Vol. 5, No. 5, May 2008
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DVD REVIEW: I Am Legend
Will Smith, Alice Braga • Directed by Francis Lawrence
Anyone who thinks Will Smith can not carry a film on his own will no doubt be converted by I Am Legend. Based on the 1954 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson, Smith plays military scientist Dr. Robert Neville, who has survived a catastrophic virus that has wiped out nearly the entire population of Manhattan, and maybe elsewhere—we don’t know. The remaining humans are now vicious mutants who cannot bear sunlight and feed at night—like vampires—attacking anything they find.
Neville himself is one of the few who are immune to the virus. At the start of the film, he is working in the basement laboratory of his fortified Manhattan brownstone, trying to find a cure. His only companion; his dog, who accompanies him during the safe daytime hours to hunt for food amid a deserted cityscape.
The special effects are magnificent in this film, and that’s what makes it work. The viewer really believes that Smith’s character is in the middle of a deserted Manhattan, with Times Square and other carefully re-created landmarks overgrown with weeds and home to deer and other wildlife.
But it’s Smith who makes this film, turning in a remarkable performance. Aside from numerous flashback scenes and the appearance late in the film of another survivor, I Am Legend is dominated by his solo performance.
Even if you’ve seen this one in the theaters, you should get the DVD. Aside from the accompanying disc on how it was made, there’s a complete second version of the film with an alternate ending. It’s not necessarily better or worse than the theatrical version—the reviews are decidedly mixed on that point—but it’s completely different, with an intriguing take on the story.
The bottom line here: this DVD showcases Will Smith in one of his finest performances to date. For that alone, it is worth the purchase price.
