Having never read the novel or seen the other I Am Legend adaptations (1964's The Last Man on Earth & 1971's The Omega Man with Charlton Heston), I am judging purely on Lawrence's latest version.
Smith as usual is very good and as watchable as ever in his role as lonely survivor Neville. With only a canine and various mannequins for company, he manages the role really well and carries the film easily. The first 40 minutes are basically a one man show and an acting masterclass from Smith's point of view. Having a few serious roles under his belt and two Oscar noms (Ali and more recently The Pursuit of Happiness) you can see Smith is now very comfortable in these roles and has somewhat distanced himself from comedy.
In the build up to Legend, you have to say the campaign for the film was excellent. Trailers, posters and early buzz were all really positive, huge $150 million budget, chilling images and concept art of a deserted New York grabbed attention from fans as well, not to mention Will Smith's box office appeal. The question is that does the film live up to all the hype? I would say yes, it does... just.
My main gripe with the film is with the infected, vampire-like creatures known as the "Dark Seekers", using all CGI for them was definitely a mistake. They just move too fast and don't look real at all, they reminded me of something out of a computer game. Lawrence's inexperience comes through in this aspect and you can't help but think how better handled the infectants were in Danny Boyle's similar but superior 28 Days Later.
Although in saying that, Lawrence directs Smith very well through the day and when it's just him and the dog, they are easily the best parts of the film. You have to remember that this is only Constantine director Francis Lawrence's second film, and you have to say he does a pretty good job with keeping up the tension and generally keeping the audiences engaged.
A word must also go the New York setting. Elements like deserted buildings and grass growing through the streets are very well done. The special effects here are brilliant. You sometimes have trouble figuring out which parts of the city they really cleared for shooting, and which parts are CGI.
To sum up Legend, I think it's definitely worth checking out. If you can forgive the woeful misjudgement of the Dark Seekers I think you will enjoy it. It's likely you will because they are merely a distraction and it's Will Smith's excellent, affecting performance that will be your main afterthought after seeing this movie. Perhaps He Is Legend after all.
Smith as usual is very good and as watchable as ever in his role as lonely survivor Neville. With only a canine and various mannequins for company, he manages the role really well and carries the film easily. The first 40 minutes are basically a one man show and an acting masterclass from Smith's point of view. Having a few serious roles under his belt and two Oscar noms (Ali and more recently The Pursuit of Happiness) you can see Smith is now very comfortable in these roles and has somewhat distanced himself from comedy.
In the build up to Legend, you have to say the campaign for the film was excellent. Trailers, posters and early buzz were all really positive, huge $150 million budget, chilling images and concept art of a deserted New York grabbed attention from fans as well, not to mention Will Smith's box office appeal. The question is that does the film live up to all the hype? I would say yes, it does... just.
My main gripe with the film is with the infected, vampire-like creatures known as the "Dark Seekers", using all CGI for them was definitely a mistake. They just move too fast and don't look real at all, they reminded me of something out of a computer game. Lawrence's inexperience comes through in this aspect and you can't help but think how better handled the infectants were in Danny Boyle's similar but superior 28 Days Later.
Although in saying that, Lawrence directs Smith very well through the day and when it's just him and the dog, they are easily the best parts of the film. You have to remember that this is only Constantine director Francis Lawrence's second film, and you have to say he does a pretty good job with keeping up the tension and generally keeping the audiences engaged.
A word must also go the New York setting. Elements like deserted buildings and grass growing through the streets are very well done. The special effects here are brilliant. You sometimes have trouble figuring out which parts of the city they really cleared for shooting, and which parts are CGI.
To sum up Legend, I think it's definitely worth checking out. If you can forgive the woeful misjudgement of the Dark Seekers I think you will enjoy it. It's likely you will because they are merely a distraction and it's Will Smith's excellent, affecting performance that will be your main afterthought after seeing this movie. Perhaps He Is Legend after all.