I Am Legend (2007)

Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Joely Richardson (uncredited) Charlie Tahan

The director of Constantine has taken on a lot directing I Am Legend. Based on Richard Matheson iconic novel, the inspiration for two previous loose adaptations, most notably The Omega Man. But unlike Constantine which at least presented some good intentions I Am Legend feels more like a missed opportunity that a great science fiction romp. Firstly, theres the premise. In 2009, a doctor, found a cure for cancer. The biggest scientific breakthrough in the history of mankind. Unfortunately the cure turned out to be a curse. 90% of the world 6 Billion population died, the rest turned into the Dark Seekers. A small percentage (actually about 12 Million) where inexplicably immune and one of these is Robert Neville (Will Smith). Not only a scientist, but a soldier, Neville has spent three years living alone trying to find a cure to save mankind.
It’s about here that things start going wrong. First of all, New York looks wonderfully eerie when its unpopulated. Grass grows through cracks in the ground, and deer gallop down the roads and streets. All in all the opening half of the film builds into a suspenseful science fiction thriller. Then Lawrence commits an unacceptable despicable crime. One worse than curing cancer only for things to go horribly worng. He unleashes the worst CGI in recent history. It’s so bad that it not only undermines everything that has gone on before, but pretty much distracts from the rest of the film, as you wonder why, of all the options they chose the have computer generated villains. Surely actual people would have been scary than this. Even nothing would be scary than this. All the hard work. Will Smith, although by no means great is good, and easily watchable as the slightly insane, lonely survivor of the human race, is wasted in one foul swoop. And then, rather than try to cover up the glaring error, Lawrence decides to go the other way, and for the final action scene, he unleashes hordes of CG abominations onto the screen.
The problem seems to have come at script stage, as unlike other films which have been influenced by Mathesons prose (Night of the Living Dead/ 28 Days Later and other zombie/vampire movies) the “Dark seekers” seem to have unexplainable agility and speed. Yes, there have a violent reaction to sunlight, but cast a shadow on these guys and they move like spider-man. This of course, limits the creators to CG only creations. Had the “dark Seekers” be a little more human in behaviour, they could have circumvented this problem and just cast plain old humans to menace our hero.
But that isn’t the only problem. Too much of this film’s genius set up is lost for reasons which seem lost. Neville is alone bar a loyal companion; his dog. Yet the film is littered with dialogue, Smith chatting to his pooch, himself, and anyone really. There are flashbacks where we begin to learn how events unfolded, but they would have worked much better as a contrast to silence of post infected New York, the chaos of the outbreak echoed in the silence of these one busy streets. But instead the film seems intent of giving Smith something mundane to say, whether he’s moaning at his not for not eating his breakfast.

Perhaps the films most wasted effort though is Smith’s lonely visits to the video store, and such. Where these moments could have been used to really highlight a character who has gone of the edge into insanity, instead the film never seems truly committed to the idea that Will Smith would have gone crazy. Instead the producers seem content to let Smith have these subtle moments which lack any clarity. It seems that in choosing Lawrence, the film suffers from having a director who is not confident enough with the material of the themes to get the best out of them.

Ultimately this film will be remembered as a missed opportunity. A chance not only for Smith, but for a version of Matheson’s book to truly explore the themes he explores and in doing so look at the idea on one man fighting desperately to save a race that may have long become extinct.