I AM LEGEND (Francis Lawrence, 2007)

The movie that further cements Will Smith's status as the 'biggest box-office draw of this decade'. Credit is where credit is due, he *earns* that title in I Am Legend. Will Smith basically carried this movie, a pretty tough feat considering it's a one man show where he's in it 99% of the time. Like Tom Hanks was in Cast Away. Therefore, the success of the film rests solely on Will Smith's shoulder, whether or not he could pull off a one heck of a performance. And he did. Actually, he did more than was warranted or expected in an action blockbuster movie. He treats the premise and source material seriously, thus making his character believable along with the world around him.

As for the movie itself, that's another story. I'm pretty divided with it. On one hand the movie is very good when it indulges on Robert Neville's character; his psyche, how he survive and how he cope on being the 'last man' on Earth(as implied). Add it with Will Smith's intense acting that I would claim even Oscar-worthy, we have ourselves a well-qualified character study film. But when the sun goes down for the action to take center stage, and the 'creatures' come out, it's kinda terrible. Particularly the CGI of the creatures that is downright ugly and laughably cartoonish. It's as bad as the CGI in The Mummy Returns(remember The Scorpion King AS The Rock?). And there's also the typical "creature-feature" frights and jolts that belong in a B-movie. Thankfully the director Francis Lawrence restrains a bit on the action part, and shifts the focus more on the main character so that the 'plastic creatures' wouldn't take up too much screen time.

All in all I liked the movie to a certain extent. It's nothing spectacular, but still engrossing enough. I'll still be in line for Smith's next blockbuster flick.

3/5