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| I Am Legend * * * |
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| Written by Ivan Radford |
| Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00 |
 Director: Francis LawrenceLush, green grass sprouts through cracked paving stones. Animals run free through the streets. The sun climbs through the picturesque sky, as Robert Neville (Smith) wanders around the peaceful city with his canine companion. But something’s rotten in Manhattan. Something that only comes out when it's dark. Something deformed, carnivorous and computer generated. That’s right, we have another zombie movie. This time round, the dystopian town doesn’t look too bad: no pollution or congestion, a healthy smattering of wildlife to feed upon, even an iPod which only seems to play Bob Marley. But there are no humans either. Apart from Robert. Years ago, Dr Alice Krippin (Emma Thompson) thought she had found a cure for cancer. Once the drug had circulated the population, things went awry, killing off most of the human race and turning the rest into zombies. Trust the Brits to do it. Now it's up to Robert - immune to the disease - to find a cure for humanity and rid the world of the plague. Until we see the monsters, I Am Legend borders on poetic, allowing Smith to mingle with mannequins in ways usually only seen behind closed doors. Anthropomorphising his dog to endearing extremes, he talks to himself, afraid to look reality in the face outside of the lab – this may be a Boxing Day blockbuster, but Smith shows he can still act with a maturity that is impressively sincere. When the night-dwellers stray into sight, the tension escalates. Then it falls rapidly as the contrived conclusion arrives. Rushing the final act with the most pointless 'twist' since Signs, Lawrence loses touch with an interesting and exciting concept; opting for the poignant voice-over, the leap from psychological to sickly is a sad one to witness. VERDICT A flawed second half lets down a gripping first, with monsters that look more dopey than dangerous. Legendary? Not quite. |
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