I’m not sure what the obsession is with movies with a post apocalyptic theme, but people are drawn to such films and I’ve never understood why. Maybe it’s the fact that, in the event of something happening, we would know how to respond because we saw it in a movie but all that goes out the window when faced with an impending conclusion to all that we know. Whatever the reason is, I’m not sure, nor does it matter, but the latest film from Will Smith, I Am Legend, examines things from a familiar vantage point and, I must say, I was remotely impressed. No, the film didn’t blow me away like some of his other films that I have enjoyed over recent years but while I was watching it, I felt like Will had nothing left to prove. His talent as an actor is remarkable and it’s a shame that the Academy Awards hasn’t honored him with an Oscar but his time will come and hopefully soon. I was damn sure he would win for The Pursuit of Happyness but I can’t hate on Forrest Whittaker because, he too, deserved recognition for the years of hard work that he’s put in also.
All that aside, I Am Legend is an enigma of sorts in that it stands alone when compared to Smith’s previous work. 90% of the movie is a man and his dog trying to survive and the hardest thing for an actor is to “act” alone. Now, I’m no expert when it comes to things of that nature but can you imagine how hard it must be for one actor to have to carry the majority of a movie? It takes a talented actor that can show range in their performance and performance wise, Smith pulls Legend off with flying colors.
All that glitters is not gold, however, as I also found Legend kind of dull at some parts. I congratulate Smith on having a killer weekend at the box office (the movie grossed $76.5 million--Will’s highest opening gross ever) but all it takes is a little bad word of mouth and a sharp decline will kill Legend’s hopes of being a success. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this is a bad film because I understood the message that was trying to get across. I enjoyed it for what it was and I recommend it to those who just want to see a “popcorn” movie but Smith has better days to come and when all is said and done, his legend and legacy will be remembered for everything except this.
Without question, Smith deserves all the credit and accolades that he has received over the years and I’m happy for his success but Will delivers no matter what. He will undoubtedly go down as “Mr. Blockbuster” and with things looking bright from the profit that came in over the weekend, Will’s laughing straight to the bank and only making his legend stronger.
Rating: 3 inkblots out of 5
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