A science-fiction movie without a real science-fictions story. No wonder most people don't like this movie.

This actually is the first Neill Blomkamp movie that I have ever seen but I of course already was well aware of his reputation. Besides being a visual director, he also seems to be one that loves to say something with his movies. He puts messages in them, to make social statements, as he also clearly does with this latest film. Now, this of course is nothing new and something that movies set in a dystopian future always feature in them but in most other genre movies it works out far better and more effectively than ever is the case in this movie!

There are really several problems with the way how this movie is trying to set up its world and get its points across. First of all, it isn't providing us with enough back story, explaining why the world ended up the way as it did, as shown in this movie and why there is such a big segregation between those who are poor and have absolutely nothing and those who are rich and have everything. That brings me to another problem; the contrasts in this movie are just far too big. It's far from subtle all really and definitely goes at the expense of the movie its credibility and of the messages that it's trying to get across and the points it is trying to make.

And speaking of not being very subtle; this goes for all of its characters as well, especially its villains. Basically all of the characters in this movie are big stereotypes and more cartoon like than anything else really, which is an odd thing for a movie that's trying to tell a serious story, with lots of heavy handed messages in it. It all would have been fine, as long as the movie was going for a totally entertaining, blockbuster approach but this movie obviously is trying to be way more than just that!


The problem with its main-story further more is that it really doesn't seem to fit a big science-fiction movie, such as this one is. Perhaps the problem with it is, is that director and writer of this movie Neill Blomkamp is only used to doing much smaller scaled movies. And really, this movie its story would have been perfectly fine for a smaller, more subtle, type of science-fiction movie, made with a much smaller budget, less star power involved and a significantly less amount of special effects.

Sure, the movie is great to look at but none of that really matters when a movie fails to grab you with either its story or characters. It makes the movie eye candy and nothing more but just eye candy. Even entertainment-wise the movie feels lacking, mostly because it's featuring such a serious main story. Some more fun and lightheartedness wouldn't have harmed this movie but unfortunately this wasn't the approach this movie was ever going for.

It ultimately is a very forgettable movie, which probably is the best way to sum this movie up.

6/10

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Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

A factory worker takes on a mission to hijack his way onto a man-made space habitat. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley and others

Current release date: August 9, 2013

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley and others

Current release date: August 9, 2013

Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Set in the year 2159, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley and others

Current release date: August 5, 2013

(Review originally written at 12 May 2008)

This is simply a good quality movie to watch but it nevertheless leaves you hungry for more, since the movie its potential and concept screamed for a better and more exciting execution. After all, this movie is about the last man living in New York City, battling a whole bunch of mutant zombie, while trying to find a cure to the virus that almost entirely wiped out mankind. It's basically its potential that still makes this such a fine movie to watch but the movie however is just not as action packed or tense/scary as you would expect beforehand. It does make the movie perhaps a bit of a missed opportunity and it does has some wasted potential in it, which does give you the feeling that the movie is missing something but it fortunately doesn't make this movie any less pleasant to watch.

First of it all, it's absolutely something great to see New York City entirely being overgrown by plants and wild life. It's above all very good and convincing looking and basically this alone is already enough to make "I Am Legend" a real recommendable movie. They did a real good job with it, although this effort apparently went at the expense of some of the movie its other effects. It's a mixed bag really. The one moment the effects are great looking, while the other its totally apparently too fake looking, especially for 2007 standards really.

It's also really a tough movie for Will Smith, since well basically he has no one to play against, except for a dog. Still he knows to carry the movie brilliantly. Leave it up to Will Smith to make a successful blockbuster, which "I Am Legend" really was at its time of release.

It's story gets obviously a bit restrained because, well how much stuff can you come up with for a movie that is being completely set in a large deserted city. They tried to give the story something extra by putting in an occasional flashback sequence but I don't think they were really in the right places and completely necessary for the movie. It probably would had worked out better if there were more and constant flashback sequences in the movie, completely explaining and showing how mankind got almost completely exterminated and everything involving around that. It still sort of gives you the feeling that they could had worked out the script better, also since the movie its ending really isn't completely satisfying (and yes, if seen both different versions of the ending.)

It's one fine big budget quality movie. It's just missing this tiny bit of extra to make this movie a true tense, action packed or completely memorable movie to watch you'll talk about for years to come. Appereantly a sequel is currently in the making, lets hope it will include this extra elements required to make it a real great movie to watch.

7/10

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