An Apocalyptic, Thoughtful Thrill-Ride

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2008)

From the moment that I saw the first calm, atmospheric trailer for I Am Legend, I was hooked. The visuals looked superb, Will Smith has always been able to give terrific performances in any type of movie that he chooses and the premise was tantalisingly promising. Yet even though I had an idea of what to expect from the movie, it still managed to shock, move and grip me, sometimes doing all three at the same time.
It is flawed, which shouldn't be totally unexpected. Whilst the visual effects used to create the abandoned, lonely landscape of New York City after three years of desertion are spot-on, the so-called "dark seekers", the vampire-like beings which fester in the darkness and hunt Smith's survivor, aren't as well done. The effect work on them is passable, but in the time of envelope pushing visuals, they seem to be sadly out-of-date. The ending is also a bit too safe and cuddly for such a scary plot, although I am only referring to the events which occur after the scene in the basement.
The rest of the movie is brilliant. As mentioned before, there is some cracking visual effects work on good old New York, as well as a few superbly executed and suspenseful action sequences. The movie is paced vibrantly, and the cleverly integrated tension made me feel extremely tense whenever a door was slowly pushed open or shutters were pulled down over windows, let alone when one of the nasty dark seekers came flying out of the darkness.
Francis Lawrence, the director, does a superb job at handling this huge task. His first movie, Constantine, was dark, visually exciting and energetic. Lawrence takes these qualities and applies them to I Am Legend, and also puts them to better use. He also applies many more terrific movie-making ideas, such as making the movie complex as well as thrilling by great action movie standards.
This is where the praise should be split between Lawrence and Smith. Smith, playing presumably the last man on Earth, gives a brilliant, shattering performance. He creates a complex and sympathetic character, who must not only secure mankind's survival but keep hold of his own sanity. His only companion is a dog named Sam (a terrific animal performance here, which is the first time I have ever made that comment), and he is so lonely that he treats Sam more like a human than a mere pet. It is details like this that make Smith's performance so intriguingly powerful. Another scene which perfectly outlines the character's situation is where he marches up to a mannequin that he set up in order to feel like he wasn't alone, and attempts to say hello. It is a deeply moving scene, and as Smith starts to cry, you can see that this is a tremendously human character. And that Smith absolutely nails it.
I Am Legend is a terrific movie. Yes, it does have its flaws, but it isn't dull for even one minute, thanks to some great work from a committed crew and one hell of a star. Light up the darkness with this great entertainment.