Bad adaptation and only a mediocre action flick for the first hour

Rating: 3/10 (27 January 2008)

What can I say? I really wanted this to be good. I do love the book but my comments are not merely those of a rabid fan-boy. By changing certain key elements of the novel they drastically changed the feel of the story. For example: What is special or amazing about a trained soldier who also happens to be a leading scientist surviving alone with a house full of guns and supplies? Answer nothing, so how can we feel that he is really against all odds, he has better odds than anyone else, unlike Neville in the book. I won't say anything else aside from the fact that by changing the "vampires" into mindless killing machines completely changes the dilemma posed by the novel, which is not about humanity being snuffed out but about it changing forever. You don't end up questioning Neville himself at all. He is just a typical action hero. Will Smith's performance was good though and the first half of the film was pretty good all round, after that though it went down hill FAST and ended with a typically sickening Hollywood ending. All in all, pretty bad.