Legendary-- Except for the Ending.

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2008)

I Am Legend by the trailers seemed like the typical Summer Action flick, but for the Winter. Going to this movie I expected lots of explosions, a lot of high intensity mutant action sequences, and a feeling like my 10 dollar ticket was put it decent use.
However, I Am Legend far surpassed my expectations by setting a terrific atmosphere and ambiance, by the acting delivered by Will Smith, and also by how interesting the premises in the movie were.
Slight spoilers ahead.
The film begins with an interesting start. A viral cure for cancer is found-- but unfortunately ends up killing 90% of the population and turns 5% into mutants. 5% aren't affected but most are eaten by the mutants. So we find Robert Neville, Will Smith's character, all alone in New York trying to survive along with his dog Sam. Neville is trying to find a cure for the mutant virus everyone has while also trying to keep his sanity.
This is where my favorite part is at. His character even sets up mannequins to talk to and talk to about with Sam. Without people to talk to-- Neville fights hard against the loneliness and somewhat futility in living all alone. Will Smith plays this part brilliantly, performing at the top of his game. You can tell he is deeply into his role, which to me created a real sense of realism that lasted throughout the film. He fights off the mutants, captures one and tests his cures for the mutant strain on it. Throughout the film there are flashbacks to Neville's past-- showing the last moments he has with his family (who do not survive). There is a very solid balance of suspense and humanity delivered evenly through the film.
The only real issue for me was the ending of the film.
So the mutant leader sets up a trap to catch Neville. He is caught and darkness falls allowing the mutants to come out from hiding. There is a scuffle and Sam gets infected and dies. It's one of the most painful moments in the film. Neville, in his pain, decides to go on a mutant-killing rampage and is hurt. He gets saved by a woman and her child who heard Neville over the radio. The woman wants to go to a safe colony in New Hampshire. Mutants attack, Neville finds that the cure for the mutants is in the blood of the mutant he captured, and then he gives the solution to the woman. To save the woman and child he grabs a grenade and blows himself and the mutants up.
To me the ending fell short because the whole film had a great build-up that was begging for an ending that gave Neville a greater finale. Though his act was incredibly heroic, the ending killed the main (and the only major) character in less than 5 seconds.
Overall, I thought that the film was fun to watch and a different action film than the rest. It was a different mutant/zombie film than the rest as well. And though the ending 10 minutes wasted a little strong energy-- I felt that this would be a film going on my DVD wish list for sure.