I am Legend (Not!)
iView Author:
Saad Nawab(Vadodara , India)
Email:
saadnawab [at] gmail [dot] com
I am Legend (Not!)
Music video directors in Hollywood play a glitzy make or break role in the development of films, especially adaptations. The latest cinematic outing for Richard Matheson’s book ‘I am Legend’ by Francis Lawrence may what can be termed as a project smothered by its own magnanimity.
It turns out to be another textbook example of a studio spending years in development costs only to churn out a bland no-need expensive film. The project has been in the works for more than a decade with talents like Ridley Scott, Guillermo del Toro, Michael Bay (talent or blow-up dude?) and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger attached to act in the movie. Finally, Francis Lawrence got at the helm with Will Smith and the current script by Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman.
The end result is a post-apocalyptic thriller minus the post-apocalypticness feel. In 2009, the KV virus, created as a cancer vaccine, decimates 90% of the world’s population with it being airborne. Of that remaining 10%, only 1% on the planet is immune. The 9% being mutated degenerate into cannibals losing normal human behavior. In short, they become vampires. Big Willie plays Robert Neville, a military virologist who is the last man to supposedly survive the virus outbreak in New York. What are the odds of a virologist immune to a virus outbreak? Bad screenwriting, that’s all. During the course of the film, Smith tries to cope up with the aspect of being alone for the rest of his life and trying to find a cure to reverse the effects of the virus. Sheer boredom can do that to a virologist. Add to that your typical blockbuster fare and you’ve got old pizza just out of the microwave.
The introduction of the movie is so sloppy wherein news of the cure for cancer is announced, reminiscent of some guerilla music video. And from thereon New York is shown, completely desolate and silent, weeds and overgrowth all around. Herds of CGI deer run across the street with Will Smith on a car hunting them down for his dog Sam riding in the car with him. From there, the story moves further with flashbacks imposed to keep the pace just right.
Akiva Goldsman WAS once a good over bloated, but nonetheless a good writer. Mark Protosevisch makes me worry. Whatever film he writes bites the dust creatively. So Marvel comics Thor fans, start worrying coz Protosevich is the same guy who wrote the first draft of the movie which will go into production after the WGA strike.
Andrew Lesnie tries to get the feel of New York as an empty urban environment, succeeding only slightly. I feel he was not the right man for the job. Give the guy another fantasy instead of sci-fi (excluding Dark City). James Newton Howard’s score feels weird and upsets the tension. Silence can be very effective if done right though not in this case. How can a music video director even think of silence in his films? Yeesh. And the creature effects look rushed and unfinished. Hell even the posters resemble the Vincent Price version of the film.
There are a lot of themes that cover the course of this new and updated adaptation ranging from the essence of humanity to Neville’s psychological competency to stray from madness by resorting to socialize with mannequins and have Bob Marley as a philosophical guide. His only companion is his dog Samantha that keeps Smith’s character from falling apart. The religious themes are mentioned in a blink. Neville’s daily routine is that of a typical materialistic guy, only now he’s all alone. The questions that the film raises are flung out altogether by the time the second half starts and it turns out more of a survival horror scenario ala Resident Evil (damn!). The film goes far as to change the whole context on why the book was named ‘I am Legend’ by giving a totally different outcome than the actual ending in the book. The book at that time gave a scientific meaning to the nature of vampirism. Since there have been so many vampire films, each having its anatomical and scientific take on these fascinating creatures, Goldsman and Protosevich completely miss out the point here and hence paint a boring one-dimensional picture. In the book, Neville is explored imaginatively with flaw and hopelessness written all over him. Whereas Will Smith’s Neville is explored from an American point of view, a man guilt ridden and the machoness toned down after the virus outbreak. Truth is, such people like Smith’s character in the film and the way he portrayed him are already dead inside.
Aside from a few scares ‘I am Legend’ turns out to be a mockery and a rushed piece of film-making making you wait another decade or two before someone gets the book right. Maybe I am being a bit harsh considering the box-office triumph this movie is enjoying.
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I disagree with your conclusions that I Am Legend was a mockery and a rushed piece of film-making. I thought the movie was well produced, well directed and I rather enjoyed that it strayed from the book. The book was so depressing. At least this story has a happy ending. I know that doesn’t make for an Academy Award movie since Will Smith character lives, but I think I enjoyed it the way the film portrays well over the book. I was however expecting more of a vampire flick before I saw the I Am Legend Fan Lens on Squidoo though. But I approved of the zombies over the vampires any day. Good post though. I like your analytical view of the movie. Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
looks like the box-office pull of willu bhaiyya rewrote the rules of story adaptation. dadaji heston must be breathing fire
Francis Lawrence’c credibility cannot be denied, after directing Constantine and music vidoes for Justin, JLO, Gwen.. etc.. although I enjoyed constantine [primarily coz it had Keanu I guess] the same cannot be said for I am legend. The scenes are a drab.Not one situation makes me feel for the character.. the scene where he kills his dog is the only one I remember does that for a few microseconds. With such a poweful plot, the film fails miserably.. I guesss francis couldn’t do what robert zemeckus did in castaway, or Will couldn’t carry it the way Tom hanks did in CA.
And I completely agree with your review.. SN
i read i am legend as a kid when i bought a copy at sunday market in daryaganj for rs. 10, just because of the intriguing title and the back of the cover mentioning the last man on (earth) alive.
i still remember fondly this book as one of the finest pieces of pulp fiction i had read and it made me look at the genre in a new way. and i was a big sci-fi junkie at that time. but if neville lives in the end i guess they have changed the moot point of the book. but hopefully it stands out as an individual movie. and @suchita i haven’t seen a movie in a long time where will smith was unable to carry off a role well. makes me want to watch the movie for the exact same reason….
Well totally agree with you Saad.
Here’s a detailed view - http://www.businessofcinema.com/boc/?file=story&id=6242
Ethan - Thanks for the comments. And as I believe - To each his own
wb - lol that was something. I saw the Omega Man when I was 13 and liked it. The HD-DVD has been out in US. So it must be a cult fav.
Suchita - You’re right on the money with that comparision. Constantine was good but dull on my second viewing. And as a fan of the comic book, I revile it differently.
K J - Will Smith is a clever chap. His roles are subjective. He chooses his films carefully. This is the first Will Smith movie that I had huge problems with.
Fatema - Nice review. Glad you agree with me
P.S. - Someone give me Ridley Scott’s number. I wanna personally tell him to get back to fantasy or sci-fi. Thank you all
Thanx Fatema, for the link and the review. Saad, I am forwarding you Ridley’s number on your email, you can send him the request.. id:d:d:d
Saaad Nawaab Sahab,
I totally agree with you on ‘IML’ though i am a great fan of Will Smith, the film apart from those few scary moments (in isolation) did not work for me either. Though Will Smith as an actor is definitely convincing. In fact i felt as if i was watching a Hindi movie with English dialogues in it. It could definitely have been better, may be a bad example but even films like ‘Hulk’ sustained my attention.
With ten years of research they are coming up with this than its high time they did a reality check with regards to what hot and whats not. Having said that, I am definitely looking forward to reading the book.
Another example of a great book that was made into a film and terriby failed for me was ‘Da Vinci Code’ correct me if i am wrong.
Its very strange. I hate this genre of films. But this one worked for me. Maybe because I haven’t seen a movie like this in ages I’m out of the loop. But I liked this one for sure. It was short at 90 minutes. It didn’t have too much of violence. It was mostly Robert’s loneliness, which I think Will Smith portrayed with “blockbuster perfection”:).
Nawab saab. What do you do in Baroda? Your knowledge of the industry is quite impressive.
Are you keeping track of the Writer’s strike? I’m so happy for the fight they are giving to the studios.
Surya - That’s what Hollywood does. Heck Smith’s next film has been in development for like a decade and this script has also been by Akiva Goldsman and has been said to one of the best unproduced scripts. The films name is Hancock(formerly Tonight He Comes….). It’s a superhero satire. ‘Hulk’ worked for me in a surreal. And you said it. Da Vinci Code was a disappointment.
Mainak - Nice to hear from you. Am in college doing English literature. I’ve been watching films since the age of 5. First ever film was Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop (sigh). Simply amazing. A must watch. The magic of cinema stuck with me ever since. About the writers strike - signed a petition in support of the wirter’s. It’s sick. Pretty soon there will be no good scripts to produce and the studios will give in to their demands. And if the DAG and SAG contract negotiations don’t renew, then my firends Americans will have to watch crappy Bollywood films to get entertained. The apocalypse is nigh.:d
hey boys n girls….:)
I havent read the book,so I cant be that much accurate bout the subject as some of you are, but as a movie itself, I thought it was a technical piece of work executed with an emotional perception, and thats what worked for me basically, the first half was literally boring,the second one was different from the expectation of the audience,the director holding on to his own perception. I thought that a movie like that was quite unexpected from the maker of Constantine, which had something happening in every scene of it….n I appreciate his difference in treatment in the couple of cases.Will smith is slowly turning out to be one of my favorite hollywood actors,because of the natural way with which he brings up his emotions..all in all, IML may not be a so-called masterpiece, but its a very differently executed ‘good’ movie.
with love,
RAHUL