Certainly This Omega Man Remake Falls Flat

Rating: 2/10 (23 March 2008)

Much of this movie is a one man (Will Smith) & one dog (Samantha) show. While Will Smith does a terrific job acting which is why I give this a point, and the dog is terrific too, the script has many problems. There is a long list of production goofs already noted here on IMDb in addition to the script problems.
The story, while logical is an extreme leap of faith. How do you explain Smith alone being able to set up the entire lab complex & defenses when there is no time or logic in what is set up before the virus strikes the city? The defenses are set up like he knew what he needed to do ahead of time & logically, that would be impossible in real life.
How does Anna & the boy, when they finally arrive late in the film, get into a destroyed New York City when all the bridges have been destroyed coming into Manhatten? Even more incredible, how does she get back out after wards? It is not shown because it can't be explained logically.
I like Will Smith so watching this film is not a chore as he does a fine job. The flashback technique to his wife & kids deaths is done is 3 clips & it is very predictable what is about to happen to them with the chopper from the outset of the first one. The story might have worked better to have gone through the crash first instead of flashing back 3 times.
Any health expert would tell you the biggest problem with the story. If NYC were really quarantined, no one would be allowed to leave because allowing anyone to leave would spread a deadly virus no matter what tests you did on the people leaving. This makes the entire premise of the film a major leap of faith.
It's been a long time since I saw Charlton Heston in OMEGA MAN but that film did a better job script wise of handling reality. Even Omega Man has some problems. No one has done really well adapting this book to film yet. While Smith is terrific, I wish he'd have gotten a better script to work with. This film & Omega Man are based upon the 1954 novel I Am Legend. Neither film gets things completely right.
Will Smith was upset when the film started shooting as there was not a script. There is no doubt that is true when viewing this film.