I Am Legend Coming Summer 2007 (Will Smith)
12-15-07, 06:30 PM
#251
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Saw it last night and thought it was really bad. Tons of cheeseball humor that wasn't the slightest bit funny. The CGI was horrible. I'm surprised they even used a real dog. I was just glad it ended so apruptly.
12-15-07, 07:01 PM
#252
DVD Talk Hero
If I was to use one word to describe this film, that word would be "bland".
I'm not sure people really want to see Will Smith as Robert Neville, a tortured soul with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I don't think he pulls off the role in the acting department, a role that seemed a little too underwritten given the gravity of his situation. I think I wanted to see a little more depth in the character, and it just doesn't quite find the right emotional beats as a foundation for the character, but I kind of blame that on the director, for not overcoming the screenplay.
I'm actually surprised that Neville survived as long as he did (up to the point that the film begins, as it would take eternal vigilance to keep safe in his environment.
The film opens up decently, but gets progressively worse as it loses steam, and dramatic heft. The 3rd act is pretty poorly written, like the writers had a word limit on the dialogue or something.
Oh, and then I find out Akiva Goldsman had a hand in producing this film, so most of the deficiencies of the film made more sense to me afterwards. I really need to learn not to see his films because he seldom is involved in films that appeal to my cinematic sensibilties.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
I'm not sure people really want to see Will Smith as Robert Neville, a tortured soul with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I don't think he pulls off the role in the acting department, a role that seemed a little too underwritten given the gravity of his situation. I think I wanted to see a little more depth in the character, and it just doesn't quite find the right emotional beats as a foundation for the character, but I kind of blame that on the director, for not overcoming the screenplay.
I'm actually surprised that Neville survived as long as he did (up to the point that the film begins, as it would take eternal vigilance to keep safe in his environment.
The film opens up decently, but gets progressively worse as it loses steam, and dramatic heft. The 3rd act is pretty poorly written, like the writers had a word limit on the dialogue or something.
Oh, and then I find out Akiva Goldsman had a hand in producing this film, so most of the deficiencies of the film made more sense to me afterwards. I really need to learn not to see his films because he seldom is involved in films that appeal to my cinematic sensibilties.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
12-15-07, 07:23 PM
#253
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by CaptainMarvel
Where did I say I hated it? I think I pretty clearly said I thought the movie on its own merits was at a minimum "okay," and I acknowledged there were good and excellent parts.
"Not exactly like the book" is fine, to be expected, and usually a good thing. This isn't even remotely like the book... if you had changed the main character's name and not called it "I Am Legend", I'm sure a lot of people who read the book wouldn't have even realized that this was an adaptation.
The fact is that when you make a movie that purports to be an adaptation, especially when you re-use the book's name, you're inviting comparisons between the source work and the new version. If I watch a movie adaptation of a book I've never read about or don't care about (a la Golden Compass), I have no problem just seeing the movie for its own merits, because I don't enter into it with any expectations. That's not the same when I actually care about the source work.
If you adapt a Harry Potter book into a movie, but in your film version Hermione, Dumbledore, and Ron don't exist, and Snape is Harry's pet gopher, and the movie takes place in a regular public school, and in this one Harry's a monster hunter, but you still name your movie "Harry Potter", in my opinion, you should expect a little resentment from fans of the book, even if the movie is actually good on its own merits.
"Not exactly like the book" is fine, to be expected, and usually a good thing. This isn't even remotely like the book... if you had changed the main character's name and not called it "I Am Legend", I'm sure a lot of people who read the book wouldn't have even realized that this was an adaptation.
The fact is that when you make a movie that purports to be an adaptation, especially when you re-use the book's name, you're inviting comparisons between the source work and the new version. If I watch a movie adaptation of a book I've never read about or don't care about (a la Golden Compass), I have no problem just seeing the movie for its own merits, because I don't enter into it with any expectations. That's not the same when I actually care about the source work.
If you adapt a Harry Potter book into a movie, but in your film version Hermione, Dumbledore, and Ron don't exist, and Snape is Harry's pet gopher, and the movie takes place in a regular public school, and in this one Harry's a monster hunter, but you still name your movie "Harry Potter", in my opinion, you should expect a little resentment from fans of the book, even if the movie is actually good on its own merits.
In any event I understand where you're coming from. I never read the original book so I don't really know how much was changed.
My point is that if a movie is good and/or you enjoy it shouldn't really matter, in my opinion, if it is slightly or even totally different from the the book it was based on.
Books and movies are obviously two completely different mediums so I think it's ok to enjoy both even if they are totally different.
If it helps buy the dvd and make a new cover for it and name it something else other than "I Am Legend"
12-15-07, 09:20 PM
#254
DVD Talk Legend
The first two acts of the film were actually very solid, surprising considering the director and co-writer.
The third act of the film was complete dogshit and contradicted everything that came before it. I should've saw that one coming considering the director and co-writer.
Under another director and writer, this film could've knocked it out of the park. As it stands, The Omega Man is still the far superior film despite it being a product of the era it was created in.
The third act of the film was complete dogshit and contradicted everything that came before it. I should've saw that one coming considering the director and co-writer.
Under another director and writer, this film could've knocked it out of the park. As it stands, The Omega Man is still the far superior film despite it being a product of the era it was created in.
12-15-07, 09:41 PM
#255
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I didn't care for it. It's not bad so much as its not compelling. There were pockets of suspense, but I never got the feeling of suspense/tension/isolation that being the last man on Earth would someone.
The vampires/zombies/dark seekers were just boring and unthreatening (and weren't aided by being Mummy Returns levels of bad CGI). The final act of the movie just drains any momentum that the first 2/3rd may have been building towards and leaves the movie limping to the end.
The movie starts so promising that I found myself wishing the film had dealt the events prior to the movie taking place, from
.
The vampires/zombies/dark seekers were just boring and unthreatening (and weren't aided by being Mummy Returns levels of bad CGI). The final act of the movie just drains any momentum that the first 2/3rd may have been building towards and leaves the movie limping to the end.
The movie starts so promising that I found myself wishing the film had dealt the events prior to the movie taking place, from
Spoiler:
12-15-07, 10:20 PM
#256
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The vampires/zombies/dark seekers were just boring and unthreatening (and weren't aided by being Mummy Returns levels of bad CGI).
Yeah I have been comparing the CGI to the mummy also.
I thought the film itself was very good. It could have been a classic for me except for the weak third act. But still the third act was good enough not to ruin the movie.
What did hurt the film was the BAD CGI. It was sooooooo pointless. Why not just use standard make-up effects?? It's not like they tried to really make the creatures look any different from humans.
My guess is that they wanted the creatures to look fake. It they looked real like the 28 days/weeks later films it would have been deemed too intense and may have gotten an R rating. I know thats a stretch but there had to be some reason for the choice to use CGI were it was not needed.
If Will Smith was running from a bunch of 28 days latter looking creatures this would have been a classic for me. As it stands the film was only OK.
12-15-07, 10:39 PM
#257
DVD Talk God
Was good, but the two issues I had were:
1. If you are going to spend a ton of time fortifying your home for a possibly attack, why the hell not put UV lights inside all over. You could fry tons of those things if they attacked in the way they did.
2. Why martyr yourself with the grenade. Couldn't you just lock yourself in the safe and wait until morning? The only thing I can think is he thought it would be too dark inside still, and they would be able to stick around.
1. If you are going to spend a ton of time fortifying your home for a possibly attack, why the hell not put UV lights inside all over. You could fry tons of those things if they attacked in the way they did.
2. Why martyr yourself with the grenade. Couldn't you just lock yourself in the safe and wait until morning? The only thing I can think is he thought it would be too dark inside still, and they would be able to stick around.
12-15-07, 10:53 PM
#258
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I really was in for this ride. Great genre film, except the "shrek" scene and the weak cgi vamps. I loved how melancholy this film is. As for "Iam Legend" adaptations, I think this is really good, but for some reason, I think "Last Man on Earth" just nudges this out, with "Omega Man" in last place.
12-15-07, 11:31 PM
#259
DVD Talk Hero
Not bad, but not that good either. Smith carries the film well, but his character is dramatically underwritten considering the circumstances. And they really dropped the ball with the emotional core to his actions and obvious moral questions.
das
das
12-15-07, 11:52 PM
#260
DVD Talk Godfather
I caught this on IMAX and enjoyed it, although some parts felt a bit off to me. I never read the book, so i don't really have any comparison to the original source material. I'm kind of glad though, since those who read the book seemed to dislike it.
The CGI didn't bother me for the most part other then the one particular "lead" monster opening his mouth. That just looked silly on what should be a regular human looking creature.
For the most part i was into the movie and the suspense, even through the 3rd act that many here seem to dislike. The Anna character seemed to come out of nowhere though, which combined with the ending was a little dissapointing. I also wish they expanded more on the start of the outbreak and why Neville survived. I'd rather they have cut out some of the slower moments and throw in another flashback or two, which i thought were actually well done.
The CGI didn't bother me for the most part other then the one particular "lead" monster opening his mouth. That just looked silly on what should be a regular human looking creature.
For the most part i was into the movie and the suspense, even through the 3rd act that many here seem to dislike. The Anna character seemed to come out of nowhere though, which combined with the ending was a little dissapointing. I also wish they expanded more on the start of the outbreak and why Neville survived. I'd rather they have cut out some of the slower moments and throw in another flashback or two, which i thought were actually well done.
12-16-07, 01:24 AM
#261
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by clemente
I didn't care for it. It's not bad so much as its not compelling. There were pockets of suspense, but I never got the feeling of suspense/tension/isolation that being the last man on Earth would someone.
The vampires/zombies/dark seekers were just boring and unthreatening (and weren't aided by being Mummy Returns levels of bad CGI). The final act of the movie just drains any momentum that the first 2/3rd may have been building towards and leaves the movie limping to the end.
The movie starts so promising that I found myself wishing the film had dealt the events prior to the movie taking place, from
.
The vampires/zombies/dark seekers were just boring and unthreatening (and weren't aided by being Mummy Returns levels of bad CGI). The final act of the movie just drains any momentum that the first 2/3rd may have been building towards and leaves the movie limping to the end.
The movie starts so promising that I found myself wishing the film had dealt the events prior to the movie taking place, from
Spoiler:
Personally, I thought the flashback scenes were the best parts of the movie. I actually wish most of the movie dealt with the beginning stages of the virus and the evacuation and whatnot. Some of the flashback scenes were quite compelling. I also think that the third act was very weak and didn't really fit with the rest of the movie.
12-16-07, 02:00 AM
#262
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by mdc3000
oh yeah, I loved the billboard for
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Saw this last night. Thought the premise was really cool, last man standing and what it would take to survive. Hated the "monsters"...bad, bad, BAD CGI. The poor CGI made them not scary at all which kind defeated the purpose.
I do have the hankering to buy a Ford now.
12-16-07, 02:28 AM
#263
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I thought the creepiest parts with the creatures were two scenes... When he saw them all huddled and "sleeping" while standing up and breathing heavily (very creepy image), and also when he hallucinated and saw the creature wearing the orange hoodie....BOTH of those are scenes that used actual actors in monster make-up, NOT cgi. And what do you know, none of the CGI stuff was creepy at all. I really wish they all would have been practical monsters and not CGI. The wide mouth stuff just looked poorly done.
12-16-07, 03:35 AM
#264
DVD Talk God
I liked it, but it's not something I would re-visit again anytime soon. The DVD would have to have 2 audio commentaries and a 1 1/2 hour making of documentary for me to consider purchasing this and considering WB produced this film, that's doubtful.
It was a little hard for me to connect with Smith's character since he and the dog were essentially the entire movie and he spent most of his time talking to himself.
The creatures were somewhat creepy, but I think the Zombies in the Resident Evil movies were much scarier and more realistic than this film.
I would give this film a C+. Only recommended if your a fan of Smith.
It was a little hard for me to connect with Smith's character since he and the dog were essentially the entire movie and he spent most of his time talking to himself.
The creatures were somewhat creepy, but I think the Zombies in the Resident Evil movies were much scarier and more realistic than this film.
I would give this film a C+. Only recommended if your a fan of Smith.
12-16-07, 09:26 AM
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Originally Posted by GreenVulture
On another forum, there was someone who went to a sneak preview awhile back that had a different ending:
Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But it explains your missing shot.
Spoiler:
Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But it explains your missing shot.
12-16-07, 12:17 PM
#266
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Probably a bit too gloomy to warrant repeat viewings from me, but I generally thought it was good. Great performance by Will Smith, IMO. But it really felt to me like there was an underlying attempt to make a very mature, somber sci-fi pic, and then some studio execs stepped in and said "......yeah, that's great baby---but we just need to add a little "Van Helsing" zing to it, OK? Great!--I'll get the CGI people working on it right away!!"
12-16-07, 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Ky-Fi
Probably a bit too gloomy to warrant repeat viewings from me, but I generally thought it was good. Great performance by Will Smith, IMO. But it really felt to me like there was an underlying attempt to make a very mature, somber sci-fi pic, and then some studio execs stepped in and said "......yeah, that's great baby---but we just need to add a little "Van Helsing" zing to it, OK? Great!--I'll get the CGI people working on it right away!!"
12-16-07, 05:29 PM
#268
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Just got back from seeing it. Maybe it's just my kind of thing or I was in the mood - but I thought it was very good. Actually it scared the hell of me in some parts. Went with the wife - she said it didn't scare her at all. Great job by Will Smith.
12-17-07, 12:29 AM
#269
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Just watched the movie and thought it was pretty good. The audience sucked though and made it hard to enjoy. Babies crying, people talking, laughing at serious stuff, and cell phones going off like they didn't hear the talking panda tell them to shut them off. The theater nearest me decided to get rid of all the early shows which are great for avoiding asshats.
Any way it seems like the higher ups cut into the film a bit and changed things from the original design. It seems clear they were going for intelligent monsters but changed it at the last minute. Will mentions that the monsters have lost all trace of thier human self. Yet he doesn't say boo about them setting a trap for him. I'm sure the one part when the lady was shocked by the number test subjects that died was originally meant to show why the monster people were afraid of Will.
Any way it seems like the higher ups cut into the film a bit and changed things from the original design. It seems clear they were going for intelligent monsters but changed it at the last minute. Will mentions that the monsters have lost all trace of thier human self. Yet he doesn't say boo about them setting a trap for him. I'm sure the one part when the lady was shocked by the number test subjects that died was originally meant to show why the monster people were afraid of Will.
12-17-07, 06:16 AM
#271
DVD Talk Hero
Saw it.
I like it. Anyone else think that it went by a little too quick? I can't say that it was rushed. Everything that should have happened was all there. Five minutes before the end (you know the part that I mean), I was like 'WTF' and looked down at my watch. And it set in that an hour and fourty minutes already passed. I guess that means that I was sucked in, and had a good time. [I was actually hit with this TWICE today. First time with No Country For Old Men a little earlier.]
There were five-or-so moments that were sorta' misfires. They certainly didn't feel laughably bad to me. But the audience started laughing. One part was when he was spazzing out at the manequin trap.
That's all I got.
I like it. Anyone else think that it went by a little too quick? I can't say that it was rushed. Everything that should have happened was all there. Five minutes before the end (you know the part that I mean), I was like 'WTF' and looked down at my watch. And it set in that an hour and fourty minutes already passed. I guess that means that I was sucked in, and had a good time. [I was actually hit with this TWICE today. First time with No Country For Old Men a little earlier.]
There were five-or-so moments that were sorta' misfires. They certainly didn't feel laughably bad to me. But the audience started laughing. One part was when he was spazzing out at the manequin trap.
That's all I got.
12-17-07, 06:35 AM
#272
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Originally Posted by Deftones
2. Why martyr yourself with the grenade. Couldn't you just lock yourself in the safe and wait until morning? The only thing I can think is he thought it would be too dark inside still, and they would be able to stick around.
12-17-07, 11:36 AM
#273
Originally Posted by aynrandgirl
Better, stick yourself inside the hidey-hole and throw the grenade. The handy metal door should save your life. The problem is there's no way a mere grenade takes out that many zombies, and even if it did there should be plenty more hanging around (previous scenes establish they like dark places) to kill the woman and child in the morning. I'm also surprised he didn't have a bunch of UV lights in that saferoom.
12-17-07, 11:40 AM
#274
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by troystiffler
Saw it.
I like it. Anyone else think that it went by a little too quick? I can't say that it was rushed. Everything that should have happened was all there. Five minutes before the end (you know the part that I mean), I was like 'WTF' and looked down at my watch. And it set in that an hour and fourty minutes already passed. I guess that means that I was sucked in, and had a good time. [I was actually hit with this TWICE today. First time with No Country For Old Men a little earlier.]
There were five-or-so moments that were sorta' misfires. They certainly didn't feel laughably bad to me. But the audience started laughing. One part was when he was spazzing out at the manequin trap.
That's all I got.
I like it. Anyone else think that it went by a little too quick? I can't say that it was rushed. Everything that should have happened was all there. Five minutes before the end (you know the part that I mean), I was like 'WTF' and looked down at my watch. And it set in that an hour and fourty minutes already passed. I guess that means that I was sucked in, and had a good time. [I was actually hit with this TWICE today. First time with No Country For Old Men a little earlier.]
There were five-or-so moments that were sorta' misfires. They certainly didn't feel laughably bad to me. But the audience started laughing. One part was when he was spazzing out at the manequin trap.
That's all I got.
12-17-07, 12:01 PM
#275
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Originally Posted by CaptainMarvel
I may have misheard what was said, but I assumed the little tunnel came out somewhere else. I thought she said "come with us", and he said "they'd follow us." I didn't think they were just waiting in the little black box for morning.
I thought the movie was great. Could have been excellent if not for the CGI'd "zombies." When it was real people it was freaky, when it was CGI, eh, not so much.