Smith, resolution of film are good

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2008)

I gotta say, I was all ready to sneer at this movie for mythologizing the last man on Earth (like, would you really be most upset that someone ate your bacon when you haven't seen another human for three years? Would you really be that upbeat and have your wits about you to that degree after three years without human contact? Would you be so hard-headed as to separate yourself from your young family and solve a probably intractable problem as Smith's character does?) but in the end, I found that the resolution of the film made it worthwhile. If you can accept that someone could survive as they do in New York in that state for three years, I think you can appreciate the manner in which the film is resolved, in a positive, but realistic tone. Smith is very good although not much is asked of him. That is no diminution of him though and he as charismatic and compelling as ever. However, the director structures the action and plot well, identifying the manner in which Smith's character lives when he is supposedly the last man on earth, then introducing some challenging elements to his way of life. Smith's character looks into the threat posed by some disturbing creatures and finds out how the human race might continue. An enjoyable diversion.