Before I begin this review I should state I’m a huge fan, and I mean HUGE fan of Richard Matheson’s original novel by the same name…. I Am Legend. The reason I state this is my opinion on the film itself may vary from that of the average movie go-er, simply because in my mind nothing could ever compare. In case you also didn’t know this is the third time the novel has been adapted to film. The first time was The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, still the best version in my mind to date. The second attempt was the cult classic The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston, although major portions of the adaption were changed from the book. Finally we have are third version, reviewed today, I Am Legend.

First the story, I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague — The Infected, also known as Dark Seekers — lurk in the shadows… watching Neville’s every move… waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind’s last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered… and quickly running out of time.

This is quite an interesting role for any actor, simply because 90% of the movie has no other cast. All dialog and interaction in the first two thirds of the movie surrounds Will Smith as he, and he alone, has to convince the audience of his solidarity. This was not a role I thought Will could pull off, but to my surprise he does a pretty decent job. His acting is strong throughout the film, especially when involving scenes with his only friend, his dog. I should state though, that it’s really the first two thirds were he shines, the last third the movie as a whole kinda falls apart, not necessarily due to Will’s acting though.

While the story does for the most part follow the ideals of Matheson’s work, some changes were made. Most of the changes were made to make the film fit with today’s day and age, things like the technology, weapons, dialog, etc. Most of these changes work for the most part, and have no negative aspect to the story as a whole. Where the major problems with the film start are the last third of the adaption. After such a strong movement by the director and writers most of the way through, I have to ask myself what the @$%^# happened at the end???? I won’t spoil it for you, but I will tell you that major plot changes were made from Matheson’s masterpiece, and I do mean MASTERPIECE, of an ending. These changes are in all honesty laughable, and I’m serious. Its so tongue and cheek bad at some points you just have to ask yourself what the heck am I watching, and then crack a smile. If you haven’t seen ‘I Am Legend’ yet it still is worth watching thanks to its first two acts and cool ideas, just realize overall it might leave you with a feeling of disappointment at the end.

The Blu-ray also offers the alternate ending with seamless branching, this ending is somewhat better in my opinion.

Video

I Am Legend is presented in a 1080p/VC-1 encode, and it is very, very strong. I will say that out of the 150 odd titles I own on Blu, this is definitely one of the best discs I own. Everything is as it should be; then again this should be a demo quality disc simply because it was such a big sci-fi hit for Warner.

Colors are amazing; especially in scenes depicting the now vacate New York City. They are very strong when they should be, always vibrant and saturated but not overdone, no overkill. Also just as robust is the portrayal of detail throughout the film, it is literally jaw dropping at some points. I found myself often just looking around at the signs, posters and warnings posted around the New York area; the detail is so good you can actually read each and everyone. Beside color and detail, the contrast and sharpness are also as good as they come, important here because large portions of the film are shot at night.

Audio

Warner offers a number of audio options on ‘I Am Legend,’ including English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround (48kHz/16-bit) and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (640kbps) tracks on both the theatrical and alternate versions, as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround dubs (640kbps) on the theatrical version only. The Dolby TrueHD track is pretty extraordinary. Again like the video quality it’s likely to become a demo disc for Blu-ray enthusiasts.

Bass, mids and highs are all were they should be. The score and sound effects also nicely add to the eerie ambiance of the film, after all this sci-fi is supposed to have a sense of horror and suspense to it. The 5.1 experience is great for sticking you right in the center, though I still wonder if a 7.1 track would have even added to it.

Special Features

Extras come in the form of a few bonuses, though nothing that really needs to be seen, and definitely nothing that really adds to the film, which is a shame. As I said above because this is the third time this movie has been adapted to film, and with such a strong cult following behind it, the extras really could have stole the show. Also although not an ‘extra’ per say, I did manage to get the Steelback version of I Am Legend, which really adds to the overall quality of the package with its beautiful tin presentation.

Special features are in 480i/VC-1 and Dolby Digital 2.0, except the animated comics which are in HD.

• Featurette: “Cautionary Tale: The Science of ‘I Am Legend’” – A short 20 minute extra on the science of the film. I found it somewhat interesting because of my Bachelors in Microbiology; it might come off boring to someone else though.

• Documentary: “Creating ‘I Am Legend’” – An hour long highlight of the production, focusing largely on the shoot in New York and other locations. Interestingly it does touch on key aspects of the process of adapting Richard Matheson’s original story, a personal fav of mine.

• Animated Comics – In HD as stated above, actual 1080p/VC-1 video. The four segments are: “Death as a Gift,” “Isolation,” “Sacrificing the Few for the Many,” and “Shelter.” These have nothing to do with the Dr. Robert Neville saga, but instead serve as side quests.

Final Thoughts

So for the most part I can safely say that even to fan such as myself, this third entry into Matheson’s world of I Am Legend is fairly decent. It has its problems, especially in the later acts, and I am still somewhat bothered by the quirky fully CGI Dark Seekers, rather than actors, but overall it’s a cool adaptation. If you’re into sci-fi, especially dark future stuff, this is a movie for you. I might also add that you might want to check out The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man if you haven’t done so yet. As for the tech stuff, I Am Legend is pretty much as good as it comes via video and audio on Blu-ray. I don’t honestly think many discs will rival its clarity, cleanness and overall WOW factor till perhaps the next new format arrives…