I Am Legend (2007)

Richard Matheson’s novel, I Am Legend, would be in my Top 10 Novels if I kept such a list. I thought The Omega Man (1971) was a terrific movie when I saw it at the drive-in on a triple bill with two other fine representatives of the post-apocalyptic style of film making. I don’t remember whether the others were zombie fare, atomic blast survival types or some other class of movie. I didn’t think the Heston film did the novel justice but it caught the flavour of the book. So this new third version of the novel had to go some ways to impress. About 30 minutes in, I decided to ignore my memories of the other versions and just enjoy the movie as it stands. Forget comparisons. There are too many differences.

Robert Neville (Will Smith) is immune to the virus. So he spends his days roaming the city, hoping to find other survivors, and his nights trying to find something that will let him reverse the disease. After almost three years, he is getting a little loopy, taking needless chances, talking to clothing dummies and wondering whether he should continue. But he has nothing else to do other than destroy things with his cars, his guns, his traps. He’s a guy on edge. He could really use a weekend at the beach but instead he decides to figure out why one of his dummies has been moved. And all it take is one stupid misstep and his world starts to crack.

Director:  Francis Lawrence Writer:  Mark Protosevich; Akiva Goldsman; Richard Matheson; John William Corrington; Joyce Hooper Corrington Cast:
Will Smith -  Robert Neville Alice Braga -  Anna Charlie Tahan -  Ethan Salli Richardson -  Zoe Neville Willow Smith -  Marley Neville Darrell Foster -  Mike – Military Escort April Grace -  TV Personality Dash Mihok -  Alpha Male		Joanna Numata -  Alpha Female Abby -  Sam Kona -  Sam Samuel Glen -  Military Driver – Jay James Michael McCauley -  Male Evacuee Marin Ireland -  Woman Evacuee Pedro Mojica -  Sergeant Anthony C. Mazza -  Evacuation Cop