Excellent remake

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2007)

I just saw the movie last night, and it was a great piece of filmaking, in my opinion. This is no mere action-thriller...this is a true psychological thriller with some horror/action elements scattered throughout to keep the multiplex crowds awake. Will Smith plays against type here as the protagonist Robert Neville, who struggles against insanity as he searches for the cure to the virus that has apparently made him the last uninfected man on earth. Smith does an excellent job here of showing the effects of isolation, loneliness and desperation. Gone is the supercool, in-control, wisecracking badass of Bad Boys, Men in Black and Independence Day. Here, he plays closer to the vulnerability he explored in I, Robot and perfected in The Pursuit of Happiness. I was reminded quite a bit of Tom Hanks' performance in Cast Away, which Smith cites as an influence for making this movie. All in all, this movie is taut, gripping and intense, both emotionally and psychologically. The visuals of (the real) Manhattan, emptied out by the virus are both breathtaking and spooky. The intensity of the performances by the CG creatures is so convincing it makes the infected of 28 Days/Weeks Later seem like they're moving in slow motion. The story plays very close to the vest of the original novel, while simultaneously tipping its hat to the Vincent Price and Charlton Heston adaptations, and weaves its own new tapestry as well. The movie was extremely well done and is sure to be an instant classic. Bravo to all involved.