Will Smith phones in a terrible performance as the last man in a Manhattan decimated by a virus that turns men into raging beasts that fortunately can only come out at night. Not nearly as inventive or frightening as Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, Legend tries to channel the same vibe but ultimately fails.
The beginning of the movie seem promising as Smith and his dog wander the streets of the abandoned city searching for survivors, haunted by memories of his family's death when the virus first broke out. However, as soon as "the infected" finally appear the movie devolves into your typical horrible monster movie. Not only are they horribly rendered, CGI creations but they completely fail to be scary. They rob the story of any Castaway-like potential it may have had and force Smith to try to fold himself into the role of action hero and dedicated scientist. Almost as terrible as another Will Smith vehicle I, Robot, I am Legend is more heartbreaking because it wastes so much potential.
There is far too much left unexplained for the story to even believable. For example, where does the prowling lioness come from? I haven't seen any lions in New York City recently. Better question: why haven't any of the animals been turned besides the dogs and rats? It seems like all of the different species should be equally infected. If Smith believes himself to be the last person on the planet, then why is he trying to develop a vaccine? These logical leaps make it nearly impossible to be invested in the story because it is simply so implausible. Worse yet, the characters are even more of a hindrance to an engagement with the audience because they are annoyingly one-note. There is nothing even remotely unique about Smith's character and when Anna and Ethan show up, they are even less engrossing. Fortunately, Sam, Smith's trusty dog, is cute and loyal and attract audiences. Unfortunately, he is killed off midway through the movie in a truly heartbreaking scene.
I am Legend plays like one of those movies that was probably amazing before they brought in some hack director to do rewrites and reshoots. Unfortunately, that is not the case with this movie. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of Director Francis Lawrence who should go back to film school and learn that the story carries the movie not squawking quasi-zombies.
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