Cool News
UPDATED!! The Original Ending To I AM LEGEND is online - and is vastly superior to the theatrical ending...
SPOILER ALERT !!
Hey folks, Harry here... Over in my DVD PICKS & PEEKS - in talking about a DVD release of C.H.U.D. - I was speaking hypothetically about the idea of a remake of C.H.U.D. and how cool it could be, but how it could just end up funky like I AM LEGEND. This seemed to indicate to people that I HATE "I AM LEGEND". That's not really the case.
I accept the narrative changes from Matheson's original work... I begrudgingly accept the changes from Mark Protosevich's original script. I love Will Smith's work - and I feel the first half is near brilliant. That said - there's only one thing I have a problem with - and that's the choice of going CG with the non-humans. At no point... looking at those things - do I ever feel that they were us. I never believe they occupy the space, light and shadows of the world around Will's character. I hate the look of them - and the entire time - I just think of how much better it would have been to use Human Beings with make-up ... and CG enhancements.. subtle ones... would have been. But everytime one of those weightless, boneless... funky cg creatures moves - it sets off every feeling of... CARTOON - that I can think of. And I hate that. The movie was too good for that. Will's performance was too on target for sub-par creature work.
For example... Over at FirstShowing.Net - they've gotten their hands on the original ending of I AM LEGEND. It is spectacular. It isn't at all the ending of the novel, but it works, it has weight. I liked it a lot. And even though the animation is pretty damn great.... It's still exactly that... it's animation, and I want in a scene constructed like that to BELIEVE in what I'm seeing. This make sense to anyone?
The video link above ain't working...but here's an embedded video of the same material!
-
+ Expand All
-
Putos!
-
FIRST
-
A lot. What can I say? Loved No Country For Old Men, Rambo and Assassination Of Jesse James as well. Thought Transformers & Spidey 3 were mostly crap. I would say I Am Legend was in my top 5 favories list of last year.
-
this was on youtube earlier and that's gone, too.
-
Awesome! I hated the religious stuff that was suddenly glued into the story for no apparent reason. Where the hell did that come from??
Felt like someone had watched Contact and Signs and thought it might be a good idea to add stuff like that into the movie in the last minute. -
Crap.
-
Who gives a flying rat's ass?
-
and he thought Will was great, so, take that haters.
-
Mar 05, 2008 5:30:23 PM CST
this ending is brillant, and vastly improves the film, and hits
by irc-hollywood
FINAL CUT of the movie, this ending changes my whole perception of the movie, i love it. It's brilliant.
-
I wish to see it.
-
Ah, I'm gonna get the DVD anyway. I can wait.
-
can the talkbackers who've seen it please describe it for those whose links don't work?
-
http://tinyurl.com/26d7vs
-
Their servers can't take it by the looks of it. Is it hosted anywhere else that anyone knows of?
-
Maybe they're saving it for the double dip DVD release?
-
The CGI Dark Seekers were crap, plain and simple. SHOCKINGLY bad, to the point where I have to wonder if using makeup was ever used. That said, while the alternate ending isn't atrocious, the theatrical ending is superior, IMO. This one is too kum-bay-yah for my taste. Sorry, Harry, agree to disagree.
-
They didn't look like the shit ones from Silent Hill.
-
But it wasn't the CG that disappointed me. I mean, I accept that they're monsters. But yeah, totally, it would have been much better if they were just people with subtle cg enhancements and make-up. Still, I fuckin' LOVED the first hour of I AM LEGEND. I think its 3/4s of a classic film. And I think that its easily Will Smith's best work as an actor, and worthy of notice or award, but because its a genre picture, and only 3/4s of a great picture, fergit about it. I mean, he carries the whole effing thing for the first hour, and you really feel it -- his slow descent into madness, his utter and complete loneliness. At times his performance is devastating. Its just a shame that the last 30 minutes is so... disappointing. But like a friend of mine said, "3/4s of a great movie is better than none."
So the DVD includes the original ending, yes? -
oh well whatever nevermind.
-
...The effects were fucking ratshit. From the ridiculous rats in the cages to the mutants, it looked like a fucking shitty cartoon. Not just fake, but the designs themselves were exagerated like a ren and stimpy cartoon. Just enormously shit work by those involved. Should have been up for a razzie in the effects catergory. As far as this alternate ending goes, I guess I'll never know. The link Harry provided doesn't work, and Warners has yanked it from youtube. Theres no way I'm gonna go out and buy the DVD, since the film was so underwhelming. I'll look it up on IMDB one day.
-
The digital effects of the abandoned NYC, Will Smith's acting, the suspenseful search for his dog, the dog attack, in fact all the scenes minus the CGI "vampires" were effective up to the final act. It just seemed rushed and almost tacked on considering what came before. And wasn't all access by vehicle cut off? Am unable to view the alternate, so I'll have to see..
-
....so much. I certainly prefer oit to this thing. I was expecting the monster to put out his hand "...f-f-f-reind"
this would have had audiences rolling in the aisle wiht laughter. -
sorry.
-
at least this ending was more thought provoking and much closer to the book....until you hit the last 30 secs...but the entire movie is destroyed when we discover that there are other survivors
-
I saw this earlier today on a few other sites (shocker!), and while I'm no fan of the theatrical ending, this one was possibly even WORSE.
-
they could have knocked this outta the park- but noooooo
-
2 problems with this ending. One, the main vampire is the ONLY one that shows any bit of humanity? That's a bit far fetched. And two, the girl's voiceover at the end still sucks, should have been Smith since he's still alive in this ending.
-
Not ending of the century of course, but better than Robert blowing himself to pieces
-
Sorry, I actually liked the suicide ending better. BUT, the "now we live in the suburbs" part that follows the suicide in the original ending was corny. Of course, the Matheson ending would have been best, but cmon. Hollywood's not that cool.
-
not to mention anticlimactic
-
do you have a link to the interview?
-
Neville makes a good sacrifice at the end.
-
Some of the shots in this ending were included in the trailer, which caused a little bit of confusion for me when I saw the film. Someone needs to make a special edition down the line where the CG creatures are replaced with humans in makeup. Sorta like a reverse George Lucas.
-
I enjoyed this - it's much closer to the original story.
-
http://www.truveo.com/I-Am-Legend-Original-Ending/id/1978289487
-
For those who haven't seen the flick, trust me when I say the theatrical ending plays like the sickening conclusion to Kevin Costner's "The Postman". A hint: this is not to its merit. Not at all. The "CGI Issue" was present all the way through I AM LEGEND, so it ISN'T a flaw specific to this ending. However, when CGI is called to EMOTE, there is trouble. All that said... WHICH idiot focus group decided that THIS was the less commercial ending? Harry's actually right. It is VASTLY superior to the original ending, which manages to be both less emotional, less fulfilling, less tense, and ten times more depressing.
-
It looks rather silly.
-
Where the creature roars in will smiths face. When I saw it in the movies. I was like, where was that scene?
-
Mar 05, 2008 5:53:17 PM CST
All The Apocalyptic New York / Daily Survival Routine Stuff
by laserpants
Was perfection itself. I mean it really drew me in for that first hour. Even if the ending was disappointing, I still loved the flick.
-
The act and look like real people, but yet in an odd surreal manner, but never look fake.
-
...Interesting. Not only did he survive, which audiences tend to appreciate, but it was also a much stronger ending in general, and much better and natural feeling in regards to tying up the developments in the film. Wonder why they dumped it for that lame KABOOM ending? I guess to clarify the "Legend" message of the title in regards to Neville. Meh. Should have just stuck with the book, then you wouldn't have to fiddle about so much for a lesser result. I think his looking at the wall of victims kind of cemented the message anyway.
-
was wild in the IMAX verison.
-
For those of us who haven't read the book , how does it end in comparison to the Theatrical and changed ending?
-
I don't get how this is better. Never read the novel, so I have no idea which is closer to the "spirit" of that story, but i know that in the context of the movie, the theatrical ending just works better for me.
-
was the corny ass "escape to the burbs" part that 11th Hour Chicky-Poo and her Spawn make after Smith's sacrifice suicide. I thought the sacrifice suicide was great. Thats at least aesthetically closer to the original novels ending which is pretty bleak and depressing, no?
-
I thought that much of the theatrical version was excellent. It started to lose me at about the time when the girl and kid showed up, and especially during the Alamo-style ending. I thought this was a better way to end the story. I still have some complaints about the film, but I'd say that is was better than average even with the original ending.
I *do* agree that the CGI monsters are probably the worst special effects I've seen in a big-budget film this decade. -
...They dont have any semblence of reality about them. Its like looking at a cartoon. They ruin the movie completely.
-
Jar Jar was a cartoon. These look pretty damn good.
-
Mar 05, 2008 5:59:27 PM CST
This film was a fucking piece of shit traversty
by judge dredds fresh undies
Why couldn't they just have adapted the book! Or ever use the original Protosovich script which was much better than the fucking dreck we ended up with. This film ended all hope I have for seeing a good adaption of the novel in my lifetime.
-
Also, didn't they blow up all the bridges? They're gonna drive off a cliff...unless vampires like building bridges at night.
Personally found the sacrifice of the original to have a better impact. But if you get rid of the girl and kid, take this ending, but at the end have him die, that would be as powerful as the first 3/4 of the movie. -
I actually prefer the theatrical "suicide" ending. More touching and sad. This footage is interesting but would have been a cop out as the ending.
-
The book is really pretty different. *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* For instance, in the novel, a girl does come into Neville's life, but it turns out she's of this new breed of vampire people. She hoodwinks him, he winds up being captured and imprisoned at Ghoul City Hall awaiting public execution. Its at this point that he realizes that he's the outsider here and accepts that he must be purged from the new society.
-
...This new ending is closer to the novel.
-
You know in the mummy when Arnold Vosloo's rubber jaw opens unfeasibly wide, LETS DO THAT FOR ALL OUR CREATURES! It doesn't look fucking retarded at all!
-
A lot of the Trek Aliens look fake. Look a the Council in Voyage home. Fake!
-
Yeah its closer to the novel but its still a million fucking miles away and only serves to redeem this fucking disgrace by a fraction of an iota.
-
Mar 05, 2008 6:04:02 PM CST
Now if they could just show it with real actors instead of CG ga
by jimmy_009
Seriously, the vamps from 30 Days of Night put into I am Legend would have made it one of the best vampire flicks of all time.
-
In the book he does become (realizes) what he has essentially become is a monster, and in turn history will hold him as a legend. The movie just has him meeting more people, so I don't understand where he becomes legendary.
-
He was the last of the old race. The woman and her people were the birth of a new race.
-
Its not about 'looking fake' its about using CGI inappropriately. There was no fucking need. Still its not the effects which is the key problem with this film its the fucking pathetic story decisions.
-
...Thats why he looks at the wall shamefully. Hes a fucked up serial killer. Yeah, its an okay ending, compared to the corny and crap theatrical ending...but it was only an okay movie to begin with. I still dont get why they didn't just stick really close to the novel. Its not that widely read, and the other incarnations of it have been shit, so it would still seem fresh. Could have been really solid. Like has been pointed out, Cast Away with vampires and a pretty vicious twist. Oh well, we got what we got.
-
Neville gives the ghoul back his girlfriend and escapes with his ready made family? Thats pretty, I dunno, happypants compared to the novel's ending. At least the theatrical's ending featured a prominent suicide which is usually perceived as a downer / depressing. So then, thematically, aesthetically, the tone of the theatrical's is closer.
Still, the whole last half hour is totally different, 'cause in the book the chick is one of the new breed of ghouls! And she don't have no kid! And she leads him to his doom! So, the movie takes a turn from the novel much earlier on then the ending. -
they looked bad. I thought they were scary.
-
monsters. Even the terror dogs were pretty wild.
-
is that it feels less religious and more like the Terminator 1 (and Ringu) ending, with the highway and the female voice over promising hope in the gloom.
-
I thought of the Blade Runner "happy" ending also, and yes asking a GCI creation to emote (unless its Davy Jones, but hey, that was done by the geniuses at ILM, not at Sony Imageworks) is pushing it. More thoughtful ending, just still not quite effective.
-
...So its been clarified for me. We needed to deviate needlessly from the novel and turn a great story into an average one to justify paying large amounts of money to guys who do jack shit but sit on their ass and FAIL at transcribing a book to screen. You know "screen"writers. I mean, pretend writers. Fucking hacks.
-
The creatures in I am Legend looked about as fake as you could get and seeing it on the big screen lost any sense of reality they were going for. I just started laughing and the movie totally lost me after their first reveal.
Why is it that in the 80's, John Carpenter was able to make The Thing were it was something that was on set and scary as hell and still holds up today. Whereas 'Legend' will be just laughed at (even more) a couple of years down the road. -
I HATED I am Legend, and it was mostly for the letdown at the end. Why would he go in with a grenade and become a suicide bomber for no apparent reason other than trying to take out as many as possible? There were many options still open to him and he could have lived, yet it seemed like his first thought was to commit suicide.
-
Thank God they are back to working so we can get more remakes and shitty sitcoms about crazy parents raising a crazy kid! yay
-
...Its kind of made clear that Neville is the monster. At least he is regarded so by the new society. In the theatrical cut, yeah, he kills himself, but its a brave sacrifice in blowing up faceless evil zombies. I think the ideas are completely different.
-
He was giving more time so the lady and her kid could escape.
-
Mar 05, 2008 6:15:03 PM CST
Uh, no. The only bad part about the theatrical ending
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
was the stupid village of survivors, if they had cut that part out it would have been fine. This ending is hardly that much better though.
-
What did the creatures do that WASN'T possible with a dude in makeup? Nothing. I think it woulda been a lot scarier and left more impact if they were human, not cartoons.
That being said, I thought the first half of the movie was AWESOME, but what ruined it for me was the appearance of the chick and kid. I mean, if it's so hard for him to survive, what fucking chance did they have?! -
...They wont do effects like that now because its just so time consuming and difficult. For the studios, and probally for alot of the people working on the creative side, the effect on the audience is somewhat negligible. If its looks "okay" it will pass. So they don't feel the need to increase the work load as greatly as doing things practically would entail. I had the same issue with Transformers. I thought it looked shit, and that large scale practical effects in tandem with CG would have been most impressive...But who the fuck is going to pay for that? Or put up with the huge headaches it causes, when audiences will pay to see it regardless of the quality? I Am Legend was particuarly gauling though, as I think practical effects in its case for the monsters would probally have been CHEAPER. But hey, we all saw Constantine, which was chock full of the same shit effects.
-
During the day he had no problem, it was just at night he had the problems. He just wanted to talk to someone else that wasn't a zombie.
-
New ending fits better with what was laid out before - breadcrumbed through the film are references to the vamps lingering humanity. I was a bit disappointed when they didn't do anything with it - but I guess they did.Just a sign of the times, I suppose: focus testing for guaranteed mediocrity.
-
shit. It took someone 38 hours to render one frame, so give some respect dumbass.
-
Mar 05, 2008 6:19:07 PM CST
What the CG monsters could do that humans in make-up couldn't:
by multiplex
have semi-translucent skin and displace their jaws by a foot.
Either way, it would look like a special effect. Who gives a shit if it's CG or not? The movie looked fine, asshats. -
see that's the fucking problem with hollywood. Instead of putting in a little extra work to make something look better. So many filmakers are just passing it off to CG, which by so many standards will age a movie quicker than anything else
-
If I remember right, when he comes across the girl, she lives with him for a while but she's actually just a MOLE for the vampire guys, because there are two kinds of vampires, the more animal kind, like the ones that attack his house every night, and ones like the woman, who are off living in villages and shit, taking medications so they can come out during the day. Anyway she leads the vampire secret service, they're wearing suits and weilding machine guns I think, to his house and they critically injure him while capturing him. So while he's waiting in his cell to be executed the woman comes to give him pills to make it easy. Then he looks out the window and sees a crowd of vampire people start to gather around to look at him and he see's how they are all frightened of him and he thinks to himself, "Shit...I AM legend!" And that's it.
-
Still looks fake.
-
...In BLADE II (those reaper things) this movie would've been fucking awesome. Seriously Del Toro, why not teach this guy a lesson on how to create amazing creepy creatures combining great make up and CGI. Seriously, before the "vampires" showed up I was shitting my pants with this movie. From then on I was just sitting there.
-
Mar 05, 2008 6:22:05 PM CST
You're low budget shit skywalker
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
You're just the afterbirth that slithered out of your mothers filth. They should have put you in a glass jar on the mantlepiece.
-
Lol. Shit movie.
-
movie. Douchebags.
-
An insult to the book.
-
Why does everything have to follow the book exactly?
-
In this case book is much better that either film adaptation
-
Mar 05, 2008 6:27:33 PM CST
No ones asking for the book to be followed exactly..
by judge dredds fresh undies
Just stick to the key fucking story and retain the integrity of the book.
-
I don't know Harry, I liked the death of the protagonist, like the book, it kinda made up for the I-Robot-esque non-humans. I can see how some would like this ending, personally, I still like the other one better. I liked the movie, the first half felt just like the book, and this was by far Will Smith's best performace to date.
-
It's just a short story. The story is barely 400 pages.
-
there is actually 3 adaptions. All of them fairly weak. But this one had the fucking gall to use the name of the book.
-
Why? It looked SHIT. So what if it took them 38 hours to render one frame? It still looked crap. I dont pay for their effort, I pay for the result. The Thing effects still look amazing today. Better than anything in Transformers or I Am Legend. Because they look REAL. Like, actually there and happening. Not cartoons that dont appear real at all. Thats not to say they don't work. Cartoons work. Adults still cry in The Lion King. Skywalker, its usually better to follow the book because thats what made the fucking story work in the first place. The story in the book was perfect. Tampering with it to make it worse doesn't do anything but ruin the story. Which is what I Am Legend did. You don't always have to be faithful, Darabont changed large chunks of Shawshank and improved upon it. So did Stand By Me. But This I Am Legend is like Arnies Running Man compared to Kings.
-
seriously? you really believe that? I feel sad for you. I do. You probably thought Phantom Menace was more realistic than reality
-
That was a terrible ending. "Here, take your girlfriend back, and we'll live in peace." Give me a break. And meanwhile let's ignore the fact that the bridges were all taken out to cut off the island from civilization in a last-ditch effort to survive. What is wrong with you people? Sacrificing himself to save the girl and kid and get the cure to anyone remaining who could help was the better of the two endings.
-
If you cant see that you haven't read the book. And its a book not a short story. Yes a short book, but what fucking difference does that make. A sound of thunder was based on a short story, didn't stop them totally fucking that one up the ass either.
-
...To Will in Six Degrees Of Seperation or even The Pursuit Of Happyness. He was good. As good as the material allowed. Which is also why it was somewhat dissapointing. The book would have allowed for a much better performance from Mr. Smith.
-
For me at least. He goes in the theater watch Woodstock The Movie? Yikes. The groovy hep cat beatnik albino creatures in Omega Man were sooo much better than the vicious CGI Vampires in I AM Legend, right? It's all a matter of taste. They are two completely different movies filmed decades apart, so why argue?
-
The theatrical ending left me flat and soured my enjoyment of the film. Still think the woman and kid should have been vamps like in the book tho
-
Mar 05, 2008 6:34:05 PM CST
Fuckin' hell--managed to be much worse than the theatrical endin
by sleazyg.
So let me get this straight: the FUCKING HEALING POWER OF LOVE AMONG MINDLESS FLESHEATERS?!? ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME?!? And that's somehow "better" or "brilliant"? Whatta loada shit!
As it stood, while not perfect (the other two never should have escaped to go live with Kevin Kostner on the set of "The Postman" the way they did), the ending had much more emotional resonance. we had a guy who had gone through so much that he's finally given up on surviving...right at the point where he's finally figured out how to make a difference. Half noble sacrifice, half bullshit suicidal copout, and 100% more believable than this shit. And goddamn, after being miserable about his family the whole movie, some foxy latina and an adorable moppet show up for a day and a half and everything's hunky dory and we'll drive to Vermont together? JESUS FUCK, what an idiotic idea. No wonder they went with the theatrical ending--it kicks the shit outta this one, that's fer damn skippy. -
I'm not a great fan of smith but he was too good for this film. The script undermined his performance if anything.
-
...Your the one comparing the two movies. Everyone else is comparing the BOOK to the movie. Omega Man was shit. I Am Legend, the new one, was a vast improvement over that pile of crap...But it was still a dissapointingly weak attempt at a book that has demonstratably been screaming for a solid adaptation. Give it another twenty years, or less and someone will go back to the well to try it again.
-
And that the praise it seemed to be receiving from a select group was incredibly undeserved. It was almost as if younger kids who had never directly dealt with existential questions were rocked by it, which is pretty silly. I know a few who felt that way and I kind of laughed at them. The CGI was bad, the ending was terrible... so logically, the film as a whole was only half-decent. I'm not sure I'll ever bother watching it again.
-
...The suicidal ending just undermines everything that came before. It was an ending from a different movie. He goes through all of that, not to mention the writers set up hints towards the creatures evolving society, and its all negated because he pulls a johnny jihad on some home invaders.
-
CGI PANTS!!!!! Come on haters!
-
Fresh Prince
-
But that movie probably had more CG than I am Legend.
-
The girl tells Will Smith that there's enough space for him too inside that tiny confinement space of shelter, but he willingly decides to martyr himself, and that is how he becomes a legend, but he didn't have to be a martyr. He could have crawled in with her, thrown the bomb, and closed the door. The alternate ending is better in my opinion, but then the problem lies in the meaning of the title.
-
not a movie with actual people and then fake looking creatures
-
Thanks for the update.
-
This ending is just as dumb as the one at the theater or maybe even worse.
-
This movie totally pooped out a last half, and the infected people were lame, and this ALTERNATE, or ORIGINAL ending is way more crappy then the one in the film. And the one ine film was really Freakin' stupid.
-
Unless you have a vampire fetish, the book is rather lame and boring...better than the movies though.
-
You don't get it. It's not about "healing powers of love", it's about looking at Good versus Evil, and about survival. The theatrical version didn't distinguish the vampires from anything other than evil "mindless flesheaters". However the book, and to a degree this ending, leave the audience questioning who was good and who as evil. Robert killed dozens, if not hundreds of the vampires, for doing nothing more than attempting to survive. Does that make him good? The vampires fought and killed to survive, but in the end they have a social structure (more so in the book) and emotions. Does that make them evil? Unfortunately it was too little too late, the core of the story was poorly adapted to the movie and those concepts were overlooked. I’m still waiting for a good adaption to be made, although this ending fits better with the original story.
-
Bless their hearts.
-
It successfully ties up the vampire guy's 'quest to recover his girlfriend' subplot. And it does so in a powerful way. It also completes Neville's arc, as he comes to empathize with the vampires (and not just see them as 'research subjects'). Vaguely reminds me of Deckard's arc in BR.
-
Would have been better if they went to the human settlement with the cure . Best of both worlds.
-
I remember some animated shorts that took place before the movie which were pretty cool. Are they on the DVD? special edition? and GC sucks when it is not needed.
-
I didn't hate the original ending, but it didn't really make much sense for Neville to blow himself up after the lady told him there was room for him in the chimney.
This new ending is much closer to the sprite of the book ending. Where Neville, as he lies dying, realizes he is the only "normal" human left and all the intelligent vampires see him as a monster and fear him as much as he has feared them.
What I liked about the new ending is how the Neville is framed in the shot will all of the pictures of the creatures he has experimented on without success. At that moment Neville seems to realize that the creatures are intelligent enough to hate Neville for hunting down and capturing their kin. That he may be no better then the creatures he is trying to cure.
All that being said, I didn't like the CGI for the monsters. I think the problem is that CGI is too good now, and the temptation now is to make all CGI creations jump, hop and skip around in a very unrealistic manner. The vampires in the movie are suppose be your former friends and neighbors, not faceless superhuman creatures that jump all over the place and seem to alien to the story. -
Other than Will Smith dying. It's kinda the same feeling. He still leaves the zombie world behind.
-
You know, the *original* ending, from the book. In terms of the film, this ending makes much more sense in terms of the individual personality the lead 'vampire' seemed to be developing through the movie, which also brings it closer to what the book was about with the vampires forming a new culture of their own, and is much better for the lack of the patronising and shoe-horned religiously motivated suicide bit. It also has a *slightly* less corny closing moment & narration. But overall, neither holds a candle to the ending from the book.
-
machine gun him to death.
-
This movie was horrible, but this ending would have made it suck a little less.
-
This ending reminds me of the alternative ending to 28 Days Later. The theatrical ending had them being rescued by the military...lame. The alternative ending killed the lead character and left the girls alone in a world of zombies. This ending of Legend doesn't indicate they're 100% safe, they could drive until the car dies and they get eaten. You really have no idea unless you've seen the theatrical ending. I usually prefer and ending that leaves some room for interpretation than an ending that smacks you in the face with a cliché.
-
But what they should have done..
After the reveal that the CGI Vampires had feelings..Will should have blown his brains out.
Combining the two ..and saving the ending.
Now just to set here and wait for my screenwriting check to come in. -
into Manhattan and nuke the place?
-
looks so fake
-
I think the CG humans were a BAD idea. It did take me out of the movie a bit. In todays age it would have been easy to hire thin actors and accent them with CG effects. At least that way they could have showed a bit more emotion. Hell, I would have settled on albinos with sunglasses.
-
Seeing as I didn't have a problem with the theatrical ending I feel almost indifferent to the choice of these two endings. They both have an element of goodness and an element of lameness.The theatrical cut kills Neville, and to me it made sense seeing as he was ready to die all along and seeing real humans again only really made him realize how he could never have his old life back. But the cheesy narration from Anna was lame and tacked on.This cut closes the relationship with the zombies better, but then that car ride seems too happy and again, Anna is narrating.So I'm fine with either one, but I think I'll stick with watching the Heston version.
-
but sub-par quality will never stand the test of time when its used in place of real actors on a real actor stage...we are almost there, but not quite...is there a moore's law for cgi?
-
Still don't dig the sort of out of the blue butterfly realization that I fucking HATED in the original ending, but I like this one much better. Adds to the characterization of the pseudo-vampires, adds to Neville's madness, ties things in more with the vampire society that was in the novel, and ditches that shitty walled outpost. Hell, I wish they put this back in theatres with this ending, like they did 28 days later. And I never minded the CGI.
-
is that skywalkerfamily keeps defending the movie like he's got a cut of the profits, and then responding to any critiques of it with a rousing defense of "Nu-uh!" Get good grades in debate club there, chuckles? Here's why the CGI zombies didn't work: They had no sense of weight and reality. they looked like computer game characters. the CG just isn't there yet to put CGI people on screen with real human people, without the CGI standing out like a sore thumb... which takes you out of the movie and ruins the experience. And this movie in particular needed you to feel the reality for every frame, and never lose that. For the record, i prefer the theatrical suicide ending, but this one, where he realizes he's the monster to them, is a powerful finale too. if it didn't have the instaFamily (tm) there for him to leave with and head to happyendingland, and it just left him alone with this knowledge at the end that he's a monster to those who have taken over the world, that woulda been perfect. That's where he is Legend, not in the notion that a coupla dozen commune-dwelling survivors remember him.
-
Does this new ending come after he finds the cure in the woman vamp, or did they just do away with the cure altogether for this ending? Did I just totally miss it?
-
Will this alt ending be on the DVD/Blu-ray Disc???
I haven't seen I Am Legend and I'd prefer NOT to watch this until I've seen the movie itself.
MT -
Yea, It'll be on the 2 disk dvd and the blu-ray. Someone probably ripped it from the special features disk.
-
I don't understand why they couldn't have run with this ending for the theatrical release. It fits the movie much better, and it's not some complete downer ending that Hollywood can't stomach - it's hopeful, and more successfully so than the theatrical ending. The CGI vampires was still a bad choice and will remain the movie's main detracting feature. But this ending would have made my exit from the theatre more of a "that was good' than the 'WTF?' that I did.
-
Seriously. Wtf they didn't just slap some make up on the guy and let him rip is beyond me. Just blend with CGI for the extra human physical stuff. Like someone said, if you can use make up instead of CGI, use make up. Though this ending is definitely better.
-
Thanks,
Looking forward to seeing this one in glorious Quick....er, HD.
MT -
As for the alternate ending, I think this one is probably better than the original, but it's been so long since I've seen the movie that I can't really remember much about the original except for Smith blowing himself up and the girl and kid finding a hippie commune to live at.
-
Will Smith was good, but yeah...
-
I'm surprised Hollywood blew Will up instead of using this one. Most Hollywood movies want to end happy, regardless if the star deserves the happy ending or not. I think I like the original better. There are some rooms a man walks into that he should not be able to walk out of. That room was one of them.
-
And in my opinion, you don't want to humanize your monsters too much, or they stop being monsters. Sometimes it works. I didn't want to like Zombie's Halloween, but I did anyway. I mean like when Romero's zombies were pumping gas and saving other zombies from harm? Yeah. That didn't work for me.
-
To me, what happened to the hero at the end of the theatrical ending made more sense. Took the character to its logical conclusion. This? Feels like a tacked on happy ending. Sorry to disagree Harry. But when the DVD shows up in my player, it will be the theatrical release that I choose to watch.
-
the cunts still haven't even reached Fellowship of the Ring Standards. years behind. and they want them to do JLA. Ha.
-
It really works in ways that the theatrical ending does not even come close to touching. Robert Nevelle failed. He failed, but he found a life again. That's pretty fucking awesome.
-
I wanted Sam to live... please bring back Sam!
-
definately...by far more meaningful and intense
-
This is why geeks such as yourself are a fucking infuriating lot... you are hypocrites. You will praise Pixar all the damn day, then slam films with CGI. If you say both of them are mutually exclusive. Sort of ignores the fact that YOU are the CONSTANT in your belief that one looks better than the either. You need to get a handle on your life, sir.
-
Sure specifically the animals and their animation were funny at times... but are you telling me that all the zombies were 100% CG the entire time and no extras? Bullshit, that looked like a mix of both and the CG was done well enough. How else are you going to get actual people to stretch their fucking jaws like that?
-
Mar 05, 2008 8:32:54 PM CST
THIS ENDING MORE CLOSELY HONORS RICHARD MATHESON'S INTENT...
by captain happy
That the monsters are as human as we are, even more so sometimes...we can become them...& them, us. This ending is FAR SUPERIOR to the ending we all saw in the original theatrical version, which seemed tacked-on as an afterthought, anyway. One has to wonder was it a misguided studio exec that chose the theatrical ending because it offered both a final formulaic resolution final & the resolute heroism to accompany it. Poo-poo on the studio for not going through with an ending that offered more humanity & duality. Hopefully they will be braver in the future. Still, it's nice to know that this ending exists.
-
Mar 05, 2008 8:34:51 PM CST
SORRY, TYPO...THIS ENDING MORE CLOSELY HONORS RICHARD MATHESON'S
by captain happy
That the monsters are as human as we are, even more so sometimes...we can become them...& them, us. This ending is FAR SUPERIOR to the ending we all saw in the original theatrical version, which seemed tacked-on as an afterthought, anyway. One has to wonder was it a misguided studio exec that chose the theatrical ending because it offered both a final formulaic resolution & the resolute heroism to accompany it. Poo-poo on the studio for not going through with an ending that offered more humanity & duality. Hopefully they will be braver in the future. Still, it's nice to know that this ending exists
-
He is a legend because he is the last human, so when the girl shows up the movie goes downhill.
However, this is much better than the release. It actually somewhat makes sense with the rest of the story. -
practical effects cost less and take less time than CGI. and everyone else but you thought transformers looked amazing. And they used practical in many scenes. The only reason they didn't do it in other scenes is because it's fucking impossible to do most of it practically, that's why CGI was created in the first place.
-
Great, now the title makes even less since. What a crock. How many times are they gonna rape Matheson's book before they get it right?
-
Mar 05, 2008 8:41:19 PM CST
I think most people wouldn't understand this ending
by lavatory love machine
I went to see this movie with a friend and our girls and none of them got that he took the vampire's leader girl to experiment and that's why they are so pissed at him
-
Butterflies? Sad shitty looking mutants? Fuck this shit. Arnold would be going to war with these bastards.
-
please, assure me you don't make creative decisions professionally. thank you. Though shmaltzy, that ending was WAAAAAY more in line with the rest of the movie.
-
I think it would be interesting to make prequel to this movie. I was most interested with Neville's flashbacks, although they were short. I liked all the detail that you show around his apartment and parts of the city about Quarantine. I want to really get into what was happening from the Time Emma thompson gave her speech, to the time when the bridges exploded. I think that would be super cool. For example seeing Will Smith on the cover of Time magazine with the Heading "Can this man save us." Although that back story would be cool. Any thoughts??? I felt the same about the novel, i wanted more about what happened before Neville was alone....
-
Seriously. Right when he stops hitting the glass, and they do a closeup on his face.
-
from Attack Of The Show
-
Dash Mihok is the actor the alpha male is based off. Hence why they should have just put make up on him and let him act the creature out, the guy is a beast.
-
http://tinyurl.com/yu84ln
-
he was a legend to the infected..if they had done a better job presenting the vampire leader during the film,this ending would have held even more power..like the girl's tatoo..nice touch,but they could have done a better job,making the infected different sized ppl..colors,they just all blended together for me because of the cgi,and they blended together because they never showed any range of emotion..lol,i have different levels of rage,they could have as well
-
Good call Fish Tank. I can never look at that movie the same and then you because the theatrical version SUCKED! I wish this ending was in the original movie because this is so much better. Frankly they should have stuck with what the book did, but if you watch I am Legend the original ending makes no sense or at least is underwhelming: "The butterfly" moment and the tattoo is on Maria's neck, even though we saw her neck earlier and the tattoo was not there! Also earlier in the movie they hint that the vampires are acting human, showing anger, setting a trap... But then they drop it and just have Smith kill himself. That sucked. This at least has more substance to it.
-
in that if I was Neville and that Latina chick came around, I would be destroying her with violent, lack of human contact, FUCKING. Am I the only one who thought this? I mean, if I hadn't been laid in over three years, and my only options were a dog, or a race of women that look like Yul Brenner, I would go bat-shit crazy. Oh yeah, and this movie was almost decent. The new ending almost makes up for it, but it still doesn't do the book justice.
-
also thought what an idiot Nevile was after 3 years to rig UV Lights in his apartment for safety...after all, he had those bad-ass explosives rigged on his outer-peramitor. There were just sooo many flaws and holes in the movie. All hunters stay put til a deer arrives. YOU don't chase em' in a Camero!
-
grrrrr.
-
just a strange creature with no teeth
-
Just ask Spielberg or Carpenter. They are cumbersome and difficult and impossible to work around. But they look alot better. Thats why even CG make up effects are taking over. And no, its not IMPOSSIBLE to do certain things practical. Thats my point, its just very very hard. Thats why CG was invented. Its cheaper to pull and easier to blow up a bridge and have a CG robot go through the space, than actually have a giant ass robot puppet aided by CG knock down a real freeway bridge. Still would look better.
-
Mar 05, 2008 9:36:03 PM CST
Oh, and no, plenty of people bitch about the effects in Transfor
by tourist
...Plus, didn't the fucking professionals prefer the Narnia rip off instead? Oh, yeah, they did. Dont get me wrong, as far as poorly designed cartoon effects go, they were good. Did they look convincing or awe inspiring...Nope.
-
this but that shot of big willie style's face in close up with the vampires snarling around him was in the trailer for this thing a while ago. the pace that this new version provides to the ending is better than the rushed theatrical one but as others have pointed out only goes to show how shitty and badly designed those vamps really were. Give me the lost boys as the scariest looking vampires ever any day.
-
As a fan of the original story, this is much closer. He realizes he's become just as much a monster as they. He was a legend because he was the last, and he was their demon, so to speak. The reason for him being a 'legend' within context of the movie - creating the cure - just seemed like it let down the twist of what made the original story so memorable and turned a great movie into another zombie-disease flick.
-
...I'm not slamming on Transformers effects too Heavily. Like I said, to really do something impressive with that material would warrant a schedule and budget not proportianate to the goal of the film or those involved in making it. Its not like we got Cameron making Titanic. However, in I Am Legend, they no doubt had a huge budget, yet went with completely unnecessary CGI. For what? They had a bunch of CG creations that were meant to replicate pale people dressed as Hobos. What a fucking waste of time and effort and money, especially considering whoever they hired to do it did a fucking appalling job. But, as I said earlier, this may be Francis Lawrences trademark. His work on Constantine was very similar, full of horrible and cheap looking creature effects.
-
I guess its as good as the other one. Both sucked I think. But I agree with Harry, this was about 1 re-write away from being a complete masterpiece.
-
...Too many that stopped it from being a masterpiece.
-
This is footage included on the Special Edition DVD. They're going to be SELLING this in stores in less than two weeks. See that DIVX logo in the corner? That means it was ripped to DIVX from an advance copy of the DVD, genius. Posting this is -- DUH -- illegal! Christ. Good idea, dumbass. Countdown to this whole page mysteriously disappearing in 3... 2... 1...
-
I am stuck with dial-up for the time being. Anyone want to paraphrase the alternate ending?
-
Yeah, at times the creatures looked a little too CGI, but it worked. So this is the stuff that was still in the theatrical trailer, obviously. I wonder why they decided to promote the scene in previews and then cut it from the final release? I don't think they would have ever done the book's ending. One, because it's been done before. And two, because I don't think audiences today would "get it" or appreciate it. I read the graphic novel of the Matheson book today and it was very good. Anyway, I liked this movie and I hope it still gets released in HD-DVD...
-
The new scene where he sees the pictures of all the infected he experimented on, realizing he is a monster to them... is a little more like the spirit of the book... just a little.
-
It at least ties up the Vampire is intelligent/leader of Vampires thread. And avoids the cheesy town church bell ending. It still does not make the movie good. The moment the woman and her kid arrive, it goes straight downhill.
-
And you probably stink of piss.
-
Six of one, half a dozen of the other. I don't see this as being particularly better or really all that different.
-
I thought this was a much more powerful ending.
-
Isn't the point of I Am LEGEND that Smith dies so he becomes a legend?
-
it seems everyone fails to remember the Vincent Price classic The Last Man on Earth... sure this was '60s horror cheese but it was Price doing some of his best work. The ending in that movie captures the best of both worlds... the "new" breed of creature hoodwinking Price's character... him realizing that HE is the outsider in this new world... he is then "executed" by the monsters sort of like in the book... and like in I Am Legend, the creatures in Last Man don't care to hear that he has a cure... they kill him anyway... also like I Am Legend he clearly went mad.. and I like the martyr aspect of Smith's character better than being their prisoner... i think that character would have been driven too crazy not to take his own life instead of being taken by the creatures... I don't necessarily like the way he chose to martyr himself but it still sort of works... My only wish would be to make Smith realize he is the creature now and he doesn't belong....anyway... If you havent seen Last Man, go watch it... I'll be willing to bet you won't be able to take your eyes off Vincent Price's performance.... this is my first post by the way...
-
Watching a pirated alternate ending to an as-yet unreleased DVD makes me feel naughty!
-
But, I liked the movie. Sorry folks!
-
Beowulf = Shrek
-
The theatrical ending has Neville dying, but it doesn't have the evolution factor of the vampires.
This ending keeps him alive, and therefore, like some have mentioned, negating the title of the book and movie!
So yeah, both endings EQUALLY disservice the original story. And it's a shame because I actually liked this modern revisioning (and didn't even mind the cliched monsters) up until the woman and kid show up. I mean, what the fuck was that all about? Will Smith was more than enough to carry the movie up until then, so why do they feel the need to introduce other human beings? -
I think he was known as the legend when being the last black man on Earth meant he had the biggest penis on the planet. Now that's legendary.
-
...you are a fucking retard of epic proportions. The ending in the theatrical version was complete and utter shit. I was pretty meh during the movie in general, but the ending pushed it clearly into "bad movie" territory. This version, while still not ideal, is much, much, MUCH better. The fact that an ending like this even existed when the one we all saw was used instead makes feel even more disgusted with Hollywood than I normally do.
-
was it the cure? does this mean all the others will be cured or something?
-
and clearly the one the film was meant to have. Possibly the best ending to a big film since T2. And also the best analogy to the invasion of Iraq and American arrogance made for over $100M.
-
That scene with the monster right next to his face was in the trailer, and I always wondered what part of the movie it was from.
-
It seems like the penultimate scene (Neville accepts "monsters" as sentient feeling creatures and himself as the outsider destroying "their" world) is quite in line with it, but then the feel-goody drive to Vermont denouement is the studio sugar pill that makes the medicine go down. I prefer to look at that scene a la Blade Runner, as an uncertain transition to a next chapter where humans will as likely as not be a vestigial and eventually extinct formerly dominant lifeform. BTW, that was a lot of complex information for Will to get across with his reactions and performance. He is the best at this sort of film and there's really no one close. No one else could pull off the scene talking to the "girl" in the store. I also agree with the comments about The Thing and even moreso Alien - has there been as scary a movie since? I would even go back to the Val Lewton films for the lesson - it's generally better to suggest things than show them unfortunately that isn't the style today. The scene with Neville looking for his dog was the best in the film for suspense, by far.
-
driving off into the sunset...all the bridges have been blown up...right???
-
Normally I HATE CG. Hate the use of it in this day and age. Before I saw this film, hearing that the dark seekers were all CG, my expectations went down.
That said, upon seeing the film, yeah, I 100% disagree with the notion that the effects were weak. I think using real actors with makeup would have taken away from the fact that these creatures of the night basically became inhuman, as far as what we prescribe to be human.
They needed that animal-like agility and I feel that using wirework or something would have taken away from that feel.
The dark seekers look different because they are different. It was a look that I hadn't seen before. Their translucent skin I think was what forced people to say, "That doesn't look right." Well, that's how a dark seeker would look like living solely in the dark. The would look inhuman. And the animal characteristics of the dark seekers were spot on as far as a great interpretation of how a viral manipulation would bring out the true beast in all of us.
Using actors would have put those characters in a class with pretty much every now cliche zombie or vampire mold. Look at that clip above, the effects are EXCELLENT. The expressions, the inhuman mannerisms. They look odd because of that skin. But you can't tell those are "shitty" effects. Well, opinions are opinions, but I was surprised at how well those effects worked. It was something different. Not some 28 DAYS LATER retread.
I'll give you the animals. The lions and even the deer. They could have attempted to use the real thing, out of context obviously, and put them into the frame. But no, sorry, actors would not have been able to pull off that inhuman angle without bad wirework, bad background framing, etc.
I do wish they would have used this ending. If anything, it could have opened it up for a true sequel. The theatrical ending pretty much fucked that up and even kind of took the mystique out of the whole story, showing that yeah, there are survivors. I don't see how they could do a sequel now, and I hope they don't. What a missed opportunity.
Regardless, the first 3/4 of the film was masterful. Brilliant and exactly what should have been. So I can forgive the somewhat off kilter ending.
And for those saying this film was absolute shit... what would you have done to make it better. Forget the CG. You can dismiss that by suspension of disbelief. What ELSE would you have done to make it not be a "shit movie"? Forget the smart ass remarks, the TBer "humor", seriously, what would you have done??
I thought the earlier script written by the guy who's last name I dare not spell was okay. But didn't the dark seeker he ended up working on end up being his wife????? If memory serves, that's what happened. That's contrived in my opinion. -
The guy from the effects house that was going to be responsible for all practical effects of the non-humans gave a talk at our school and he showed us a lot of kick ass make-up applications that were in the works and then the studio went and said "Nope, all CG". What an annoying waste.
-
Holy fucking shit ... watchmen costume pics are up at the official site: http://rss.warnerbros.com/watchmen/
-
Yeah, you know, the first film version with Vincent Price---IMO the best adaptation of the book, and certainly the best ending out of the three versions. "I Am Legend" was just...meh...and I was surprised at how crazy everyone went for it.
-
Exactly what was wrong with Matheson's original conclusion? What makes it even more distressing is that, in my opinion, the movie was perfect until the last fifteen minutes. Well, and aside from the shitty Super NES graphics. I say shave off the ending, replace it with Matheson's, and you'd have the be all end all of I Am Legend adaptations. But alas, now it will never happen. Fucking Hollywood. I can handle it when a movie flat out sucks ass. But to take a great movie and then fuck it up? Unforgivable.
-
Mar 06, 2008 12:09:11 AM CST
"How else are you going to get actual people to stretch their ja
by shan
V managed in the 1980's without CGI (just the effects of the day) and using real people. I haven't seen it in a while so the effect may not be as good as I remember but I'm sure we could improve on the technique more than 25 years later.
-
Mar 06, 2008 12:10:17 AM CST
How else are you going to get people to stretch their jaws like
by shan
V managed in the 1980's without CGI (just the effects of the day) and using real people. I haven't seen it in a while so the effect may not be as good as I remember but I'm sure we could improve on the technique more than 25 years later.
-
Man he has finally said somthin agree with,,,. it is a cool ending. It means the Zombies are also evolving and Smith goes in to find the place where ordinary humens lives. And it opens up a door for a sequal as well.. (That may not be so great) But it is a really cool ending. So bad that it couldnt materialize..
-
... combine live action actors made up as the creatures and CGI. Even on the face (look at Arnold Vosloo in the Mummy for example). It would have made them look far better and more convincing and would have given them more time to make the scenes that have to be all CGI look better.
-
that was much, much better..it does resolve the earlier question in the movie about why the male would intentionally expose himself to sun after will captured the female..nice ending...that should have been the ending in the movies
-
Seriously. In the book the two best plot twists are taken completely from this stinking piece of Hollywood-poo. The chick is supposed to be a vamp, and he becomes their greatest serial killer- thus... He is legend. F- all this.
-
...on the look of the infected. Anyone remember a trailer that actually had real people speaking lines of dialogue as infected? I seem to recall a cast list and photos as well.
-
...but I hoped for a more negative one. Like with Neville dying like in the theatrical cut and then fade to black or something like that. I didn't like the vampire love story in this alternative ending. But it was very good that they didn't show how they finally find humans last resort. That the religious bs is still in the flick annoys me like hell (and that starts a few scenes earlier with the appearance of this annoying woman).
-
That was a ballsy ending and not one I would have expected Smith to do. The movie was surprisingly good as well but yeah, the CG was absolutely atrocious.
-
of this friggin vampire thingies. Search for his dog? One of the most thrilling scenes I've seen in years! And some people here seem to forget that CGI was also involved in those scenes of the abandoned streets. That looked fantastic, imho.The appearance of the woman ruined the movie a bit for me and that she had a friggin' kid ruined it a bit more. And that they finally find mankind's last resort destroyed the depressing atmosphere completely. The ending of the book is far superior.Still, this is one great movie thanks to the first 2/3s.
-
"If you think it's rubbish like AvP, you should be shot."Lol! So true man!
-
Now we know at least two. I still think they should have been faithful to the source material and acknowledged that Will Smith is the monster/legend.
-
Should have used this ending. Gave a rounding out to the characters that was far more comfortable to watch. Someone bake up a fanedit and we're dancin'!!!
-
if not a literal translation. Much better than the theatrical release.
-
http://rss.warnerbros.com/watc hmen/
Owlman! And his Owl -er- mobile! No Dr. Manhattan yet though, grrrr... Is the zany Billy Zane playing him, or what? -
is superb. I don't think the original ending in the movie was as good. I still enjoyed the movie though. As for the CG Zombies, I agree, there was no need for that. This could've totally been a character driven film.
-
the original ending is much preferable. You pansies. The original ending gave the movie some weight, whereas the alt. ending simply made it a waste of time. Grow a pair. Not all heroes survive.
-
I just want to know which executive on this movie wanted to change this perfectly decent ending for a total fucking piece of shit instead. Speaks volumes of modern Hollywood mentality. Someone find the moron and zombify his ass. I'm just grateful I never wasted my money while it was on in the theaters - being a filthy scummy pirate. However I may be tempted to buy this version now. Or download it. We'll see.
-
The main zombie becomes friendly and hugs his girlfriend? And where is his zombie puppy and kid from that scene?
Fuckin sad. I am glad Francis' ending won over the execs' ending.
The original ending was lousy too, but this was just...crap.
Anyway Will is just great in this movie (too). -
fuck you, loser
Buying (and owning) original DVDs is not only the legal way but also shows respect to all what has gone into the making of a picture (time, money, effort, etc.)I'm SICK and FUCKING TIRED of all those fucking retarded kids who think that illegal downloading is cool/justified/whatnot! -
Would have required some editing out of the more preechy and cheesy stuff but that'd definitely what the first half was leading to, too bad some committee probably boned it.
-
that's what it should have been. Not Will Smith being put down by CGI.
-
Why would anyone wank to this stupid alternate ending is beyond me. Akiva Goldsman is the antechrist.
-
TODAY
fake as fuck, what are you BLIND AND stupid? -
... just got better looking at that ending. I hope it ends up on the Blu Ray version. Beats me why so many people hate this movie.
-
I like this one for following through with the themes throughout the film (the monsters are intelligent and the guy just wants his gf back, will is a legend because he's killed so many not 'cos he's some saviour).
But then him surviving and having a ready made family and going off together isn't as good. Could we have this ending, then have him die then the real reason why he is a legend said please. -
and I also second that other guy who said that an Arnie "I Am Legend" movie would've been way more badass!
-
and enjoyed it. But it just wasn't the book at all and didn't really justify the title. This is closer in theme to the end of the book, but i don't think works as well in the context of the movie.
-
but at least this ending is more in theme with the reason for the title of the movie..... i.e. Will Smith realising that he has become a monster.....
-
...had thin guys dressed up as monsters which were far, far superior to the cartoons in I Am Legend. Hell, the whole of The Descent probably cost less than Will's trailer for this movie and was a much better film to boot.
-
It was an abomination with big huge explosions and chases and a climactic fight atop a lighthouse in a lightning storm...it was really laughably bad...but hey Harry liked it sooooooooooooo......
-
haha funny. Stupid tit sucking suits.
-
wiggle wiggle wiggle
-
I loved the new ending. To me, they both work. And I'm liking the cut, original better.
-
I'm totally convinced that it happened exactly like that! At least that's the impression I got when watching the movie...
-
I wasnt sure reading the synopsis, but it works far better. Can you tell me if this will be THE ending on the directors cut, or will it just be a deleted scene. Depending on which, will determine if I pick this up. And yes, of course we know what you mean. Back in the late 90s when this work was being set up by ridley, there was no photo-realistic human work being done that much. Jar Jar was closest we got back then. So we imagined I Am Legend made with what was available at the time-primarily make-up effects augmented by some cgi, and I think that would have been far superior. It isnt what we got, but what we got was good, and now with this, it just got better.
-
that over in the dvd collumn everyone was comparing this to The Mist and that ending, and now the final moments of this ending are basically thematically the ending of the Mist novella. Hope is the last word in both.
-
Everyone has lauded that ending.
-
the faces looked real, in a way, but they were very cartoony otherwise.
-
The monsters are people too scene was pretty corny, but I liked the fact that it ended with them moving on to find more people, the realistic ending, rather than the deus ex machina miracle cure ending.
-
Another yes here. The Protosovich script was a lot better from what I remember. It wasn't the book but at least Cortman was a character in it. Plus Ridley Scott was directing.
-
I agree with Jimmy09; 30 Days of Night showed that live actors can make great athletic vampires. The vamps in 30DON put I Am Legend to shame, and shows what it could have been. I also like this ending better.
-
the ending they have was better. it had soul. it had heart. it was gut wrenchingly hopeless.
-
That's not even Will Smith, it's Jerry O'Connell painted black.
-
Mr. Smith went home to sleep with his WIFE!
-
It's truly sad to read David Hughes' books about "The Greatest Sci-Fi Films Never Made", read about the careful development of this with Protosevich, then Ridley Scott, and then see what came of it...a mediocre film from Big Willie and one of his favorite directors.
-
The only other living adult around is a hot chick. WIth my luck it would be some fat bitch who looks like she sweats grease.
-
To me, the heart of the book was the twist, that in fact the vampires felt pain, suffering, human emotions, and that Neville's name was whispered throughout the ranks as he was considered the legend. They changed it so much that it doesn't even resemble the original story. THAT would have been an awesome movie.
-
This is the ending I fully expected to be happening when the one creature was built up through the film to be trying to get back a loved one. Abandoning that theme made no sense.
Someone should have told the army about the GWB though... -
Still a bad movie, either ending
-
I enjoyed the movie and I generally like Will Smith. There, I said it. But it did die at the end, went completely off the rails. The alternative ending did it for me. It was like watching the extended edition of the Abyss. The original film was good but underwhelming. Slot in the missing plot thread and all of a sudden it makes sense again. I'm looking forward to the dvd now, so's I can enjoy the film as it's meant to be.
-
Still a better ending tho'.
-
I can understand changing the main vampires to animalistic creatures and THEN have the advanced vampire chick show up. That would have been such a good mindfuck for the audience to find out she was actually a vamp. They still could have tacked on the comic ending that way too which would have made one hell of a movie.
-
For some reason I just happened to watch it again yesterday. Is it one of the greats? Hell yes. Is the Spiderhead scene one of the most outrageous yet awesome effects scenes ever? Absofuckinglutely (although from a blocking and shot progression standpoint it's actually not great but still...).
But if you think it somehow looks "real" and not super-obviously like rubber, latex and ky jelly you're out of your fucking minds. The way the head stretches down to the floor, the "cartoonish" jaggie teeth chomping on the arms, the blatantly obvious remote control mechanism on the spiderhead... Jesus Christ people. I'm not saying it's not the coolest thing ever 'cause it is but I think you all mistake the tradesmen and the tools. The DESIGN and sculpting are amazing and care was taken to shoot them well. Practical or CG has fuck-all to do with it. Movement and mass in practical AND cg have many drawbacks. And did those sequences ever NOT look like they had shots of reverse photography?
The unfortunate thing was that the design of the Zombies/Vampires in this Legend sucked. They DID try having skinny people run around at night and it was a disaster. The vampires kept slowing down and moving carefully so they didn't break their necks in the bloody dark!
Apparently Lawrence loved the look of the tv guy in Cunningham's "Come to Daddy". But the lead vampire just looked like he had a loose wobbly jaw and no defining graphic look. So Cunningham's used practical? So what? All is full of Love used some practical (the robots didn't move) and LOTS of CG. Was it awesome? Hell yes. It doesn't have much to do with prosthetics/animatronics vs cg. Get over yourselves and look with unblinkered eyes. The funniest thing about the cg haters is that many of them were brought up AFTER the start of the nineties/digital age. They don't even know what they're talking about.
And Tourist, I really think you should take care to define your terminology. Just because it's 'actually there' doesn't mean it looks 'real' and not like rubber and wigwork. If you prefer masses of vibrating latex rooted to the ground or mounted on a glorified rollerskate fine, I love it too, but it's no more 'convincing' than the cg alternative. You do make some good points in other areas though, I give you that. -
I don't get it. What a waste of time and money, far more productive to get dudes in suits and makeup. Plus why call it I am legend if the book's point on the legend was that the character was a legend to the vampires because it was like he was unstoppable.
-
How in the hell did this ending not make the final cut? It had everything in it. Smith resigning himself - giving himself up to whatever fate had for him. Ready to die. The spark of humanity that still resided in the creatures. My only guess is the producers wanted 'I Am Legend too', staring whatshername.
-
i'm trying to understand what the fuck you wrote.
-
I don't understand why this is better. I much prefer Robert Neville's kamikazi death than this sentimental crap. It doesn't flow well with the tone of this movie, which is an action-oriented piece. It would have been better to make the "survivors" as vampires, too, mirroring the novel. These alternate beings should have stormed New York, killed the savage "Dark Seekers" and slayed Neville in fear for their own lives. Now that would have been a stellar conclusion. Anyway, I don't mind I am Legend for what it was. I consider it and the novel two independent works of fiction.
-
Don't know why they went with the "let's blow everything up" ending when they had this.
-
Cuz throughout the movie, we get hints that the skinheads still mantain some of their humanity. This ending gives meaning to those parts. But then again, him finding the cure is also interesting.
And i cope with the animation opinion. It should be real people. -
this one was better. More drama, more emotion, less explosions.
-
You're right, it was better, ever so slightly, but it still doesn't strike me as an adaptation of I am Legend though..I still liked the movie for what it was, another will smith action vehicle from the guy who brought us another movie that changed quite a bit from the original text, but was still very enjoyable (Constantine.. which I will admit doesn't just collect dust on my DVD shelf, I quite enjoyed that one too). Can somebody tell me was the "Main vampire type guy" supposed to be Ben Cortman? or was it just some random vamp he had 'a moment' with?
-
hahahaha. Not even close. basically what is being said is this. "I saw the alt. ending and it is so much better than the ending the execs MADE them use" i wasn't thrilled with the theatrical ending but this alt ending is laughably bad. not only is it a happy ever after ending but robert connects with the uber vampire and understands that he was coming from a place of love, not hate. jesus that was bad. seriously if that ending had been theatrically released it might have been hailed as the dumbest replacement of great ending in recent times. mathesons ending was great. this is basically a joke
-
I kind of like the theatrical ending. But then again I'm a sucker for protagonists' deaths.
-
i liked the other ending better.
to be honest im just happy they threw some more of those cool lions in at the end. i really could have gone without the lame butterfly reference and i would have been happier if he never met any other humans. the animals in this movie were way more important and effective on me... -
Neville's true heroism, not in some grand act of sacrifice, but in the years of work he put in to looking for a cure after countless failures and sticking with it.
In the theatrical addition the last 30 minutes implied that neville's major problem up until the chick and kid showed up was a lack of faith.
That to me was insulting because if there's one thing implied by fact he made hundreds of failed tests and kept trying and that he kept going to the docks everyday for years of isolation and ndid ot fall into dispair and sucide years ago, it's that he had tremendous faith, just because that faith came with lab work instead of Bible quotations it seemed the fisrt movie wanted to say that didn't count. So the God lady got to run the ball the extra two feet after he carried the legnth of the field.
When they showed those pictures in the background and showed the reaction of the other mutants to woman being cured, that placed the credit on the long haul not the grand moment. -
I was trying to say TBers can be simplistic fuckwits about practical vs cg. And did you not understand the bit about the 'real' vampires not working? Sorry, I guess I was a bit convoluted. It IS 4.30 in the morning here, so maybe that's got something to do with it.
But do you really know about the 'practicality' (and attached expense) of prosthetics and animatronics or are you just speculating? And the fact that you can only add to people (making them more bulky), not take away which is sort of important in this case? And how would you do the dogs without it being laughable? This is when you start to cut things out of the movie and hobble the writer's work. It WILL be cheaper though, because you just can't achieve the same thing. Sure lots of cg looks as fake as the old techniques, but at least it doesn't have to cut off the story to spite itself. Which means that now the onus is on the writers to come up with good shit instead of just shit.
And I disagree - that's not why he was 'a' legend in the book. He was legend (no 'a' for a reason) because HE was the freak, the creature whispered of in tales told by the 'normal' (when everyone has changed then they're the normal ones and he's the abomination) people. Anyway that's my humble opinion. It's much more poetic that he's the mythic one who will live on forever.
As far as 'happy endings' go I like Brazil. Sam won and 'escaped' in the end. And they probably didn't even know it. Right. Back to work! -
and that Big Willie insisted on the one that became the theatrical ending. Maybe I'm wrong - I guess we'll find out if they do a commentary on the dvd.
-
what's with the "all answers flow from the butterfly".
It was the Shymalan everything happens for a reason in Signs, even if it does it's usually not that hamfistedly obvious.
That kind of thing was schlocky in Signs and was even more out of place here.
It's Neville the scientist suddenly worshipping the face of the Virgin Mary in a Coissant. Can't he come the appropriate realization without pseudo-religous mysticism. -
sort a hope image. But good point about the bridge, Maybe they should show them going to the docks for a boat.
Much better ending though. -
It would go something like this: ME: "Is she cute?" HARRY: "She is spectacular." Then she shows up and she's a 6. (And not an LA 6, but an Austin 6.)
-
He is a Legend because he realizes that he is the monster. That the world is theirs now and he is the monster preying on them in the "light of day" rather than dark of night. That to them he is Dracula and the wolfman...a monster, a legend. That is the message of the book, and the message of this ending. Though they should have let him die still after that realization. Because we would never let Dracula live even if he gave Mina back.
-
that ending sucked too...
-
At least Neville dies in that one. It's the lesser of the two evils. Keeping him alive is a greater injustice to the story.
-
Mar 06, 2008 1:14:12 PM CST
I laugh at people who rubbish CGI at every chance they get..
by ceejaynightwing
You'd think that back when we were kids that models on strings looked real; THEY DIDN'T! Or that people in monster suits looked real; THEY DIDN'T! Or even frozen solid Matte Painting looked so real they fooled us every time; THEY DIDN'T! So what's the fucking problem with CGI at any level not looking real? People who complain about the quality of CGI simply can't let go of their conditioning from years of watcing lots cheesy FX in their favourite movies. Sure I A Legend didn't boast the best ever CGI, but the type of creature they were trying to convey could not be performed by a regular human being in any stupid suit or make-up. They needed hyper activity, ferocious speed and an enhanced physical mutation to something a bit more streamlined than the average looking being. The Nightstalkers may not have looked 100% great but they were still very effective as a physical threat and that's been the whole point of FX regardless of technique through out the ages. So give the shit about going back to basics a rest, CGI is a tool that's here to stay like it or not and even in its worse use it looks better than most any of the techniques that came before it and is ten times more versatile. Oh, and i still prefer the original ending, others may have survived but they were not totally immune, only he was. His sacrifice both creates a legacy of life for the remaining humanity and ends his legendary appearance as a dealer of death to the nightstalkers. Sometimes the Hero just doesn't has to get the girl and run off into the sunset you Hollywoodites!
-
I read somewhere about the making of the movie and it talked about the choice to make the monsters CGI. They had tried practical effects and makeup but the monsters looked awful. I guess when you are in the middle of shooting and you discover that something isn't working you can't really shut down and send everyone home for a month while you re-think it. They ended up keeping the actors and used their performances as guides for the CGI. I actually admire the choice they made, as it has to be pretty hard to admit when you have made a mistake in the middle of a multi-million dollar shoot. They did the best given their options and I doubt there are many non-geeks out there that were really taken out of the movie because of it. Surely not many of them are still talking about how their experience was ruined. Personally I think the CGI could have been better but it didn't ruin the movie for me at all. I was more disappointed that there didn't seem to be a reason for Will Smith's character to sacrifice himself. He could have just as easliy tossed the explosive and ducked into the shelter with the other two. The sacrifice didn't seem quite as meaningful because of that.
-
Should have been incorporated into the other. He should have tried giving the girl back, but the pack vampires begin attacking him, so he blows them all to hell. Anyway, thanks for posting this, the ending that was the logical conclusion to this flick.
-
The CGI Zompires were a bit cartoony, but they still made me jump when they came out of nowhere to chomp sweet Willy's tasty flesh. Can't wait to get this on Blu Ray. Oh happy days.
-
Mar 06, 2008 3:02:25 PM CST
No alternate ending can make up for how bad this movie was
by detective_fingerling
I really don't understand why they couldn't stay 100% faithful to a book that is essentially a short story.
The CGI was some of the worst I've ever seen in a film, the "huntings" were lame, the ghouls had no "voice", the entire time, I'm expecting to see Ben Cortman make an appearance in the flashbacks - only to find that they dumbed his character down to nothing more than a ghoul with a jean jacket vest.
Horrible, horrible movie. Decent enough for certain elements, but as a whole, it failed to deliver big time in my opinion.
Anyone remember the good old days of pre production where Edward Norton was supposed to play Neville?
I think the biggest thing that disappointed me after leaving the theatre was knowing that there would have to be at least 15-20 years before another decent budgeted I am legend will come out and hopefully be faithful to the book. -
...At first I thought you were misguided, but after discovering your preference for the original ending and your reasoning behind it, I realise your just a halfwit tool. The reason the CGI creatures in I Am Legend looked like junk and stood out so glaringly was because they were attempting to mimic the look and movements of a actor in makeup. They didn't do anything that couldn't have been achieved by some skinny dudes in paint on set with a couple of Mummyesque CG improvements. Thats why it looked like crap. The other CG, used to convey the empty and destroyed city? Great. No one complained about that, because it looked fucking authentic.
-
half is so excellent. Any ending feels tacked on. Even in the book.
-
This new one is too...happy for me.
I expected the main Baddie to say thank you to Will. -
puffy white shirts and a medallion, with slicked-back hair. Children of the Night, SHUT UP!
-
at the end and then they could have flown away and the audience would be WTF!
-
What you're describing isn't what appeared on screen in the movie, and isn't what appeared in this alternate ending. There was no sign of a "society" at all. There was one monster who was smarter than the rest--the "smart zombie" like Bub, I guess--and a bunch of mindless animals. No hint of Smith being the evil one, no hint of a "society", no suggestion it's an evolutionary branch, nada. Not in the movie I watched. You're seeing what you want to see cuz you liked the book, but it's not even subtext, much less text. I'm sorry, but the idea the "smart" one just wanted his girlfriend back is SHIT. I mean, let me get this straight: dozens, if not scores, of these things follow them home and lay siege to Smith's mansion (which he affords on a military man's salary) for no good reason at all, other than to kill and eat...but get one of 'em laid and all is forgiven? Whatta loada horseshit. You guys aren't describing what the movie was; you're describing what you wish the movie had been. I'm judging what was actually on screen, and I found this ending even more wanting than the original.
-
Wouldn't that have been something.
-
the movie ending sucked because it was the EXACT OPPOSITE of the novel ending. SPOILER SPOILER in the movie hes legend cause he saves the human race, in the novel hes legend because he is the new "vampire" legend, killing them as they sleep, someone with more power and knowledge they have...bascially a mirror image of Dracula. So when they switched the ending they kind of oh I dont know...changed the entire point of the book?
-
gets out and makes it back to the little town. The little kid becomes the legend.
-
...redeemed the entire movie. Instead of a brain-dead Hollywood action ending, this ending would have made the audience think outside of the box for once.
Clever things make people feel stupid, and unexpected things make them afraid. -
Like all Hollywood knows how to make them. Of course they went for the wrong ending! It's hollywood, they had to pick the dumbest, more cliche root with the big explosion and so forth.
-
they should have used both like in lor dof the rings. you use digital for what you cannot do. 80% of the screentime with the vamps could easily have been done with makeup.
-
what they should have done is gotten a good make up team. like the ones behind 30 days of night. where's your argument now?
-
The pervading theme of the novel is the reversal of one normal human into the role of a monster and, eventually, a legend. Everything in the novel sets up this ending and in case you missed it, that ending is the crux of the story. I Am Legend is about Robert’s ironic transformation into a creature of folklore and myth because he is the last human being on earth, hence the title of the story. There was no reason to even adapt Matheson’s original novel if the writers and the director were going to ignore this crucial aspect of the story. The film’s ending seems tacked on because it is; his sacrifice and his contribution to a cure is supposed to make him “legendary”, which is weak. I didn’t hate the film but it could have been brilliant had they not deviated so far from Matheson’s original vision.
-
I remember reading the CGI hate and getting ready for dissapointment, but was actually pretty surprised at how much I didn't really notice it. I wonder if seeing it in IMAX made the difference (but holy shit, the sound in IMAX was AMAZING! Cannot wait for The Dark Knight!!!).
-
Geez Messi, you do realise that what made those vampires in 30 days really work was the rotation and separation of the eyes - which was done in CG. Sure good makeup too, but your argument (you didn't reply to mine I noticed) here falls over. I know you said they "should have used both like lor dof [sic] the rings" and don't get me wrong, I respect that and you for saying it. But they didn't use both on LOTR at the same time on the character things (except for a couple of Gollum and Goblin shots and the Mouth stuff which was cut out of the movie). However the use of cg to go beyond what's possible in prosthetics (which visionaries like Rick Baker advocate even though he's the greatest old-school guy alive) is EXACTLY why you're all geeking out about that film. If it had just been prosthetics you wouldn't have got the look or be raving about it. It's basically what Chris Cunningham did digitally in his Playstation ad years ago. With all respect, no way could 80% of IAL have been done just with makeup. For the fast movement stuff you'd have to get rid of bulked-up stuntmen (remember what I said about night shooting?), but yes in the closer stuff you could have had plain skinny types with makeup in the bg and cg on the closer ones. And where's your argument on the dogs?
But the design is the thing, and that was weak, no matter how they achieved it. Cheers mate. -
The story is about the salvation of Neville--his journey from complete isolation back to being a member of society. He is alone, trying to "help" others around him--whether they want it or not. This separates him from humanity--makes him inhuman. In the alternate ending, he realizes that the head zombie is motivated by love--a human characteristic--and so realizes his own inhumanity. When he first meets the woman and this kid, he can't take it. In order to be redeemed, he must admit he is wrong--that he cannot save anyone, and to face what he is most afraid of on equal terms. The head zombie realizes this--and is in fact more human than Nevill. By not killing Smith at the end, the head zombie confirms his humanity, and so lets Will Smith back into humanity. The whole film is an analogy for what we all go through--being alone and afraid of those around us. It's not until we honestly face others--and allow them to forgive us for what we have done--that we can break out of the terror of our isolation. And the movie ends with the message "you are not alone--keep listening--you are not alone", which is what each of us needs to hear.
The original worked as well--he dies because he is unwilling to admit his wrongs and wants to keep "fixing" people. But it doesn't work as well. -
that it only really works if he's completing his own character arc, not that of the Emma Thompson character. He doesn't really go from selfishness to selflessness, because he didn't cause the virus in the first place (in terms of the structure the Thompson character takes the credit/blame even though she says "We". There's no other reason for her to be in it at all - besides a complete cop-out in deference to Will Smith not being portrayed as unsympathetic), and therefore it actually is very noble and human of him (in an imperfect way I concede) to stay behind and fix the mess, whether he was part of it (but it was established the fault is not all his) or not.
Speaking of mess, what the fuck went on with that Thompson character. It's the mark of bad direction and editing that her removal leaves untidy holes, whether we decide she was lynched or not. I'd be interested to see if any of that's on the deleted scenes. -
...is still rubbish.
I have been silent from the time that the whole discussion turned into a pro/anti Smith flame war, and decided that I would post my opinion when I finally saw the film, at least for the scenery of a nearly archeologic NYC. Then it came out that Will Smith has been more than just canoodling with the Scientology cult his wife belongs to, despite his claims to the contrary. I then thought, "well, I might buy a ticket to something else coming out at the time - like I did with the awful "Battlefield Earth", which I only endured in order to be able to qualifiedly criticize it - but alas, they're more attentive about this kind of thing in London UK than they were in LA in 2000. So I didn't go to see it in the theater, waiting instead for the DVD release for rental via Blockbuster.
Well, it came out and I watched it. Things were vague and not very well tied together in the beginning, only helped by the fact that I knew the premise already. I was disappointed secondly by the fact that A. Goldman and his pals seem to think that the way out of an indeterminate writing stall is a big explosion, and that this delusion doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. Not enough years have passed since the heyday of Macho Big Star Boom-Boom Pictures like the "Die Hard" and "Rambo" series, that people are still thrilled by a Big Kaboom all of the time.
When the bridges were being blown up it would have been nice to hear Neville say something about how this won't stop an airborne virus, for instance, and that's after thinking about it for two minutes. Why didn't the myriad of writers on this film figure that out, and know it would leave a hole in the plot? Because the Big Kaboom was more important, and would get the audience to endure the following morose scenes with Will and his Dog (the dog carries it, frankly). Will's big line is about the dog eating his vegetables in that bit.
Next big disappointment is the one most folks are complaining about, the CGI "zombies". All the way through this all I could think of is that they were REUSING THE SOFTWARE USED ON 'THE MUMMY'. Give me a break! That extended-jaw crap is so recognizable I can't believe nobody else mentioned it.
Next item: another Big Kaboom moment, when Neville blows up what seems to be every available vehicle in the neighborhood. Uh, amongst those SUVs were the ones Neville and the woman-child were using. So how the hell did she get all the goods reclaimed, and drive out of town just like that? Sloppy quick ending. Even in college I got criticised for trying to produce a summation scene by using a segueway and "three weeks later". Why are these bozos getting away with it, yet again? Answer: They didn't.
Result: "I Am Legend" is still possible to make in the future, using writers who don't rely upon explosions and OLD SOFTWARE to prop up crappy writing.
In the future I hope others here can see the software techniques from older films. Sometimes as in the case of The Mummy/I Am Legend, it's as old hat as External Light Source Through Venetian Blinds, so overused in music vids in the 80s.
Hail Xenu!
SP Goodman
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 425 total posts 425 posts
- Quint travels to Barsoom and visits the John Carter set!!! -- 125 total posts 94 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 155 total posts 79 posts
- Rest In Peace Bethesda’s Adam Adamowicz -- 70 total posts 70 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 67 total posts 67 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 86 total posts 66 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 65 total posts 65 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 57 total posts 52 posts
- Ridley Scott's Next Will Be Cormac McCarthy's THE COUNSELOR! -- 48 total posts 48 posts
- Wanna smell like the Hulk? What about Cap? Consider yourself a Thunder God or a unisex God of Mischief? -- 45 total posts 44 posts