saw "I Am Legend" over the weekend - some questions (spoiler warning)

[NewJeffCT]

I enjoyed the movie overall, but it was kind of eerie. They did a good job creating an "empty" Manhattan.

First - I got the impression early in the movie that the vampire/zombie types were basically mindless rabid creatures. However, they clearly do have some sort of leader who at least had some intelligence - the guy that released the 3 zombie dogs at Will Smith, and also moved the mannequin and set the trap. He even commented how one of them (the smart/leader guy) braved the sunlight briefly... yet, later on there was no follow-up on the apparent intelligence of this leader for moving the mannequin & setting the trap? Did I miss something, or am I wrong?

I would have liked to have seen more flashbacks of the breakdown of society over the next year or so (after they sealed off Manhattan) - the movie seemed to have a pretty short running time, so they could have added it into the mix. What happened with the woman that created the miracle cancer cure?

[Nickster]

1. I believe you have it right.

I think that Will Smith was wrong about the complete breakdown of society. If you look at the male vampire when he took the female for his test, the male looked totally anguished. I wasn't surprised at all when he revealed that the subject was a female just by seeing the look on the male's face. I said the same thing about the trap, why didn't Will Smith even comment about the intelligence it took to lure him into that trap. It was just dropped, probably for time constraints.

Will Smith created the cancer, the woman just brought it to the colony, and then they replicated it. Without Will Smith, they wouldn't have had any cure.

[NewJeffCT]

2. I edited my OP

I had meant - I would have liked to have seen more of the breakdown of society in flashback after they sealed off Manhattan.

Sorry for the confusion.

[driver8]

3. I thought that the trap that Will Smith was caught in was one that he had set.

Or maybe the "zombies" stole his idea, because he had set a trap just like it earlier in the film.

[NewJeffCT]

4. it's possible

I was thinking that as well - that he was going crazy from loneliness and maybe moved the mannequin himself and forgot about the trap.

But, then, the leader zombie/vampire sent the dogs out after him.

[Mutley]

5. I think the Zombies set the trap.

The Alpha Male was clearly upset that Robert Neville (Will Smith) took the female, and from that moment on he consciously hunted Robert. He would have known that Robert went to the video store every day, and he would have known the route he took, which means he would have to have followed and watched him. He had retained enough of his human intelligence to do this without being seen, and without mindlessly killing Robert at first sight.

I like that the zombies in this movie were not mindless killing machines. I like that they retained some of their human intelligence and emotion. I also like that Robert didn't see it. He had no idea that they were anything but mindless killing machines. He obviously had lost some of his mind due to the loss of his family and to the lack of human interaction for three years.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was different than your generic zombie ridden/end of human civilization dystopia. There are only so many of those I can watch.

[NewJeffCT]

6. good explanation

I know I'd probably never do well if I was totally alone like Neville, but not truly alone.

still, would have liked to have seen a bit more of what happened after the sealed off Manhattan - I'm sure Neville wasn't alone at first in his efforts to find a cure.

[flying rabbit]

7. In the book

the whole point was that the "zombies" had created their own society, and he was the boogeyman preying on them.

[NewJeffCT]

8. Interesting

was it a man-made plague in the book as well?

[jus_the_facts]

19. I highly recommend reading the book by Richard Matheson......

....it is WORLDS better than the movie...and I've not even seen it yet. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Legend

I Am Legend (film)
Will Smith stars in the film directed by Francis Lawrence, released on December 14, 2007. This movie also deviates vastly from the original novel, as there are "mutants" instead of vampires and the still living are removed entirely.

[Elidor]

21. If you like that book, you'll probably love The Purple Cloud

By M.P. Shiel. No zombies - just the last man on earth, and the story of what he does to the earth. He goes around setting entire cities on fire, then builds a palace of gold, then...well, wouldn't want to ruin it for you. If you can get past the dated premise (first to reach the North Pole), it gets really, really good. I wish I still had my copy of it.

[txwhitedove]

9. Loved the movie. It was scary, thought provoking and makes me...

want to read the book now. I agree with Mutley's take on the movie.

[Redstone]

10. How come nobody just RUNS aways from those slow-moving zombies?

(OK, maybe the zombies aren't slow in this movie (I haven't seen it), but in all the other zombies movies, it seems the zombs don't mobilate any faster than an old lady with a walker.)

Redstone

[AlCzervik]

11. it's a new type of zombie/infected creature, the first time i saw the fast moving ones

was in 28 days later, people were infected by infected monkeys that were released by n animal rights group, once bitten the person became infected and it never explained if they actually died first and then were reanimated by the infection. anyhow the diseased were one fast moving bunch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Days_Later

it scared me.

[Redstone]

13. Aha. Thanks for the info.

Redstone

[IndianaJones]

22. they didn't die first. they eventually died of hunger. nt.

[txwhitedove]

12. Agree, most movie zombies are slow and actually goofy. We're calling

these "I Am Legend" zombies, but they're more like a changed species, stripped down, starving animals who come out at night and are NOT.SLOW.AT.ALL. Scary stuff.

:thumbsup:

[NewJeffCT]

14. yes - they were not slow at all

the movie did describe it as something akin to rabies.

[NewJeffCT]

15. zombies don't get tired, though

they usually have the advantage of a lot of numbers, and somebody always trips & falls and/or hurts themself in the movies, making the speeds much more closer.

[Iggo]

16. I swear I saw a movie called The Omega Man.

Covered all this stuff. Made from the same book? Or no?

[NewJeffCT]

17. never saw Omega Man or Last Man on Earth

the two movies made from the same book. Never read the book, either, though I'm often fascinated by those "deadly virus" stories...

[SoxFan]

18. Same book

This is the third version.

[jus_the_facts]

20. I Am Legend has been adapted to a feature-length film three times.....

I Am Legend has been adapted to a feature-length film three times. The book has also been adapted into a graphic novel titled Richard Matheson's I Am Legend by Steve Niles and Elman Brown.<10>

A nine-part reading of the novel performed by Angus McInnes was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4.<11>


The Last Man on Earth
Main article: The Last Man on Earth (1964 film)
In 1964, Vincent Price starred as Dr. Robert Morgan (rather than "Neville") in The Last Man on Earth (the original title of this Italian production was L'Ultimo Uomo Della Terra). Matheson wrote the screenplay for this adaptation, but later rewrites were changed because he did not wish his name to appear in the credits; as a result, Matheson is credited under the pseudonym "Logan Swanson."


The Omega Man
Main article: The Omega Man
In 1971, a far different version appeared as The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston (as Robert Neville) and Anthony Zerbe. Matheson had no influence on the screenplay for this film; it deviates from the novel's story in several ways, completely removing the vampirical elements.


I Am Legend
Main article: I Am Legend (film)
Will Smith stars in the film directed by Francis Lawrence, released on December 14, 2007. This movie also deviates vastly from the original novel, as there are "mutants" instead of vampires and the still living are removed entirely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Legend

[libnnc]

23. I thought they left out a bunch too.

Why was that mustang that Smith drove in the beginning of the picture so shiny-clean? It didn't look right against all those other dusty cars on the street. The film seemed pieced together at times. Like they left quite a bit on the edit-room floor.

[Morrisons Ghost]

24. If

Thats true the DVD could have some interesting deleted scenes in the special feature section. Saw I am Legend and Walkhard in the last week.I liked both.I am thinking the reason the car was so shiny is that it most likely was taken right off the showroom floor.I remember seeing a dealer sticker on one of the windows.:hi:

[libnnc]

25. I didn't catch the dealer sticker.

Then that would explain it. :hi:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

26. This has been mostly addressed by Mutley-r-us, but: (spoilers)

There was clearly more to the zombie/vampires than Neville allowed himself to see.

When he trapped the female, the alpha male stuck his head out into the sunlight and got hurt.. Neville, within his own concept of what the zombies were, could only conceive of this as further degradation of intelligence where he wasn't even protecting himself, instead of a manifestation of altruistic behavior, risking himself attempting to rescue a companion or fellow member of his pack or tribe.

Clearly the car/mannequin trap was set by this same alpha male, who had learned from Neville and was incorporating his methods. If it had been one of Neville's traps it likely would have had a blanket or bag to shield the trapped from the sun. Also Neville did not conceal the snare of his trap, whereas the alpha zombie hid his snare in the pool of water. The use of dogs as surrogates also showed the alpha male using the methods of his adversary, although I doubt he'd have been able to domesticate rabid vampire/zombie dogs in such a short amount of time.

Clearly the zombies did in fact have some kind of organization, command and control. It did appear that they attempted to show the alpha zombie with the pattern of sunlight burns on his head as being consistently the leader.. presumably he tracked Neville either for revenge or to attempt rescue of the female.

Unfortunately, even though the film does show these hints of the zombie society, it kind of bounces back and forth between that and depiction of them as simple howling movie monsters, it's not handled all that well.

The first part, the depiction of Neville's routine and relationship to his companion, is masterful. I was really hoping against hope that they would find some way to sustain that quality throughout, but they didn't. After the night time pier scene, it's not soo good IMHO.

I almost wish the infected were depicted LESS rather than more. They were much more scary when hinted at and rarely seen.

Still well worth a viewing though. Worth seeing in the theater because of the incredible spectacle of ruined Manhattan. Outstanding performance by Will Smith, if a bit uneven. Once he has to start delivering a lot of lines it doesn't hold together as well, and the plot is concluded in an abrupt way. But still, go see it if you haven't.