I Am Legend

The initial visual effects provides for such a gripping background and atmosphere that the remainder of this film may have been doomed to be a bit of a let down. Sometimes it is all about the anticipation and the mystery. That is not entirely the case here. For me the film delivers all the way through, although the second half could not sustain the excitement of the first and the realism is somewhat lost once you have a chance to sit back and contemplate some of the larger credibility gaps in the plot. Nonetheless, this is a terrific movie. The effects are second to none and Will Smith provides another thrilling performance (but we would expect no less – he seldom disappoints).

I Am Legend is a remake. It has two predecessors: The Last Man on Earth (1964) starring Vincent Price and The Omega Man (1971) starring Charlton Heston. Whilst I have seen neither I imagine they were very different films. When one thinks about it, the degree of “reality” made possible by CGI has really changed our expectations of movies altogether. We are rapidly getting to the stage where effects, even those as startling and realistic as in I Am Legend will no longer impress us. We will have come to expect that anything is possible on film. This is not a bad thing as it will demand more from moviemakers in terms of story.