Initially viewed with my keen suspicion as just another movie with the same forgettable recurring theme of the destruction of mankind, I am Legend took me by surprise by being anything but that. The mise-en-scene sets Will Smith in a destroyed world, delivering his monologues to himself or his dog.
The movie does not state the obvious: you sense how the loneliness drives him almost delirious when he starts setting up mannequins in the local DVD rental store and visits it daily. Not knowing when his day is the last, he starts his day with a routine to keep sane. His sudden burst of fury and insanity - we can understand and even sympathise with - as it signifies his lack of control over the chaotic situation. His pursuit of a cure, though fleetingly slim, says more than anything else.
Flirting with danger, Smith steals the limelight and commands the movie with his solo performance. The pace of the show is set almost perfectly until a twist wrings away all the respect I had for the movie. A pity as it would have earned quite a high rating if not for the ending which stands out like a sore thumb.
The explanations become contrived and confusing, leaving questions unanswered. The end is rightly touted as a sheer disappointment; other than that, a show worth watching.
3.5 out of 5 stars
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