I AM LEGEND

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: McCarthy

Originally posted by: OrByte
There is no 'tragedy' it is just a movie.

and it was good as far as movies go.

Ok, no tragedy. How about "disappointment" that a century of a more expressive way of story telling with moving pictures, and later audio plus moving pictures, is something to be settled for "as far as movies go". The art form never really did tell a better story and has regressed from what was attempted decades ago.

Words on paper always could tell a better story, and movable type still beats motion pictures that way, but fewer each generation can be bothered to read. Around here two healthy paragraphs call for "cliffs". Suggesting reading the book is a sure way to get any comment about a movie ignored. This celebration of reading laziness has progressed to the point that even mentioning the book is a foul somehow, and promoting the original story - without even suggesting looking at the book, is book snobbery.

I appreciate you pointing out how little expectation one should have for a movie. Saddens me most of the viewing public agrees with you.

Cliffs. J/K.

After the first half of the movie, it IMO turned into some kind of botched attempt at making a better zombie movie than Resident Evil, except, Alice dies. I thought the ending SUCKED, they set up him being a legend HORRIBLY; he should have died fighting them off, not running at the sucked with a 'nade in his hand, something he could have accomplished and LIVED. Should have had more closure at the end too. The whole Shelby GT commercial scene, while cool, should've been cut in half and had at least that much added to the very end of the movie.

 

[tfcmasta97]

i was disappointed that the movie didnt really go anywhere... i was waiting for something to happen that never came

great acting by will smith but the woman and kid and inconsistent mutants.. meh

 

[SSSnail]

This freaking movie pissed me off. It was at best a B rated half-ass horror movie, with Will Smith in it.

 

[ecopure]

I just read the 240 page comic book version. It was much better than the movie.

 

[BradT]

I have started to read the book. I started last night before I went to bed, and it creeped me out a lot. Not a good nighttime book.

 

[OUCaptain]

What was with the Batman/Superman banner on the building?

 

[Boone]

I've got a copy of the book and I hope it was better than the movie.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: OUCaptain
What was with the Batman/Superman banner on the building?

I noticed that too. If WB actually does make a Batman/Superman movie I'll jizz my pants. Who remembers The New Batman/Superman Adventures?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: BradT
I have started to read the book. I started last night before I went to bed, and it creeped me out a lot. Not a good nighttime book.

i read it in a couple of hours, and stayed up to do it. i thought it was a great read. i just saw the movie last night: it was ok, but so far off the book that its hardly worth comparing the two. the only similar point seems to be humans caught a disease that turned them somewhat vampiric.

 

[Saint Nick]

As far as the product placement goes:
I think it was important that they included it in the movie. It made the movie more "personal" almost, if you understand what I'm saying.

As far as the movie as a whole goes:
Take it for what its worth. If you like it, then great! If you didn't like it, well then thats okay too. Its a movie; its Hollywood. Things that are "ridiculous" in a movie I suppose could be called that, however, that is what the magic of moviemaking and storytelling is all about. It is meant to spark your imagination and thought. I personally enjoyed the movie and was on edge throughout. I felt his pain when he lost his only friend and felt his anger when he wanted to go beat the living crap out of the "zombies". I will admit that the CGI zombies looked a little silly at times, but, I suppose it all served its purpose.

What I want to know is how the monsters got so smart to do the same thing to Will Smith that he did to them. Interesting that they had been watching him the whole time. Also what was up with the Batman/Superman billboard?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: jndietz
As far as the product placement goes:
I think it was important that they included it in the movie. It made the movie more "personal" almost, if you understand what I'm saying.


What I want to know is how the monsters got so smart to do the same thing to Will Smith that he did to them. Interesting that they had been watching him the whole time.

In the book they werent all braindead. A neighbor of his that he used to go to work with comes out every night calling for Neville.

In the book when hes surprised to find another person, it turns out she had the disease as well, but that her and a number of others were taking a medication that kept the disease at bay, so they could stand *some* sunlight and didnt lose their minds.

*those* forecfully attacked his home and kidnapped him to kill him, because Neville could go out during the day, and was killing *all* the diseased he found, because he didnt know any of them were still human since they all looked alike.

The only semblance you see in the movie of any of this is that the diseased organized an attack when he thought they were basically braindead.

I still suggest anyone who likes to read, read the book. Its very different, rather short at about 150 pages, and a very good read.

 

[oddyager]

Originally posted by: jndietz
As far as the product placement goes:
I think it was important that they included it in the movie. It made the movie more "personal" almost, if you understand what I'm saying.

As far as the movie as a whole goes:
Take it for what its worth. If you like it, then great! If you didn't like it, well then thats okay too. Its a movie; its Hollywood. Things that are "ridiculous" in a movie I suppose could be called that, however, that is what the magic of moviemaking and storytelling is all about. It is meant to spark your imagination and thought. I personally enjoyed the movie and was on edge throughout. I felt his pain when he lost his only friend and felt his anger when he wanted to go beat the living crap out of the "zombies". I will admit that the CGI zombies looked a little silly at times, but, I suppose it all served its purpose.

What I want to know is how the monsters got so smart to do the same thing to Will Smith that he did to them. Interesting that they had been watching him the whole time. Also what was up with the Batman/Superman billboard?

Just to clear this Batman/Superman thing it's just an Easter Egg. I think it was Akiva (or someone on the production team) was attached to this idea some time ago but never materialized.

 

[Alistar7]

Didn't live up to the hype IMHO. I would have just lived on a big ass boat or a deserted island....

 

[Ns1]

watched it last night, liked it.

time to pick up the book after reading these comments.

 

[Alienwho]

I read the book after seeing the movie. IMO the book sucked, and the movie was 10thousand times better. In the book he's a whiny loser who I WANT to die. I can't stand him in the book. And the ending in the book wasn't even all that great either, I don't know why everybody thinks it was so great.

He is a different kind of legend in the movie than in the book, but he is still a legend (SPOILERS). In the book he is a legend to the vampires, the same way that Dracula is a legend to us. In the movie he is a legend to the humans, in the sense that he is a savior to their humanity. Both ways he's a legend, neither is bad.

I liked the movie a lot though. Great action, great effects, great tension. It lived up completely to what I expected and desired.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: Flammable

Originally posted by: bignateyk
I actually almost cried when he had to strangle his dog.

Sam died

One of the worst experiences of my life. I had a German Shepherd named Samantha, who we called Sam. We put her to sleep last January. I almost had to leave the theater.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: sirjonk

Originally posted by: Flammable

Originally posted by: bignateyk
I actually almost cried when he had to strangle his dog.

Sam died

One of the worst experiences of my life. I had a German Shepherd named Samantha, who we called Sam. We put her to sleep last January. I almost had to leave the theater.

ouch, that's brutal.

 

[anxi80]

^ when i saw it in the theatre it was dead silent save for the sounds of a few people behind me softly weeping and others sniffling back tears.

 

[ThePresence]

I liked it.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Alienwho
I read the book after seeing the movie. IMO the book sucked, and the movie was 10thousand times better. In the book he's a whiny loser who I WANT to die. I can't stand him in the book. And the ending in the book wasn't even all that great either, I don't know why everybody thinks it was so great.

He is a different kind of legend in the movie than in the book, but he is still a legend (SPOILERS). In the book he is a legend to the vampires, the same way that Dracula is a legend to us. In the movie he is a legend to the humans, in the sense that he is a savior to their humanity. Both ways he's a legend, neither is bad.

I liked the movie a lot though. Great action, great effects, great tension. It lived up completely to what I expected and desired.

Wow you're probably the one person that feels that way.

I like both, they're both utterly different. What I didn't like about the movie was the extreme over-hyped CGI-ness of the dark-seekers, it was just over the top. Another cool element to the book was the fact that some of them could actually talk (and remembered details like names, etc). Made them stand out much more clearly as individuals, rather than just a bunch of bald superfreaks. The movie dumbed things down considerably.

The book had a cohesiveness that was impossible for the movie to achieve, because the book was written by one man, with one vision. The movie is an interpretation coming 50 years later, and suffering the hollywood marketing machine making nips/tucks/changes/exaggerations/omissions everywhere.

What is undeniable :

(1)- The book remains a true classic, both as a piece of fiction literature, and of it's particular genre.

(2)- The movie is a good fun ride if you don't take it too seriously. Smith is an excellent actor. What remains clear to me is that if you didn't have Smith in the lead role, this movie simply wouldn't have worked. Imagine someone like Ben Affleck in the lead, and tell me it wouldn't have been a simple throwaway with the cheesy 'zombies', etc.

 

[Arkaign]

Hmm on 2nd thought, it would have been interesting to see the movie version with Christian Bale, and a more subdued group of 'vampires' rather than superhuman maniacs who can knock over SUVs and climb walls.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: andylawcc
i like Children of Men far better as a apopcalyptic movie.

x 1,000,000

 

[Starbuck1975]

The ending to the book is far superior, and gives the title meaning...and also ties together the entire theme of the storyline...the Hollywood ending pretty much kills the entire premise of the book.

Robert Neville isn't a legend because he saves humanity...he becomes a creature of Legend to the "still living" and vampires that he hunts. In the book, some of the infected are capable of rational thought...not mindless, aggressive mutants as depicted in the movie.

The CGI on the zombie vampires was terrible and cliche.

I don't get Will Smith as an actor...sure, he plays to the summer popcorn movie audience fairly well...but I don't think he carried the weight of this movie at all...it is Will Smiith playing Will Smith, but a lonely and sad version. I don't think he was the right actor for this movie. This movie needed a character actor who can emote despair and desperation...I could see actors like Gary Oldman or Christian Bale carrying this movie quite well.

Overall, I was disappointed...they could have taken this movie in so many different directions.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: andylawcc
i like Children of Men far better as a apopcalyptic movie.

x 1,000,000

uke:

CoM is a poor excuse as an Apocalyptic Movie. No one has been born, whoopty frickin doo, I think chaos would ensue, right after everyone quit shrugging and going off to buy the latest gadget.

 

[BooGiMaN]

i just dont buy the movie's whole super powered zombies with adamantium skeletons.....