By Sara Pintilie/entertainment editor
I am Legend (3.5 stars)
Will Smith’s latest sliver screen endeavor, I am Legend, is now on DVD.
Smith slips on the doctor coat to play Dr. Robert Neville—a scientist and the last man in Manhattan.
But there is a problem. In the dark depths of an abandoned Manhattan lie vampire-like creatures looking for fresh blood.
Neville is furiously trying to find a cure to a deadly virus causing humans to turn into these monsters.
When Neville isn’t in his lab, he is hunting escaped zoo life down Broadway with his German Shepard, Sam, or talking to mannequins.
I am Legend is a love or hate movie.
First of all, don’t be fooled by the promos. The film isn’t as action-packed as the trailers make it seem.
A good three-quarters of the movie is basically Smith roaming around with a dog.
Only Smith can carry a scene and keep the audience entertained all by his lonesome.
His conversations with Sam are amusing and break up the bleak atmosphere.
Though the flick is well-acted, viewers can find these scenes rather tedious.
The one thing I am Legend has working extremely well for it is the taut sequences where Neville ventures into the dark.
The film knows how to create fear as Neville turns a corner, hoping the feeding mutants don’t turn around.
What keeps this movie from being great is its unevenness.
The last 30 minutes don’t really fit, and the ending is less than satisfactory for most viewers.
The Special Edition 2-disc DVD boasts of an alternate theatrical version with a controversial ending.
Neither are worth the effort. This alternate version is pretty much the same, and the new “controversial” ending seems completely out of place and should have stayed on the cutting room floor.
I am Legend is an interesting thriller, but might not be for everyone.
