I Am Legend

[pons]

I am absolutely amazed the author fails to mention this is another Hollywood REMAKE of The Omega Man (1971) starring Charlton Heston. "The Omega Man is a 1971 science fiction thriller starring Charlton Heston. The movie is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I Am Legend. The screenplay was written by John William and Joyce Corrington, and the movie was directed by Boris Sagal. It was filmed in technicolor with mono sound and ran for 98 minutes. The movie received a MPAA rating of PG in the U.S. The story was first filmed in 1964, under the title The Last Man on Earth, with Vincent Price in the lead role. A third adaptation of the story, I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, is scheduled for release on December 14, 2007," from the Wikipedia.

[bradbrevet]

It is nice to see amazement in a reader pons. I also think it is great that you get most of your information from Wikipedia.

Yes, Akiva Goldsman and Mark Protosevich mashed up Matheson's book and The Omega Man into this latest incarnation, but it is still an adaptation of Matheson's book and the rest is hardly worth mentioning.

Everything you bring up in your post is worthless information for a reader wanting to know if I Am Legend is any good. Technicolor? Mono sound? PG? 98 minutes? Who the hell cares?

On top of that, if you wanted that information you could have read any one of my articles about this movie, might I suggest this one (http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/will_i_am_legend_dissapoint_fans_of_mathesons_book ). I guess it probably isn't on Wikipedia, which is what threw you off.

[domenic padulo]

I didn't it was possible for someone to be "through off"L-)

I haven't seen this yet, and don't have much of an interest, but it does strike me as something of a Hollywood 28 Days Later.

Come on, Brad, you know Wikipedia has its benefits. Anything that lets you say Santa Clause 3 is an erotic thriller is fine by me.

[bradbrevet]

Okay fine... Wikipedia definitely has its uses, but when people cut and paste shit they read off that site and pass it off as their opinion it sort of gets to me.

As for 28 Days Later vs. I Am Legend, the second half of the film pretty much is just that, and considering I am not a fan of 28 Days, or 28 Weeks for that matter, pretty much solidified me not enjoying the last half all that much. However, I still contend that the first half of the film is damn good.

[domenic padulo]

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you that Wikipedia is generally pretty shitty. It bugs the hell out of me when people come out with what they read there and act scholarly about it. It can be useful when you want to learn background about something you like (it's been helping me out with my Twin Peaks viewings), but overall, it seems to be becoming a cultural Spark Notes.

At least it's not as bad as Conservipedia, though.

[victorbunch]

The first time I saw "I am legend" it screamed REMAKE. I am old enough to have seen The Omega Man with Chuck Heston. Even then, for what it was, it was a quasey(sp) realistic portrayal of a senario that could easily happen in this day and age. But since when did Hollywood have an original idea?? Personally I can think of many books that would make great sceenplays. The Winter Marines, The Forever War, Karen Travis' Crossing The Line trilogy or how about "Dust", now there's a story. I remember reading "Damnation Alley" ( OK, I like post apocaliptic stories, so sue me) and thinking that it was a pretty good story BUT when the movie came out, Man was I disappointed!

I read Brads "review??" of I AM LEGEND and he seems like an intelligent fellow but very opinionated. I believe he's forgotten that most movies are fantasy and that we watch them because we want to be ENTERTAINED and escape our mundane lives for a little while. If we want to learn, we might watch a documentry(try"Into The Void"....Holy Crap). I also noticed his dis of PONS and his use of wikipedia. WELL Brad not everybody knows as much as you profess to. We don't all sit in front of our computers with all our free time, we go outside too. My computer is simply a tool for me, and I have a lot of tools. I have a life, some great friends and lots of real world experience, good and bad, but all real. I've just finished the access control system at Mammoth Studios, you know "Night At The Museum(goofy but fun), Chronicles Of Riddick(cool fx, not based in reality as we know it, but I'm OK with that-so much so, bought the movie) and I still realize that it's just entertainment and that's all. Wear a coat Brad, it's cold outside. thx......VB

[bradbrevet]

I read Brads "review??" of I AM LEGEND and he seems like an intelligent fellow but very opinionated. I believe he's forgotten that most movies are fantasy and that we watch them because we want to be ENTERTAINED and escape our mundane lives for a little while... I also noticed his dis of PONS and his use of wikipedia. WELL Brad not everybody knows as much as you profess to. We don't all sit in front of our computers with all our free time, we go outside too. Wear a coat Brad, it's cold outside.

Hey victor, I think you took my "dis" of pons the wrong way. I am merely saying that the online equivalent of having an opinion is to spout things people have learned/read on Wikipedia. I am not professing to know anything more than anyone else. As a matter of fact I think I am very ill-equipped in the knowledge department.

However, you do have one thing correct, I am opinionated and that is what a review is... Someone's opinion. What do you believe reviews are supposed to be? I also don't see how I have forgotten most movies are fantasy?

Your entire second paragraph is quite confusing, but I will say I am happy to have another voice around here! Thanks for visiting victor.

[victorbunch]

Hi Brad

You're absolutely right! I can babble on with the best of them( especially at 3 in the morning, subconciouslyworring about a father in ICU right now-prayers please his name is Kenneth. THX) I apologise for my rant, for that was all it was. I lost the original "reply" ,going between programs, and you know what its like when have to rewrite something with no draft, the points can change, yes? I'd much rather share a laff or two-YouTube Lewis Black... The problem w/ texting is you lose the inflection which is key to lot of conversation. Normally if I poke fun, it's done with a smile on my face. I love satire but ANYWAYYYY I just read Glen Schaefer's review(gschaefer@png.canwest.com)of, I am legend, and howled!! The last paragragh nails it..."What does all this downbeat stuff mean? A clue is aChristmas tree, briefly spied in an abandoned apartment. A suicidal character, ready to jump in the river, sees a bright light, realizes his life has meaning - It's A Wonderful Life, with zombies!" SHEEIT, and just in time for Xmas too. That's my favorite holiday movie,dammit, and I just SAW that one too. Well Hell, now I HAVE to see it! HAH Thx................VB

[bradbrevet]

victor, no apology necessary, with how much ridiculous opinion I spew I take it all in stride. As you point out, inflection on a message board is impossible.

As for Schaefer's review, I will definitely say that is a unique approach. :)

I wish you and your father all the best as I am sure any one else does that reads this. There is no time that is right for something like that to happen.

[davidsmart]

Gozar the destructor says:

I agree with the way the turns in to 28 Days Later, but the concept still sticks to me. The reason, I think, the book has been remade so many times is because the concept of the final human on earth is so visually striking. I Am Legend seems to add so many more religious implications as well--perhaps the virus is playing out like a plague?--and Will Smith's character says "God didn't do this..." in the trailer. Also the phrase GOD STILL LOVES US is being thrown about the internet in various places. Including this picture which was released recently...Did anyone else catch this image in the film? http://liveu-23.vo.llnwd.net/vidilife/image/2007/12/6/1076534/1298923L.jpg

[bradbrevet]

I agree David I just wish the film had stuck with what it was creating in the beginning of the film. It went from being a tightly knit thriller into a blockbuster film and the second half just didn't work all that well.

However, I just watched The Omega Man last night for the first time and I must say I HATED it. Have you guys seen this flick? Any opinion?

[victorbunch]

Hey Brad, thx forthe support for Dad, He's doing much better as of Tues night. Thought we were going to lose him, from what the doc's were saying. He's still in ICU, BUT they're talking about puttinghim back in the wards soon.

Sooo, you saw Omega Man. It's been quite a while since I have but I thought it wasn't half bad. Considering the "zombies" were nothing more than recovered plague victims, albiet blind, hungry and just a LITTLE pissed off at the lot, life(mankind) had just delt them. Chuck H's character was believable with the portrayal of a dr. jeckle with a concienience. I liked the way it ended with him(and his society)dieing by a low tech spear wound unlike the masses he killed with the high tech bio weapons of his design.

I find myself more and more disappointed the "DOOM" type of over the top monsters created by accidentally escaped mutated viruses. How stupid do they take us for(yes, Brad, I readily admit the shallow end of the gene pool is like the beach with the tide out, but come on!!) If most of the viewing public had a clue what a designer virus can leave the human body looking like, they'd shit their pants in panic i.e:eboli, hunta virus etc. More frightening, the monster you never see, yes?

Just curius, Director Michael Mann's work. And the docudrama, "Into The Void" Your thoughts pls

THX......VB

[zaphod]

I saw Legend last night and largely agree w/ the review. However, the research and the talking to mannequins did not bother me. One can be cognitively OK while emotionally troubled. Smith's performance is outstanding. I never thought of him as having "screen presence" before, in the way that Russell Crowe does, but his physical acting is excellent here.

You should see Last Man on Earth, which is available at archive.org . It hews very closely to the "I Am Legend" story, although it slightly changes how Neville/Morgan dies . It keeps Neville's drinking and anger. The Omega Man is at best an "inspired by" adaptation.

What did bug me was the inability of anyone but Neville to use a radio.. I did not mind that this version drops the drinking and haggard look in favor of Neville as an emotionally crumbling but physically strong character. Indeed, in the Mattheson novella I was unclear what kept him going, given all the drinking and rage. In the film, his regimen seems necessary to keep him going.

The different role of the dog was good here, I thought. Indeed, I thought the sound editing was brilliant when the dog's suffocated wimpering is replaced by Neville's anguished wimpering.

What bugged me was that the the legend was gone, and the role for the living infected and was gone . In doing so, much of the political and social criticism that infected the novella and the prior adaptations is gone.

Overall, though, t^

[bradbrevet]

Yeah victor, The Omega Man was nothing that I was interested in, but now that zaphod has weighed in about Last Man on Earth I guess I need to give that one a try as well. It is actually hard for me to pinpoint anything specifically about OMEGA that I didn't like since I really didn't enjoy anything about it so instead of rambling on I will leave it at that.

As far as the '"DOOM" type of over the top monsters created by accidentally escaped mutated viruses' that you mention I really see the biggest issue being what happens at the end of I Am Legend, everything gets too Hollywood. I am not sure if this is a result of producers requesting it during rewrites or what, but Legend has that glaring moment where you can point out exactly when the film took a turn for the worse.

As for zaphod's comments, I understand my comment about the "research and the talking to mannequins" is a little nit picky, but for some reason it bothered me and you are probably right that it wouldn't have affected his research. I also agree with you that Smith did great in the role, especially considering this is a role he could have phoned in very easily, but ever since ALI you can look at most (excuse Men in Black II and Bad Boys II) of his films and know that he is giving it his all no matter how outlandish the story is. I think it is the main reason audiences like him so much and why this film worked despite its obvious flaws.

I also think having the Dark Knight trailer and prologue in front of the movie didn't hurt the film's box-office either.

[bradbrevet]

Just curius, Director Michael Mann's work. And the docudrama, "Into The Void" Your thoughts pls

Oh, and victor I have actually never seen Into the Void and I went ahead and started a Michael Mann thread here (http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1675) to discuss that.