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Published on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 5:30am |
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Moriarty Sees I AM LEGEND In IMAX!
Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.
Richard Matheson’s novel I AM LEGEND is a classic. There’s no other way to describe it. Beautifully written, stark and terrifying at times, with an underlying sadness that elevates it above most genre material, it has been adapted loosely to the screen before as both THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and THE OMEGA MAN. And now, with the release of Warner’s new mega-budget adaptation, the first to use the original title, the book has once more served as vague inspiration rather than exact source material, a fact that will no doubt frustrate fans of the book.
But if you can set aside the original book, then I AM LEGEND is a surprisingly solemn Christmas release, a showcase for Will Smith as an actor, and just one of the big-studio bummers that will stuff multiplexes this season. I’m loving it, but I have to wonder how this many dour, dark character explorations all got greenlit at the same time... must have been a very specific mood, a very specific sort of industry-wide reaction to something. I’m not going to give away what this film does or doesn’t do in its final act. I’m not even going to play coy with it. I went into this cold. I knew I wasn’t going to see the book. There’s an integrity to the world that Robert Neville lives in, and Francis Lawrence does some really sharp, smart work as a director. The first hour is pretty much flawless in the way it draws you into Neville's life. It’s CAST AWAY with the threat of monsters. The hint of monsters. The mere suggestion of monsters. It’s in the way Will Smith treats the darkness, the care he takes to keep himself safe. I like the meticulous way Lawrence and credited screenwriters Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman etch the daily life that Neville has tried to build for himself. And I like the way Smith plays it. I think he’s really good. I think he does everything the script asks him to do and more. He makes even the most on-the-nose moments in the script feel natural because of how completely he commits to what he’s doing here. He’s thought through Neville’s shaky mental state at each step of how he plays him. His choices after one particular turning point in the film are reckless but completely understandable. And there’s one heartbreaking “conversation” he has that I think is one of his best moments on film.
Yeah, there is a lot of CGI in the film. Dash Mihok is credited in the film, and I had to ask one of the Warner publicists about it. Turns out, Mihok (a character actor familiar from roles in films like THE THIN RED LINE and HOLLYWOODLAND and ROMEO + JULIET) is the performance capture model for the Alpha Dark Seeker. He’s not quite a fully rounded character, but I liked the way he was used. It was never overt, and you’re left to decide for yourself just how this society of creatures works. But by making one particular creature stand out, it allows Lawrence to stage his big set pieces more effectively, giving them just enough focus. If pressed, I’d say the stuff involving the monsters is the least effective material in the film, but I still think it’s well-shot, well-cut, tense and involving. They are relentless and animal, and I think the way events unfold here, you can read into it a certain amount of room that’s been left open for details of Matheson’s book. I think these things are definitely afraid of Neville... aware of Neville.
I saw the film in IMAX (and, no, the six-minute DARK KNIGHT clip was not in front of the press screening I went to, so I’ll be going back to see it once the film opens tomorrow) and the thing that really struck me is how much the film benefits from the sound system in the IMAX theater. Holy crap. It makes sense, of course... that’s one of the most important things that makes the IMAX experience more physical... the enormous speaker array behind the screen, surrounding you, so you feel like you’re sitting IN a speaker in the best moments. So much of the sound design that Lawrence and his team did in this is directional, experiential, designed to freak out you, and in IMAX, it really works. I have to drive an hour and twenty minutes (minimum) to get to an evening screening at The Bridge, all the way from Northridge using the 118 and the 405, and it’s a giant miserable pain in the ass to do it. But I go anyway because I think the viewing is that much better. Yes, I can wait and see a movie at home, and I AM LEGEND will still be an interesting film with some great images and a really strong lead performance when I have it on DVD. But I’ll never be able to reproduce the aural sensations of seeing the film the way I did tonight. If I’m going to make the effort for a place that goes the extra distance for projection standards, it’s nice to see something make full use of the technology.
More reviews as the morning continues...

Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
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Reader Talkback
No mention of Mike Patton? by TheRealSeveren | Dec 14th, 2007 04:32:19 AM | Severen... by TheRealMoriarty | Dec 14th, 2007 04:34:49 AM | ALL of the Vampire voices? by Brendon | Dec 14th, 2007 04:38:11 AM | It takes nearly 2 hours for me
to get to an IMAX.. by Spifftacular Squirrel Girl | Dec 14th, 2007 04:40:31 AM | So Francis Lawrence is still
promising? by DerLanghaarige | Dec 14th, 2007 04:41:12 AM | I love me some Moriarty but... by Napolean Solo | Dec 14th, 2007 04:50:24 AM | Maybe, some day... by CuervoJones | Dec 14th, 2007 04:51:17 AM | Hmmmmmmmm a little coy
there.... by Boba Fat | Dec 14th, 2007 04:54:22 AM | After many years I now have a
IMAX 20 minutes away. by Mace Tofu | Dec 14th, 2007 05:06:27 AM | Patton Rules Mori, have some
respect by NomoredirtyjokespleaseweareYan
ks | Dec 14th, 2007 05:27:18 AM | Well Mori liked it.. by Tourist | Dec 14th, 2007 05:36:46 AM | Mike Patton has range by criticalbliss | Dec 14th, 2007 05:39:03 AM | Moriarty has chosen to see IAM
LEGEND in IMAX and here's
why... by Det. John Kimble | Dec 14th, 2007 05:39:51 AM | I liked the vamps in 20 Days
Of Night. by Kubla_Khan | Dec 14th, 2007 05:45:35 AM | I mean 30 days of night. by Kubla_Khan | Dec 14th, 2007 05:46:18 AM | Patton is also doing Zombie
sounds for the new game
Left4Dead... by Big_Bubbaloola | Dec 14th, 2007 05:52:28 AM | but was it awesome? by palewook | Dec 14th, 2007 06:02:00 AM | Mort- this is one of your
shorter reviews ...meaning it
sucks by Jugdish | Dec 14th, 2007 06:06:54 AM | CuervoJones by crweb | Dec 14th, 2007 06:18:01 AM | On the subject of Batman
posters by Shoegeezer | Dec 14th, 2007 06:20:15 AM | The final act is fucking
horrible. by tile_mcgillus | Dec 14th, 2007 06:20:19 AM | Mike Patton... by TheRealMoriarty | Dec 14th, 2007 06:23:17 AM | No woz Mori by NomoredirtyjokespleaseweareYan
ks | Dec 14th, 2007 06:31:08 AM | Damn you Moriarty! by raw_bean | Dec 14th, 2007 06:35:23 AM | Mori forgot the purpose for
reviews by Lenny8 | Dec 14th, 2007 06:45:22 AM | Seen it and review is dead on by RobFromBackEast | Dec 14th, 2007 06:54:53 AM | Smith may be Superb in this
Film... by Kal Reeve | Dec 14th, 2007 07:05:52 AM | I Wild, Wild Legend by palewook | Dec 14th, 2007 07:13:08 AM | Don't say you like anything
Akiva Goldsman by I Dunno | Dec 14th, 2007 07:17:44 AM | Fan Boy Hate Unjustified. by Optimus Primal | Dec 14th, 2007 07:32:39 AM | Bad Boys II was a nightmare by CuervoJones | Dec 14th, 2007 07:33:11 AM | They Are Relentless and Animal by Aquatarkusman | Dec 14th, 2007 07:41:54 AM | Abbey deserves an Oscar by DarthBakpao | Dec 14th, 2007 07:48:27 AM | Call me crazy by I am_NOTREAL | Dec 14th, 2007 07:56:53 AM | Not hate for smith, but Akiva
Goldsman by Dokkalvar | Dec 14th, 2007 07:57:13 AM | I'm actually interested in
this movie....... by AARONIUS | Dec 14th, 2007 08:04:13 AM | I could give a fuck... by MelvintheMopBoy | Dec 14th, 2007 08:19:11 AM | CONSTANTINE IS A GOOD MOVIE by Live. | Dec 14th, 2007 08:33:12 AM | Source material vs movies by Live. | Dec 14th, 2007 08:40:57 AM | criticalbliss by Dwide Shrewd | Dec 14th, 2007 08:42:36 AM | Bad Boys 2 was fucked up by NomoredirtyjokespleaseweareYan
ks | Dec 14th, 2007 08:55:12 AM | I Loved Constantine by kevinwillis.net | Dec 14th, 2007 08:56:32 AM | Tacked-On Hollywood Endings by zinc_chameleon | Dec 14th, 2007 09:03:13 AM | Palewook.. by OBSD | Dec 14th, 2007 09:27:35 AM | I'd like to see it by PokitN | Dec 14th, 2007 09:41:14 AM | Just a Mike Patton side
note.... by DoctorWho? | Dec 14th, 2007 09:52:41 AM | Saw this last night by MKiro | Dec 14th, 2007 10:26:11 AM | Hey! Mori! by BGDAWES | Dec 14th, 2007 10:28:34 AM | Damn it is frustrating by skimn | Dec 14th, 2007 10:29:01 AM | It was ok by HeyJoe | Dec 14th, 2007 10:39:36 AM | I Am Crap by dssquared | Dec 14th, 2007 11:00:08 AM | Sound by ripper t. jones | Dec 14th, 2007 11:46:15 AM | Moriarity-Why drive so far? by MistahSilvah | Dec 14th, 2007 01:38:20 PM | Mori- I was at the same
screening... by Gil Brooks | Dec 14th, 2007 01:50:21 PM | It Was a Great Movie by kevinwillis.net | Dec 14th, 2007 02:11:55 PM | The Crap I am-Agreeing with
dssquared-..Hello? Stick to
f--kin s by TheQuietOne | Dec 14th, 2007 03:30:50 PM | well, for the record Richard
Matheson... by TheRealSeveren | Dec 14th, 2007 09:43:05 PM | As people have mentioned...CGI
looks terrible by Space Disc Jockey | Dec 15th, 2007 01:36:58 AM | This isn't true IMAX by Droogie Alex | Dec 15th, 2007 01:40:38 AM | I liked this movie quite a
bit. by ivehadsex | Dec 15th, 2007 07:23:17 AM | Someone hasn't read the
book... by DocMHumphrey | Dec 15th, 2007 11:25:39 AM | Almost forgot! by DocMHumphrey | Dec 15th, 2007 11:38:28 AM | But is it as good as
"Pro-Life"??? by DG | Dec 15th, 2007 03:50:28 PM | docmhumphrey by slappy jones | Dec 15th, 2007 04:10:22 PM | oh and doc nice spoiler
dickhead by slappy jones | Dec 15th, 2007 04:11:12 PM | That batman superman movie log
by EightiesBaby | Dec 15th, 2007 09:01:16 PM | The "Put-a-dog-in-it" rule has
scored big again. by kabong | Dec 15th, 2007 10:02:26 PM | DAMN IMAX BROKE!!!!!! by hedleyinwa | Dec 16th, 2007 12:23:08 AM | DAMN IMAX BROKE!!!!!! by hedleyinwa | Dec 16th, 2007 12:23:13 AM | this was not a good movie by Happy Boy | Dec 16th, 2007 11:14:07 AM | On G.I.Joe and worldly view of
America by TheQuietOne | Dec 16th, 2007 03:59:11 PM | LEGEND is biggest December
opening ever by NoHubris | Dec 16th, 2007 10:34:20 PM | Smith is Great, The Movie is a
Producer's/Star's Mess! by Grinning White Skull | Dec 17th, 2007 08:49:20 AM | CGI and Writing of a bad SciFI
Channel Movie... by jones1899 | Dec 17th, 2007 09:05:25 AM | special effects AREN'T ^
Everything. by jones1899 | Dec 17th, 2007 09:06:27 AM | Point of my post... by DocMHumphrey | Dec 17th, 2007 10:45:22 AM | Akiva should never be allowed
to "polish" a script again... by ZeroCorpse | Jan 1st, 2008 05:11:29 PM |
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