RafeWorld

Frequently on the weekends I’m stuck reviewing movies I have no interest in seeing, which means movies I do want to see get shifted to the back burner. If I’m lucky, I have time for a double feature and get to see both, movies I want and have to see. This weekend that wasn’t the case, so I shoved in an extra trip to the theater on Sunday – on Sunday! The one day I really don’t have time to catch a movie. I Am Legend was worth the extra trip.

Based on the book by Richard Matheson, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, the last man alive in New York City, possibly the world. He’s a former soldier and scientist who stayed behind as NYC was partially evacuated as a virus started taking toll on the city. He stayed because New York was ground zero for the disaster, his assignment, and his duty to make sure the rest of the world wasn’t wiped out as the virus switched to an airborne state. Clearly, he failed. Alone with only his dog for company, Neville continues his work.

The movie winds up being one of the most solid pieces of science fiction I’ve seen since A Scanner Darkly. No laser guns or jedi powers here. All you have is a man alone, with only his dog for company (and you can pretty much guess what’s going to happen there as Neville records a journal entry about how he is immune to both bloodborne and airborne versions of the virus but the dog is only immune to the airborne version). It’s a lot put on Smith to carry, but the actor is definitely up to it. I’ve always known Smith could handle something like this – a far departure from his Independence Day role – but it’s nice to see my gut feeling reinforced through the actual performance.

The movie suffers a few small problems. It’s bigger budget nature removes some of the rawness of the desolate city, especially compared to the significantly smaller picture 28 Days Later. While it might not carry the same feeling of desolation initially, however, it manages to keep the feeling through the entire movie. 28 Days Later only stayed in a heavily populated area for the first 10-15 minutes, so that’s a huge accomplishment.

I Am Legend is getting mixed reviews, but I give it a solid 4.5 – 5 stars. The big budget gives it some nice action pieces and a prolonged sense of isolation instead of just a few moments. At the same time, Smith carries the weight of the picture and really shows why he’s going to wind up being one of the more memorable names of our generation. It’s one you can probably wait to see on the small screen, but you’re going to lose some of the story if you do, because so much of what has happened in this future is told through random news clippings and posters left on walls that the camera never focus directly on.

I can’t wait to see this one on HD DVD. The detail alone will make it worth it.