Monday, April 29, 2013

I am Legend (2007)

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils movie I am Legend (2007)

This movie it third movie adaptation of Richard Mathesons's novel I am Legend. First one to use that name. This time Will Smith is Robert Neville, last survivor of plague that turned infected into light-sensitive wild animal. I call them vampires from now on because no better name was given during the movie. They are called dark seekers during movie but I however prefer name vampire. They are bit like supervampires from Blade 2.

This time plague was caused by cure for cancer which was not what it was expected. It turned people into raging wild animal and cure evolved into airborne disease. Cancer is not single disease but group of conditions called cancer. For that reason there won't be universal cure for cancer even if term is so often used. The cure sounded reasonable for someone who don't have real knowledge in there matters. How ever I don't think anything could really change humans that much that plague did in this movie. Even if you aim for change like that. Vampires physique was too much apart from humans to be realistic.

Vampires could have been more realistic and movie would not have lost anything. Now vampires are bit overkill with their superhuman speed, strength and agility. They were like wild animals in almost every way. Some say that they have still some human features left but I think that is because those who say that don't know what wild animals are capable of. I think only thing vampires did in movie, that wild animals don't do, was that they had dogs. Other things they did you can find from animal kingdom also. Vampires were just more advanced. Neville didn't think vampires were as capable as they were, but that don't make them much more than wild animals.

Alternative cut makes them more humans than theatrical cut. Alternative cut is few minutes longer. It has one scene extended, one extra scene and alternative ending. I didn't watch both versions back to back and compare it. I trust on what I found from internet on this one. Extended scene and extra scene could have been in movie and that would have changed nothing. Extended scene introduced something for alternative ending. Extra scene just repeated what we learned from trap scene. Vampire can plan and build traps.

I like original ending better. In both endings Neville, Anna and Ethan escape to Neville's laboratory where they find that vampire woman is cured. In original ending Neville takes blood from cured vampire and gives it to Anna. Then he put Anna and Ethan safe place, takes hand-grenade and explodes the laboratory. Anna and Ethan survive and they find colony of uninfected humans. In alternative ending leader of vampires paint butterfly to glass door and Neville realizes that vampires want the cured vampire back. Neville takes infusions from cured vampire and it turns into vampire again. Then he give it to vampires and vampires leave them. Then Neville, Anna and Ethan go to seek other survivors.

I like original ending better because it is consistent with rest of movie. Alternative ending makes vampires more human than they are in rest of the movie. Alternative ending indicates that vampires hunt Neville only because he has taken them to test subjects. When Neville finds error of his ways they leave him alone. Vampires could have learned to live with their disease but nothing in movie before alternative ending indicates that. They are raging wild animal during movie. Original cut also shows that leader of vampires loves cured vampire. Alternative cut takes humanity of vampires too far. Original cut also indicates that they are not as wild animals as Neville thinks but it doesn't underline humanity as much as alternative ending.

Last Man on Earth is favourite movie out of these three. It was first version which may have something to do with that. This would have worked better if I didn't know what story is about. With all CGI this is looks best and if you don't count vampires this is quite realistic. This is only one where top scientist don't waste three years to find cure only to find out blood transfusion is the cure. In this the cure is not that easy. Last Man on Earth studied most how plague effects on society and it had most realistic disease victims. I totally missed point of Omega Man. It might be about something that happened at the end of '60s. But I don't know what it could be. I have no idea which version was closest to source material. If I could show these to unspoiled person I would show I am Legend first. Then Last Man on Earth. I would skip Omega Man. I am Legend benefits most if you don't know the story. Last Man on Earth works even if you know the story.

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