Universal Monster Army

Cinematic Creeps => Modern Monster Movies => Topic started by: IC4CHAMBERS on January 03, 2008, 11:11:46 AM

Title: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: IC4CHAMBERS on January 03, 2008, 11:11:46 AM
Who has seen this movie and what do you think of it? I thought it was very entertaining and i think Will Smith was amazing.The book is still the best version by far .
    Vinny
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: 1975 on January 03, 2008, 12:20:48 PM
I enjoyed it, it isn't a straight adaptation of the Matheson novel but more a reworking of the Omega Man with some of the book's elements (gladly) thrown back in. The first 2/3 are excellent and lead you into believing you are watching I am Legend but the last third makes you wonder when Anthony Zerbe is going to show up.

One wonders when the DVD comes out, there isn't going to be alternate endings as the movie left some unanswered clues in the plot.

My biggest complaint however was with  the CGI, it made the "dark dwellers" less threatening, which was too bad.
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: Tom Smith Monsternut on January 03, 2008, 12:25:51 PM
I perfer the scary Vampires of the book and The Last man on earth better myself.

Best..
Tom
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: IC4CHAMBERS on January 03, 2008, 01:05:08 PM
Quote from: Tom Smith Monsternut on January 03, 2008, 12:25:51 PM
I perfer the scary Vampires of the book and The Last man on earth better myself.

Best..
Tom

Ahhh..Vintage Vincent Price   ;D
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: 1975 on January 03, 2008, 01:45:59 PM
Quote from: Tom Smith Monsternut on January 03, 2008, 12:25:51 PM
I perfer the scary Vampires of the book and The Last man on earth better myself.


Agreed, if they had kept the "Your neighbors are your enemy" thing it would be best.
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: typhooforme on January 03, 2008, 07:40:32 PM
Will Smith was wonderful in the first 40 minutes or so--but the latter part of the movie I refer to as  "I Am Yawning".  All went well until  the cgi vampires opened their capacious mouths.  Why does the cgi effect of "jaw lowers 8 inches" seem so popular now?  It was in that modern THE MUMMY I first saw it, or noticed it, and now it's in tv commercials (registering surprise over low prices, or longing for big burgers, etc) all over the place.  It added nothing whatever to the scary quality of the vampire people.  But for me the death blow was the gal sent to save the world!  Well, not on my carpet, baby.  I like the Price version.  Give me truly scary vampire people and plenty of gloom!  But I absolutely agree that Smith did a bang-up job as long as he was allowed to dominate the screen.
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: fmofmpls on January 04, 2008, 09:45:56 PM
Quote from: typhooforme on January 03, 2008, 07:40:32 PM
All went well until  the cgi vampires opened their capacious mouths.

Ugh .. it's that dreaded CGI thing again. That's what I was afraid of Robert. I had heard that the CGI was bad (or overtly fake looking). It's what killed Van Helsing for me and nearly dragged Kong down too. Just because a computer can generate wild looking special effects doesn't necessarily mean that it's convincing, or even good looking for that matter. That's too bad. I was so excited about seeing this film too.   
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: The Drunken Severed Head on January 05, 2008, 12:12:27 AM
well, I'm gonna see it, but am expecting to see the Fresh Prince wise-assedly battling undead Joe E. Browns and Martha Rayes. (Say, is there any celebrity with a really wide mouth that people under 40 would know?) (And I don't mean big mouths like Rosie O'Donnell or Judge Judy!)
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: packy120353 on January 05, 2008, 09:34:41 AM
Steven Tyler or Carly Simon? I'd say Wink Martindale, we used to say you could perfectly fit a sideways dictionary in his mouth but then we are over 40.
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: 1975 on January 05, 2008, 10:27:17 AM
Quote from: fmofmpls on January 04, 2008, 09:45:56 PM
Ugh .. it's that dreaded CGI thing again. That's what I was afraid of Robert. I had heard that the CGI was bad (or overtly fake looking). It's what killed Van Helsing for me and nearly dragged Kong down too. Just because a computer can generate wild looking special effects doesn't necessarily mean that it's convincing, or even good looking for that matter. That's too bad. I was so excited about seeing this film too.   

I concur,

CGI to make a city look empty: Fantastic

CGI to make big fake vampires with elongated mouths: Weak

It's a wonderful tool, it really is but Hollywood is like a child with a new crayon, it can't control it. It reminds me of when Galactus sees Reed Richards with the ultimate nullifyer.
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: Grape on January 06, 2008, 01:23:41 AM
Yeah, I agree about it falling down after the first 40 minutes or so. In fact I thought it was absolutely superb up to and including the scene where ..........
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oh, maybe I should say SPOILER ALERT!!!
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... up to and including the scene where the dog died I was LOVING this film! I was especially impressed by the pace. Too many contempory films think they've got to blaze along with either action or fast paced editing to keep an audience's attention. But there wasn't any attempt to WOW the audience with pointless action or editing. I loved the long, slow tracking shots of the hero driving through the streets and all the time spent on stuff like making dinner and giving the dog a bath. It really painted a beutiful picture of life as the "last man on Earth". A man and his dog hunting deer but in danger of a lion attack --- dude, could there be a more beutiful depiction of civilisation having ended?

But then after the dog died the film just turned into a snoozefest. The "fall & redemption" idea I like, but it just wasn't played out right. He goes out on a suicide mission and then the girl & the kid showed up on that exact day? That's too silly a coincidence. And then the rest of it was just a really mediocre take on the "barricaded against a swarm of monsters" which has been done to death a billion times.

Incidentally, I've never read the book or seen the Price version, but I liked the Heston one.



Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: Phantasm on January 06, 2008, 03:33:53 PM
Smith's performance really surprised me and I mean that in a good way.  It wasn't Matheson's story but it was close.  It had some good scares in it too.  One scene scared my friend so bad he screamed and kicked the chair in front of  him.  I laughed for the next 20 minutes........

Chuck
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: hhwolfman on January 06, 2008, 07:15:50 PM
I loved it. A lot of people are complaining about the CGI. Didn't bother me are stand in the way of the meaning of the Movie. Will Smith was great. I liked it better than Omega Man but not as much as Last Man. HHW
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: lepumpernic on March 06, 2008, 11:05:49 PM
I think it's a bad film...

The film: last man on earth (the original) with Vincent Price.. it's much better. It's only special effects! And i hate the remakes!

... "HAVE A POTATOE"...

;D
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: poseablemonster on March 15, 2008, 05:31:36 PM
I finally saw it and I really enjoyed it.  It's a good movie, but I can understand the CGI complaints.  The first half of the film was much better, primarily because it was mostly Will Smith.  This was a great performance for him; he's become a very good actor.  Bottom line...I had a great time watching this one.
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: Gareee on March 28, 2008, 01:21:12 AM
Didn't do much for me, but the alternate ending was FAR better then the original one.

Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: Tom Smith Monsternut on March 28, 2008, 09:08:06 AM
I disagree. At least the original ending ends somewhat like the book.
I liked it but I like the 2 earlier versions better. The Last man on Earth is still the best.

Tom
Title: Re: I am Legend..Present day adaption on the big screen now
Post by: Gareee on March 28, 2008, 10:53:10 AM
Gimme Heston's version any old day.