Saw it with my wife this evening. She liked it..I give it an "almost great...but mostly just OK" rating.
Being a huge fan of the book...I was disappointed that they chickened out in the third act. The first 2/3rds of the film were a decent "updated" version of Matheson's story...but after the dog dies and Neville decides to quit...the movie went off the rails and lost me.
The CGI was junk...I'm tired of (and not scared by) computer generated monsters. I would have taken make-up wearing baddies any day of the week. CGI is great for add ons...but even at its best it still can't help but look "fake."
The product placement was ridiculous. Everyone drives a Ford in the I Am Legend SHTF apocalypse...and the dog only likes Barilla pasta sauce...and Neville only watches JVC electronics...etc.
They had a powerful film on their hands if they had stayed within the bounds laid out by the book. They did a great job with the flashbacks, the dog attachment (never like it when they kill the mutts), and the futility of it all.
But I wanted more. Explore the isolation, explore the out with the old/in with the new theme (boring homo-saps replaced by post-viral blood sucking saps), explore the progressive breakdown of Neville's mental state. Additionally...rather than the Mustang-deer chasing scene...how about Neville busting up a hive to add some action and fill some minutes?
I've always felt that the original book was a two-fingered jab at both race relations in the US and Cold War fear of the "others" prevalent during the 50's.
Etc., etc., etc....
Keeping it gun related...Ole Painless would have been helpful.
Being a huge fan of the book...I was disappointed that they chickened out in the third act. The first 2/3rds of the film were a decent "updated" version of Matheson's story...but after the dog dies and Neville decides to quit...the movie went off the rails and lost me.
The CGI was junk...I'm tired of (and not scared by) computer generated monsters. I would have taken make-up wearing baddies any day of the week. CGI is great for add ons...but even at its best it still can't help but look "fake."
The product placement was ridiculous. Everyone drives a Ford in the I Am Legend SHTF apocalypse...and the dog only likes Barilla pasta sauce...and Neville only watches JVC electronics...etc.
They had a powerful film on their hands if they had stayed within the bounds laid out by the book. They did a great job with the flashbacks, the dog attachment (never like it when they kill the mutts), and the futility of it all.
But I wanted more. Explore the isolation, explore the out with the old/in with the new theme (boring homo-saps replaced by post-viral blood sucking saps), explore the progressive breakdown of Neville's mental state. Additionally...rather than the Mustang-deer chasing scene...how about Neville busting up a hive to add some action and fill some minutes?
I've always felt that the original book was a two-fingered jab at both race relations in the US and Cold War fear of the "others" prevalent during the 50's.
Etc., etc., etc....
Keeping it gun related...Ole Painless would have been helpful.