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I Am LegendClaudia PuigIf one were to choose the best candidate for last man on Earth, Will Smith would probably be the best man for the job. A gifted physical actor with charisma to burn, he's one of the very few actors who can star essentially solo in a feature-length film and keep us riveted. So, on the strength of his performance and an intriguing apocalyptic story, the first half of I Am Legend is fascinating and fun to watch. But a little more than halfway in, Legend, based on the book by Richard Matheson (which also spawned 1971's Omega Man and 1964's TheLast Man on Earth), deteriorates into a schlocky zombie horror flick and loses its steam. Smith plays Robert Neville, a scientist still working to reverse the incurable man-made virus that wiped out the population. Because he is immune to the virus, he becomes the last man standing in New York. Seeing such a vibrant city become a ghost town is almost worth the price of admission. After the outbreak, Neville is left with only the company of his beloved German shepherd and sad memories of his wife and child. But, even in this seemingly deserted metropolis, he's not truly alone. Undead mutant creatures are lurking nearby. Though he outwits them for a while, they eventually come to torment Neville and try to devour him. But because of the been-there, done-that quality of zombie movies and the poor quality of the computer-generated imagery, his faceoffs with them are not scary or suspenseful. The rampaging zombies don't look at all convincing. Instead, they look like escapees from a second-rate video game. Smith's physical transformation is awe-inspiring. He got in peak shape and lost 20 pounds for the role. And in the midst of the grim reality of his isolation, he makes desperate efforts to tap into his humanity. His strong comic sense is well used here. The close relationship with his dog is altogether believable and touching. Smith is one of the few actors who can seem personable while muttering to himself or talking to his dog. But his powerful performance is not enough to save the movie - initially a potent meditation on loneliness and an absorbing doomsday action movie - from taking a wrong turn and never getting back on track. ?? Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. |
