REVIEW: I Am Legend2

Just came back from seeing the new sci-fi thriller/drama “I Am Legend” starring Will Smith, and here’s what I thought of it!

I really had high expectations of this film, mostly from watching the trailers and hearing people talk about it (it premiered in the US over a month ago, and it just premiered today here in Sweden). I’ve always liked Will Smith as an actor, so I figured it would be fun and also interesting to see him back in the genre he undeniably does best. But how well would the film work, since it relies so heavily on a single actor’s performance?

First of all, the basic story and premise of the film really got to me and made me think after having heard of this film earlier last year. There’s something terrifying about being the last man on earth in such a big city as New York (come to think of it, I’m pretty sure any city would be just as scary to live in). And as if that wasn’t nearly enough, it’s fatal to go out at dusk or night since the “Dark Seekers” will get you. What a life. What a story! The relationship between Will Smith’s character, Dr. Robert Neville, and his fellow dog companion, Sam, is really strong and both of them handle the weight of the film on their shoulders extremely well. One thing I found a bit weird was the american rating of the film, PG-13 (meaning that virtually anyone can go see it as long as a parent brings them). I guess the MPAA only looks at the amount of gore and bad language on screen, since I really couldn’t see how this was a film for young children. It features some very intense and scary sequences, with a prolonged darkened warehouse search being the most rememberable. I’m not one to get easily frightened or scared while watching films, but I must say that this one contained some of the best scary “jumps” I’ve seen for a long while. Definently NOT for the faint-of-heart.

The cinematography is beautiful throughout the film, featuring some very fantastic shots ala “28 Weeks Later” of the empty city, only now taken to an entirely new level. It’s pretty unbelievable what they’ve managed to do with Manhattan, making it look completely deserted. There’s a nice mix of light and dark since as it switches from day to night and back again several times. Going back to the dark warehouse scene yet again, it was really cool to just let a single flashlight mounted to a rifle be the only (and I mean ONLY) light source. This gives it a very claustrophoic feeling and once something actually happens with light just showing glimpses of the horrendous Dark Seekers it all comes together as a brilliant sequence (one which should look fantastic in HD). I also liked how there was a steady mix of close-up shots and rack focusing, as well as some very impressing helicopter shots. The CGI was pretty good, even if it had some flaws in a few areas. I also felt some scenes could have worked just as well with prostethic body suits covering extras – but anyway, I feel this doesn’t really remove any quality from the picture.

The soundtrack by James Newton Howard was great, if not very prominent, as it just kicked in when needed during some of the more action-packed scenes. It really is quite a sound effects-heavy film, as it relies on the old classic trick using silence instead of an overkill in sound during some of the more frightening scenes. I really loved how most scenes just ended or started with very loud noises, when they were preceded or followed by a completely different sounding scene with a totally different character in sound design. The most obvious example is the very loud nature of some of the flashback scenes and the way it’s quite shocking as it is intercut with the occuring events.

Overall, this was by far the best film I’ve seen so far this year, and it wouldn’t surprise me in any way if it ends up in my top 10 or top 5 once I get around to write my favorite films list again, in a little over 11 months. Some continuity errors doesn’t detract what-so-ever from the film, and I can’t wait to see the film again (I’ve booked tickets to see it again this Sunday ). If you’re a fan of action-/thriller-/horror- or drama-oriented films, this just might do it for you. Just don’t bring the younger kids to it. It might not be the best film ever, but in a lot of ways, especially from a cinematography point-of-view, it really is legend.

Verdict: 9 out of 10