I Am Legend (2007)

Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.

Director:

Francis Lawrence

Writers:

Mark Protosevich (screenplay), Akiva Goldsman (screenplay),

Stars:

Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan

8 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Smith	...	Robert Neville
Alice Braga	...	Anna
Charlie Tahan	...	Ethan
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Zoe Neville (as Salli Richardson)
Willow Smith	...	Marley Neville
Darrell Foster	...	Mike - Military Escort
April Grace	...	TV Personality
Dash Mihok	...	Alpha Male
Joanna Numata	...	Alpha Female
Abbey	...	Sam
Kona	...	Sam
Samuel Glen	...	Military Driver - Jay
James McCauley	...	Male Evacuee
Marin Ireland	...	Woman Evacuee
Pedro Mojica	...	Sergeant

Storyline

Robert Neville is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague -- The Infected -- lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time.

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Plot Keywords:

survivor | cure | new york city | virus | scientist | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to earth. Population 1.

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [br] Warner Bros [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Am Legend: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£11,009,365 (UK) (28 December 2007)

Gross:

$256,386,216 (USA) (4 April 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Village Roadshow Pictures, Weed Road Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 104 min (Alternate ending)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ted Levine and Tom Cruise were also considered for the role of Robert Neville.

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Goofs

When Neville is in the dark warehouse looking for Sam, he enters a bathroom. When his flashlight hits a mirror, he ducks and shields the light, but there is still a circle of light from the camera behind him.

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Quotes

[first lines]
TV Personality: The world of medicine has seen its share of miracle cures, from the polio vaccine to heart transplants. But all past achievements may pale in comparison to the work of Dr. Alice Krippin. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
Dr. Alice Krippin: Not at all.
TV Personality: So, Dr. Krippin, give it to me in a nutshell.
Dr. Alice Krippin: Well, the premise is quite simple - um, take something designed by nature and reprogram it to make it work for the body rather than against it.
TV Personality: You're talking about a virus?
Dr. Alice Krippin: Indeed, yes. In this...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The title doesn't appear on screen until several minutes into the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: Episode #13.14 (2007)
Mentioned by Will Smith

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Soundtracks

"Three Little Birds"
Written by Bob Marley
Performed by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Should have been better

The 1954 sci-fi/vampire novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson has now been filmed three times: as "The Last Man On Earth" in 1964 originally scripted by Matheson himself (which I have never seen), as "The Omega Man" in 1971 without the vampire elements (which I have viewed three times), and now with the original title and expensive sets and special effects. This time the seemingly sole survivor of the worldwide pandemic Robert Neville is played by Will Smith who is an actor with real charisma and charm and considerable box office appeal who has beefed himself up for the role.

The main strength of this version is the location shots in a deserted New York City (a move from the Los Angeles of the book and earlier films) and, although the filming of these scenes apparently caused traffic chaos and much anger for local residents, they chillingly set the tone for this dystopian thriller. To see the silent streets around Times Square or South Street Seaport or the lone scientist fishing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art or playing golf on the "USS Intrepid" is to view this heaving metropolis as we have never experienced it before. The German shepherd dog who is Neville's sole companion deserves an honourable mention for showing greater thespian skills than most of the extras and stunt men.

The principal weakness of the movie, however, is the realisation of the surviving victims of the virus. The CGI characters are almost as silly as they are scary but, above all, they are presented as more animalistic than human. "The Omega Man" handled these characters much better presenting them as sad as well as scary. The other serious fault is the lack of clarity in the narrative - at times, it is simply unclear what is happening and why and a longer director's cut would be welcome. Finally the references to Ground Zero and God may play well with American audiences but will not be so resonant to audiences elsewhere in the world.