I Am Legend B-

In theatres, 101 minutes, PG-13. Trailer.

Will Smith stars as the last man in New York in this faith-affirming, CGI-laden zombie flick. Smith is good (if nondescript) as Robert Neville, a doctor with only his dog as company as he continues search for the antidote for a constantly mutating virus. Originally introduced as a cancer cure, it has evolved into a zombie-making bug. While most infected die, those left are super-strong, quick-moving, sun-hating killers. If this sounds like 28 Days Later (B+), it feels like a much lower-wattage version of it. Click below for th rest of the review.
While 28 Days used real people for their Zombies, Legend employs CGI creatures. This allows the undead to move more quickly but also gives many scenes a video game feel, something I found distracting.

The movie is suspenseful at moments and explores some interesting theological themes (what happens if humans play God? Will God continue to work in and around human mistakes?). Unfortunately, they are brought up quickly and resolved as fast. I was also disappointed that some introduced themes weren’t developed further. These include whether the infected still had a right to live and if they were actually developing a bond with each other even as they hated humans. Director Francis Lawrence also directed Constantine, which suffered from similar flaws. Both films want to make theological statements, but they feel ad hoc. Still, there are some good jolts here and the New York City is pretty cool. B-