just show up. How? By boat? Car? What? These 2 survive a landscape inhabited by hundreds of thousands of rabid humans and they simply stroll into NYC and find Neville. Better if they came with a small group on a boat say, with a plausible explanation how they survived,got there etc. Also, Neville is about to be taken out by infected and the lady turns on lights. Okay, how did this drive them off (I am aware they are photo sensitive)? Later, Neville turns on lights and the infected simply smash them and move on so lights can't be that great. Another hole.
6. The infected follow them to Neville's home and smash through metal to get in. Weak. Then, just as they are sealed in the basement, an infected Neville is working on seems cured. He draws blood, gives it to the lady, hides them in a tunnel of sorts and blows up the infected and himself as they smash through bullet proof glass, ridiculous. The lady then goes to Vermont and finds an uninfected colony and has the cure in the blood from the sample. Okay, how did the car that was on Manhattan get across the water without bridges? Again, a big hole. Rushed ending that would have been better if it had developed better.
Other holes, but still a good flick. Frustrating because it could have been a classic you would watch over and over (like Omega Man despite its flaws), but just falls short.