I Am Legend (2007)

Considering that a lot of Will Smith's recent work, like The Pursuit of Happyness and the upcoming Seven Pounds, seem extremely self-indulgent and preachy, I found this movie to be extremely enjoyable. I Am Legend is the story of the last man on Earth's attempt to find the cure for the man-made virus that has decimated the human race. I thought this was a really interesting idea for a film, and does not seem all that far fetched. Now, the idea that the virus would turn humans into blood-hungry monsters is a little out there, but for the purposes of this movie, it works well enough. Will Smith does a great job in this film, especially considering that a significant portion of it is Smith on screen with just a dog. I had gotten to the point in my viewing experiences where I had begun to find Will Smith annoying, but I Am Legend brought me back to the old school Fresh Prince. I forgot how good he can be in action films, like Independence Day and I, Robot. This film is no different. I understand that Smith wants to win an Oscar, but he is one of the best shoot-'em-up stars around; he is not close to being one of the best actors around, at least not yet. I Am Legend is basically a really well-done sci-fi/horror film, but it does have a few moments that are extremely heart-wrenching. When Smith flashes back to his family's evacuation of New York or when he has to say good-bye to his dog, the director does an excellent job of tapping into some real human emotions. I do not have a lot of criticisms for I Am Legend, it is what it is; not great, but there is nothing bad about it. The acting, direction and production values are all solid, the length is right, it is not overly predictable. If I could equate this film to another, I think it would be I, Robot; both are good, well-done action films with interesting ideas, but nothing that is ground breaking. I think I have mentioned before that my wife is not a big post-Fresh Prince Will Smith fan, so she was not interested, but I am glad that I watched this movie. I doubt I will ever seek this film out again, but once FX starts playing it on a regular basis, I will probably give it a second go. I give I Am Legend 3 stars.