I am Legend

I Am Legend is like a cross between Castaway and a cheap zombie movie. Will Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, the last man alive, living in New York City. Most of the earth's population was wiped out by a genetically engineered virus that was supposed to cure cancer. Only a small percent of humans survived, but most who did were transformed into rabid creatures who couldn't come out into the sunlight. So Will Smith roams the empty streets of New York, searching for food and performing experiments, trying to discover why he was immune to the virus.

Some elements of this film are basically your run-of-the-mill special effects movie material. The silent shots of NYC are stark and well-done, although most of the zombie shots are sloppy. I Am Legend has its best moments when Will Smith is actually acting. With nothing but a dog to keep him company, he is a profoundly lonely man, and you actually feel some of that emotion during some parts of the movie. There is a small sub-plot dealing with faith and trust, but it wasn't very well developed so it wasn't very effective. I won't spoil the end, but it does leave room for hope. I Am Legend is a fairly good movie, but I with they spent more time on the human, emotional side than on the special effect zombies.
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