I am legend

I watched I am Legend last night. It's a decent night's entertainment, nothing special mind, but if you have been jonesing for a post-apocalyptic movie, this should should hit the spot. High points include Will Smith reprising Tom Hanks role in Castaway, deserted New York, and climactic battle. I would have liked a tad more back story added, but I could live without it. As the last man alive, the only history that really mattered was the history of the main character.

Although this is a largely faithful version of the book, fandom is mad that it isn't a perfect one. I am a huge fan of the book, but I think it is often better if the movie differs at the plot level, while maintaining the overall spirit and/or ideas of the book. This is a thriller and I want to be excited and surprised, so having a rote repeat of the book won't do. The theatrical ending of the film doesn't really fit the spirit of the book, but if you were to blend it with the original and deleted one, it fits much better. Not perfectly, but good enough.

My next movie is Cloverfield. It will be interesting to compare the two NYC catastrophe movies.