three and a half stars

Reviewed by Daniel E. Jennis

In “I Am Legend”, a dark and disturbing end-of-the-world extravaganza, Will Smith stars as Robert Neville, the supposed only survivor of a virus that has killed off most of the human race, and turned the rest into blood thirsty beasts.

Neville spends his days wandering the empty streets of New York City with his only companion, a loyal dog named Sam who is immune to the airborne strain of the virus.

Come night fall, the last man alive fortifies himself in his booby-trapped home and prays that the horrific creatures will leave him be. He huddles in the bathtub with a gun and his dog as he remembers an era in which his family was still alive. With all the free time in the world, Neville attempts to discover a cure for the virus before the human race becomes extinct.

“I Am Legend” offers an intense and haunting portrayal of the loneliness and loss that accompanies man-made disaster. Director Francis Lawrence does a fantastic job of using the city as a character in the film, emphasizing the deep space and emptiness that characterizes an abandoned New York City. Throughout the movie, extreme long shots capture the desolation of skyscrapers, streets, storefronts, and houses that have been void of human inhabitants for years. Ultimately, the on-location cinematography endows the picture with a bleak emotional cadence.

Drawing from the heavily lauded “Cast Away”, the film features a single human character for the majority of its scenes. And just like “Cast Away”, “I Am Legend” personifies a non-human character in order to provide its lead with a viable co-star. A lot of the time, I felt like I was watching a movie about the relationship between a man and his dog. Yet, Will Smith does a surprisingly competent job of interacting with his canine counterpart. He never treats his dog exactly like he would a human, but the tenderness and intensity of his treatment suggests the extent to which Neville depends on his companion for emotional stability.

Unfortunately, the film also features a cat and mouse chase between Will Smith and CGI zombies. As this story develops, and as the film builds toward a rushed climax, action clichés and special effects overwhelm fine acting and poetic shots of dead landscape. Watching Will Smith fight off drooling beasts will never be as profound as the scene in which he begs a dummy to say “hello”. It is when the film replaces loneliness with violence that the legend is tarnished.