Simply amazing

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2008)

(Not sure if the content of this can be counted as containing spoilers, so thought that I would play it safe) This is the first ever film review that I have written which says something about what I thought about this film, it has compelled me to right this. I would also like to note that a lot of people may disagree with what I say in this review but it is simply my opinion and I wanted to share it with everyone.
Overall, the film I thought was very, very good. Will Smith's acting was superb and did what a lot of films aim to achieve, but fail. It made me become entirely involved in the world it had created, without any question of realism or accuracy. I thought that the relationship which was created between him and his dog was truly fantastic. Being a dog owner, it made the whole situation with Sam feel so much closer to home and genuinely very emotional. It was tragic and the trauma which Robert Neville felt was, to me, very powerful. Furthermore, I thought the part when they had just been attacked by dogs, when I saw Sam limp and fall over, it was heart-breaking as it was innocent and simply his only friend. Obviously, me being a dog owner would mean that this was far more powerful to me, but this was a tragic and moving part of the film which I don't think I am going to forgot any time soon.
The general plot of the film was obviously not truly innovative as I am sure a lot of people will compare it to 28 days/weeks later but I personally think that Will Smith really made this stand out from the rest. Also, the parts of this when he is going into a combat situation/is in one against the Darkseekers, I had a slight feeling of claustrophobia and nervousness as the atmosphere really was that rich. I am glad therefore that this wasn't the only part of the film (which I find to often be a shortcoming of horrors), which meant that other and more subtle parts were not forgotten. The talking with the mannequins and his memorisation of Shrek (on that particular scene), these little parts really did add depth to the plot and film as a whole.
The ending was also very well done. It wasn't drawn out like it easily could have been and the tragedy at the end was quickly followed by a ray of sunshine which the film ended on. This helped keep the film shorter than it could have been (around 1 3/4 hrs) so that it kept your attention for longer and you were immersed in the story even more.
This is, in my opinion, a wonderful film with emotional highs and lows, a compelling plot and action, which is tied up very nicely at the end to make it one of my favourite films of all time. I highly recommend that you watch this if you haven't already.