If only I hadn't read the book

Rating: 5/10 (15 December 2007)

This movie could have been perfectly enjoyable in its entirety if I had never read the book. As long as I live I will never understand why certain scenes which only add to the suspense and overall feel of a story, are changed or cut out entirely when a book is made into a movie. In the case of "I am Legend" the entire third act is changed dramatically. The end of the book offers us a bitterly introspective look at good and evil, what it means to be the good guy, the bad guy, and the last guy, and even a twisted glimmer of hope for society. It has its action moments too, there is a midnight raid on Neville's house, a close companion betrays him, he has a last stand with the vampires. It is just as action packed as any summer blockbuster. In the movie we are given a mindless orgy of explosions and overly CG'd creatures smashing things. The entire reason the title of the story is fitting is found at the end of the book. Neville realizes he is a legend to the vampire society which has sprung up from the ashes of humanity. He realizes he is a story used to frighten the vampires because he comes in the day and kills them while they sleep. In the movie we are told he is a legend because he finds a cure. The two explanations just don't stack up. I can understand when some things need to be changed to make a movie appealing to the masses or because a certain shot would be very difficult to perform while in a book it can just be written, but the things changed and cut out of "I am Legend" were unnecessary and took away from the quality of one of the most poignant stories in American literature. If you have not read the book, do yourself a favor and hold off until after watching the movie, you will enjoy both much more.