Smith is brilliant.

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2008)

I'll start by saying that Will Smith delivers a superb performance. He completely carries this film on his shoulders, and I don't think that anyone could have succeeded like he did. A phenomenal work from him. The film does drag a lot, for me, in the first couple of acts but it really could have only been done that way. I adored the complete lack of a score and felt it added to the ambiance, making the audience feel like they were also the last person on Earth. Some of the contrivances really irked me (like the girl showing up right before he died....after not hearing his radio message for three years and finally coming just as he lost all hope) but they were pretty easy to look past. Just like everyone complains about, I wasn't a fan of the monsters. The idea of using CGI instead of makeup effects really disappointed me. And I wasn't a big fan of the ending. The martyr thing always pulls on my heart, so I was fine with that, but the whole "super-duper happy commune" thing felt really contrived. Oh, and I couldn't watch Sam's last scene.