I am Legend. A bold statement for a movie, but one that Will Smith, as the lead man, could possibly bring to life. I’ve read the book, and I have seen the other attempts to make it into a decent movie, could this one be the real deal?

The first 45 minutes or so are excellent at depicting an environment without man, perhaps it should have been a little more overgrown, and unkempt, but it was an eery sight in any event, and one made a little more real by Smiths performance. He performs a double task, in trying to find others, and trying to find a cure or remedy for the cause of mans demise, you really get the feeling he is slowly losing it. He continually talks to his dog (a great actor) and the manikins around him, and his efforts seem to be leading nowhere on the remedy front, so he does look lost, but manages to slide in a few comic quips to temper the moment.

After the build up, unfortunately comes the fall, and from a parable of mans foolishness in tinkering with nature, we get some silly CG zombies, that are totally unconvincing, then a tale of revenge and ultimately a kind of heroic martyrdom and salvation….

All in all it does grip the viewer, but I thought better in the period before the zombies arrived, it seemed more compelling, it had a depth and purpose, but the director seemed to feel it needed a bucket ‘o’ blood to see it out, and that is what we got. Hollywood it seems is unable to see past the bang, crash, wallop, that is created for the action movie genre, and everything has to have a dollop to make it tenable.

6.5/10, Smith saves the day with a strong performance, but legends are made of more than effects. I still have not seen the book properly brought to life!