| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Downtown |
Posted - 12/25/2007 : 21:26:02
Meh. It was certainly a better overall production than the original, but it wasn't necessarily better storytelling. I think making the darkseekers essentially rage-zombies (that somehow can set sophisticated traps) instead of a complex society with a bizarre religion was kind of a mistake, it took an interesting element out of the story. The ending was very abrupt, it seemed to have just run out of story. And I guess you have to believe the (barely mentioned) idea that what happened was God's will, otherwise it's a heck of a coincidence that Anna showed up the day before he discovered the cure. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| duh |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 18:10:23
quote:
Originally posted by silly
Just a heads up, the DVD includes an alternate ending that is much, much better. SPOILERS at link
I don't understand why it was thought that the theatrical release ending was better than that one. |
| silly |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 14:41:47
I've only seen the alternate ending (which I liked), I wanna see the "unrated directors cut" or whatever.
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| Downtown |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 13:18:28
quote:
Originally posted by silly
Just a heads up, the DVD includes an alternate ending that is much, much better. SPOILERS at link
When I noticed this movie was still unrated only a few weeks before its release, the first thing I thought to myself was "they're re-editing this movie at the 11th hour because it got an R rating and they want a PG-13. They better not be hacking it to pieces."
From what I've been told by people that have seen the DVD, that's precisely what the studio did. |
| silly |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 16:08:27
Just a heads up, the DVD includes an alternate ending that is much, much better. SPOILERS at link |
| Ali |
Posted - 01/28/2008 : 13:44:30
I saw it this weekend, and wrote a little blurb about it on my blog. It was good enough until the title changed from I Am Legend to I Am Messiah Metaphor.
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| Sludge |
Posted - 01/16/2008 : 02:33:02
It would have been cool and arguably plausible if God was one of the zombies.
(oops, off I go to hell again) |
| demonic |
Posted - 01/13/2008 : 01:18:19
Yeah, not bad at all. I agree it made some improvements to the book (yes, worth a read) but made a right balls up of the end. It all got a bit lost with the arrival of Anna and the mute kid to be honest, all the tension and interest drained, but everything up to that point had me pretty gripped and entertained. The sequence in the deserted tenement in the dark had my heart racing.... yum! Empty New York's been done of course, but it looked great. Liked Will. Seriously loved that dog, and had some grit in the eye too. Pesky gritty cinemas.
Sadly the infected looked rubbish. No one will convince me CGI is getting better. It's plastic and unconvincing, and would have been so much better with state of the art make up, or actors performing under additional CGI. At points we might have well been watching "The Mummy" all over again. Shit.
The "God" issue was sort of Anna's thing, not really a reason for anything happening or otherwise I think, but it significantly failed to explain how she knew there was a place in Vermont and all the other things that she happened to know. Would have much preferred the book's solution, and was convinced for a while that it was going to go the same way. If only. But it got under my skin, whatever the ultimate failings of the script, which makes it a success in my mind. |
| Beanmimo |
Posted - 01/08/2008 : 16:08:49
The Shrek allegory was kind of funny too,
It's MY Swamp... |
| silly |
Posted - 01/08/2008 : 15:39:50
I loved the NYC scenery, I'm a bit of a nut for end-of-world scenarios.
It seemed to me that Will was trying to keep in the "isolated survivor" mindset, instead of his usual Men-in-Black persona. It worked for me - the counting everything, timing everything, rituals of the day (exercise, explore, etc)
My favorite bit (spoiler) was when he went nuts over the bacon he was saving. I've got a bit of that in me, too  |
| Beanmimo |
Posted - 01/08/2008 : 15:26:22
Spoilers
I've always had trouble with the Book vs Film debate. Switching perspectives as I get older, back AND forth. Sometimes watching the movie first and other times having read the book first.
But lately I have come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter if the movie deviates from the book as long as the movie works within itself.
I didn't read the book.
In this case I enjoyed 'I am Legend', in spite of Smith's lack of acting enthusiasm in the lead role yet there was enough going on around him to support that. I mean the overgrown NYC, the animal and his friends the mannequins and his sense of isolation.
The Infected were a little over the top (Giant Gollums anyone??) but sure wasn't it a Hollywood blockbuster. And there were a few times that I jumped halfway out of my seat.
Though I would have preferred it if the Brazilian lady and her young companion had turned out to be figments of his imagination and he was alone to face The Infected...but that is the storyteller in me coming out...enough of that! |
| bife |
Posted - 01/06/2008 : 01:56:34
quote:
Originally posted by Animal Mutha
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Oh another note, if Neville was working on a cure and convinced he would one day find it, why didn't he stick the dog in a little cage until he had?
I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe if he had, I wouldn't have got something in my eye at that bit 
The whole 'Neville saves the world' thing was badly thought through nonsense.
He was immune, and the reason was his blood.
He spent years analysing his blood to find out why he was immune, finally discovered a cure based on something in his blood, he injects an infected girl with it, she is cured, her blood is now 'normal', or at least has the same benefit that his blood has, and his contribution to the human race is then what?
He gives the 'safe colony' a sample of her blood!
For what? So that they can start the same years of research that he did? Except that they don't have the leading specialist in the country any more ...
Just bollox. Happy ending bollox! |
| Animal Mutha |
Posted - 01/05/2008 : 19:56:31
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Oh another note, if Neville was working on a cure and convinced he would one day find it, why didn't he stick the dog in a little cage until he had?
I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe if he had, I wouldn't have got something in my eye at that bit |
| benj clews |
Posted - 01/05/2008 : 19:27:23
I enjoyed it until the whole God thing came in and then I thought "Oh... it's one of those films". I seriously think that, just like with violence, etc... there should be a warning about films with such messages. After all, couldn't this be seen as insulting to those religeons that don't believe in one (or any) God? I dunno... maybe I'm just waffling now, but I really was enjoying it until that element came in.
Oh another note, if Neville was working on a cure and convinced he would one day find it, why didn't he stick the dog in a little cage until he had? |
| Demisemicenturian |
Posted - 01/05/2008 : 19:10:30
I Am Legend
Stopped reading the above when I got to bife's post - I had wondered whether to read the book and now might, for the contrast.
I enjoyed it, although it fell flat in various ways. Smith's character descending into mild insanity is very plausible but not convincingly portrayed. The God stuff is indeed only touched on and therefore seems a bit pointless, as do the woman and child. The survivors' camp at the end is just dull. |
| silly |
Posted - 01/02/2008 : 22:48:21
quote:
Originally posted by 16-0
Because it's not a film version of the book, it's a remake of the first film based on the book.
It was also in the works for about fifteen years (according to one of those "specials" where the actors and directors talk about the great movie they just made). Considering how many people have had a hand in it at some point, I thought it came out quite well.
It was supposed to have Arnie the Android as Neville and Michael "blow shit up" Bay directing, at one point. |
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