Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend stands as one of the most important and influential works of American speculative fiction in the 20th century. It is a narrative that has seeped into the DNA of the genre, influencing everything from The Twilight Zone to The X-Files. Its premise—a lone survivor in a world overrun by night-dwelling predators—has proven remarkably resilient, spawning three distinct cinematic adaptations. The first, a relatively obscure 1964 Italian black-and-white film, The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, is often cited as the great-grandfather of the zombie apocalypse genre, directly inspiring George A. Romero’s seminal Night of the Living Dead. A decade later, in 1971, the novel was adapted as The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston, which sought to update the story for post-1960s mindset. However, the third and, by most metrics, the most successful adaptation arrived in 2007, simply titled I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. This latest incarnation represents a significant departure from its predecessors, attempting to ground the fantastical elements in a hyper-realistic depiction of a post-apocalyptic New York.
The film opens with a stark prologue set in 2009, a then-future that feels uncomfortably close to our present. On television, Dr. Alice Krippin, played by an uncredited Emma Thompson, announces with triumphant hubris that she has found a cure for cancer in the form of a genetically altered measles virus. Three years later, we are introduced to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Neville, played by Smith. Once a US Army biologist, Neville is now the solitary survivor of the Krippin Virus—a pathogen that mutated into a deadly, airborne, highly infectious strain. Those infected do not die but transform into "Darkseekers," grotesque, aggressive creatures that function as a hybrid of vampire and zombie mythology. The narrative establishes Neville’s daily grind: scavenging for supplies, being accompanied by a German Shepherd named Samantha, airing radio broadcasts to locate survivors, and retreating each night to a heavily fortified home. There, he conducts experiments on captured Darkseekers in a desperate bid to find a cure. However, Neville is haunted by the tragic loss of his wife, Zoe (Salli Richardson), and daughter, Marley (Willow Smith). His world collapses when an ambush by the Alpha (Dash Mihok), a semi-intelligent leader of the Darkseeker hive, injures him and infects Samantha. Forced to euthanise his dog, Neville is plunged into near-suicidal despair. This tragedy is interrupted when Anna (Alice Braga) and a young boy, Ethan (Charlie Tahan), arrive via boat, having heard his radio broadcasts.
The lead-up to I Am Legend was fraught with scepticism. Hollywood has a long history of disappointing remakes of genre classics, and the prospect of tampering with a Matheson property was daunting. Compounding this was the film’s decade-long production hell, which saw original directors including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ridley Scott attached to the project. When Francis Lawrence eventually took the helm and Will Smith was cast, it seemed like a gamble that might pay off, funded by a substantial budget. Sceptics were proven wrong in many respects, but the film’s success was undeniably bolstered by its resources. Unlike the low-budget, atmospheric struggles of the 1964 and 1971 versions, I Am Legend offers a sprawling, devastatingly realistic depiction of societal breakdown.
The film’s visual language is its strongest asset. Apart from the prologue, the massive scene depicting the chaotic evacuation of Manhattan—which reportedly cost $5 million of the film's $120 million budget—stands as a testament to the power of spectacle. Beyond this, Lawrence extensively utilises CGI to digitally erase the bustling life of New York City, transforming one of the world's noisiest metropolises into an eerily silent tomb. This technique creates a palpable sense of isolation. Similarly, the Darkseekers themselves are rendered through CGI rather than practical prosthetics. Lawrence realised that actors using makeup would struggle to convey the superhuman speed and aggression required of the creatures during chase sequences, and the digital effects allow for a fluid, terrifying efficiency.
The film is anchored by an exceptional performance from Will Smith. He portrays Robert Neville as a man carrying an unfathomable weight—both the personal tragedy of losing his family and the burden of being humanity's last hope. His struggle to maintain his sanity amidst the loneliness of the plague is portrayed with nuance and depth. The first two-thirds of the film are particularly effective. Lawrence allows the audience to slowly acclimatise to Neville's routine, the rhythm of his days, and his methods of coping, such as playing Bob Marley records. The juxtaposition of Marley's positive lyrics and happy tunes against the grim reality of a dead world creates a powerful, melancholic contrast. Lawrence also injects elements of poetic surrealism; herds of deer, seemingly breaking free from zoos, roam the empty streets, and Neville, occasionally forced to hunt them for food, must watch helplessly as lions take them first. These images serve as metaphors for the collapse of the natural order.
Despite these strengths, I Am Legend would likely be regarded as one of the finest films of the 21st century had it not been for the interference of screenwriter Akiva Goldsman in the final third. Like the authors of The Omega Man, Goldsman strayed significantly from Richard Matheson’s literary source, abandoning the novel's famous ironic twist. Instead, the film pivots to a narrative where Neville, as a man of science, is confronted by Anna’s religious fervour. The narrative culminates in a deus ex machina intervention—a miracle at the end—that forces Neville to sacrifice himself to save Anna and Ethan, effectively becoming the "legend" that saves humanity. This ending feels like a cheap copout, a convenient deus ex machina designed to provide a happy ending to an otherwise grim story. It negates the intellectual depth of the source material in favour of a melodramatic, action-oriented resolution.
This disappointment is compounded by the knowledge that an alternative ending, much closer to Matheson’s work, was actually filmed but discarded due to poor test screenings. This alternative ending, which reportedly provided a more faithful representation of the novel’s bleak irony, was ignored in favour of pandering to commercial considerations. Ironically, future discussions about potential sequels have been based on this abandoned version, misunderstanding the film's true potential. The decision to abandon the more complex, tragic narrative for a simpler, more palatable conclusion is a common Hollywood pitfall that mars the film's legacy.
Looking back at I Am Legend from the perspective of 2020, it holds a particular relevance. The world had just endured a pandemic, and the elements of the plot—the empty streets, the chaos, the masks—felt strikingly familiar. However, the most resonant aspect of the film remains the prologue. The smug overconfidence of the scientist, Dr. Krippin, and her announcement of a miracle solution to all problems, mirrors the rhetoric often found in mainstream media and scientific establishments. The film becomes a critique of hubris: the belief that science can fix everything, often leading to catastrophic consequences.
In the end, I Am Legend (2007) is a film of stark contrasts. It is visually spectacular and emotionally engaging, thanks to Will Smith's magnetism and Lawrence's atmospheric direction. The depiction of a silent New York and the terrifying Darkseekers stands as a high point of modern science fiction cinema. Yet, it is ultimately let down by a script that fails to respect its source material.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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