Wow! A book-movie!

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2007)

I am glad to see that the initial voting gives this a high rating (anything on IMDb above a 7 is usually worth watching), but I'll be surprised if this does big long-term Box Office. Expect a resurgence on DVD, however, since this is great weekend afternoon fare (I watched it at a Saturday matinée, which, by the way, was 90% empty. This reminded me (no spoilers here) of one of my favorite sci-fi epics, "The Postman" (with Kevin Costner, 1998), also based on science fiction literature from 40 years ago. These movies have the hold-over paranoia that grew out of the 1920-50's. I actually liked Postman better for the story, since anyone who has seen Heston's version of this, "Omega Man", will remember a two-line plot. But Will Smith adds so much heart to his character, sort of Tom Hanks in "Cast Away", that the movie goes by almost too quickly. I will definitely watch it again on DVD, and unlike Postman which requires more pre-planning due to its bookish plotting, this has a good balance of action and reflection. I've given it a 9, but please prove me wrong and let it be a hit.