A good movie with potential

Rating: 6/10 (9 October 2015)

I Am Legend is a science fiction/drama movie directed by Francis Lawrence that tells the story of Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) surviving in a post-apocalyptic world and struggling to find a cure after a lethal genetically modified measles virus infects and kills 90% of the human population. The virus was originally designed to be a cure for cancer, but instead turns the remaining 10% of humans alive into mutant, zombie-like creatures that buckle under the presence of any kind of UV light. He does not believe that any normal humans exist anymore, and the only company Neville has are a bunch of mannequins and his pet German Shepherd, Sam.
This film starts off at a pretty good standpoint, establishing the apocalyptic setting of Manhattan, with wild deer being hunted by lions in the streets and overgrown greenery of Time Square. Showing Neville and Sam hunting down the deer in a Shelby Cobra added for a nice sort of "chase scene" of predators hunting their prey. You can tell very quickly that the infected creatures they dealt with throughout the film were no joke as Neville locks himself and Sam in his fortified house at sundown. It becomes apparent how much Neville misses human interaction as he goes to the store and interacts with the mannequins. He becomes easily likable because of how stressed his character is in the whole situation, making you sympathize with him. Even Sam is likable as a dog, showing loyalty and companionship for Neville. A particularly heartbreaking moment in the film is when Neville had to strangle Sam due to her being infected by infected dogs. She was truly brave and was protecting her master to the very end, and you could feel the despair as Neville mourned over the death of his only companion. Two other characters later introduced due to Neville sending out radio broadcasts for anybody to find him and coincidentally saving his life were not so interesting at first, but did give a feeling of hope for both Neville and the audience. The film had great cinematography, however, with the work on the streets of New York City being rundown and destroyed. The effects were good for 2007 as well. It didn't have a spectacular soundtrack or anything like that, but it did emphasize the importance of lighting, in particular sunlight. The movie stayed consistent with the plot, not straying too far from the main theme. It had some subplots here and there, but they tied in with the main plot line of the film. How the story started was a rather ironic way for the world to end, but it didn't seem impossible. The movie did not overstay its welcome and was well paced. The ending could have taken a different direction, where he didn't have to sacrifice himself in a fiery explosive fashion, but certainly was better than the alternative ending because it made more sense and had more impact. Overall this film was well directed and put together. It follows a good storyline that expresses the dire need for the survival of the human race, the actors made you believe in their roles, and the production was well put together. I Am Legend is a film needed in one's collection.