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I Am Legend: Reviewed Dec 16th 2007

Friday night I went with Dr. Chris to see I Am Legend — the new Will Smith movie. Those that have only seen the trailer might be surprised to discover that it is a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. Unlike most zombie movies though, it is not excessive in its violence nor is it the centerpiece of the movie. Rather, the character of Dr. Neville is the focus (and his drive to save humanity).

The cinematic themes were certainly interesting. Will Smith did a fantastic job portraying a man deprived of human contact for years. It was certainly interesting to watch the psychological breakdown of one plagued by his own echoing voice by day (and the scream of vampiric zombies by night). His relationship with man’s best friend (Sammy, a german shepherd) and the mannequins he’s placed around common haunts is intriguing, particularly as they begin to breakdown.

Another interesting thread is rooted in the spiritual side of things. The good doctor passes numerous “God is for us!” signs. He himself shows no signs of faith though until the very end. Instead he approaches the tragedy at first as man undoing himself irregardless of God (“God didn’t do this; we did”). Within this worldview, nature isn’t in the hand of a sovereign God; humanity (or probably better put: science) is king. Salvation cannot be found though apart from a higher, guiding force, forcing Dr. Neville to confront a faith he never had. And just as with any story seriously examining salvation themes, a sacrifice is required.

All things considered I really enjoyed this movie. It wasn’t nearly as violent as other zombie movies I’ve seen, yet it was able to explore similar themes. The acting was superb as well. Smith does a fantastic job sharing the screen with just himself. There were downsides though. I was hoping for a highly level of intensity. Stylistically, intensity can draw you into a film much more easily than an even keel pace. And while the film makers did a good job of intermixing back story with the film’s present, I felt the story could have been better presented. Overall I’d give it 3.5-4 stars out of 5 (the final verdict is still out for me) and recommend anyone see it.

tags: movie, review

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