[GocartMozart]

I just saw this last night. Recap: it was fucking excellent.

Alright so I came into this movie very skeptical, and if I watched it a second time more things would bother me, but I'll go over the points of the movie that made it what it is...which is the highest grossing (deservedly so) movie for the month of December.

Will Smith has been at this acting game for quite a while now, and as far as big Hollywood stars go, he's up there. In fact, I have to be impressed by his transitions from comedy goofball, to comedy action goofball, to the current action/dramas. He clearly respects the art of acting and takes it quite seriously. His last two major films have been specifically chosen because there was an emotional element that he wanted to explore with the audience. I think overall he's been successful. He's ont winning an academy award anytime soon, but he's beginning to make it look easy.

Pros: The direction was very good and Francis Lawrence is starting to actually prove to be something of a decent action movie director. I liked how the opening scene starts explaining how one woman genetically modified a virus to attack cancerous cells in the body, thus "curing cancer." While it is obvious things will go wrong with said experiments, the movie doesn't force the old "genetics/science is bad" theme down your throat.

Next you pan to Robert Neville (Will Smith) in his daily life in a post apocalyptic Manhattan devoid of people and rampant with wild animals including deer and lions (theoretically escaped from the zoo, but that's an assumption). I think the CG here was a tad weak, but it doesn't force the audience to stretch their imagination to think of how the city would be.

basically the virus this woman scientist develops, mutates, becomes air born, and causes extreme mutant rabies when humans and some animals are in contact with it (dogs are immune to the air born strain). Yeah that sounds lame, but they actually do a good job of getting you there, without you rolling your eyes.

Scare factor: at some points, particularly with Smith in the "hive" of the "dark stalkers" (whatever) is very good and I definitely got into it. I hate scary movies and this was just enough to make me happy without me shitting a brick.

The back ground to how all of this happens, and a source of the character development for Dr. Neville comes from his flashbacks he has during sleep. At night he has to close off his house like a fortress, during which he doesn't get any rest because, through a series of nights of flashbacks, you find out his wife and daughter were killed trying to get out of Manhattan on the day of the evacuation. It's quite touching and is a good change of pace. It also brings a lot of humanity to a man who during the day is basically alone, and only really has his dog to talk to.

Being alone: This for me was well worth the price. I have rarely, almost never seen a movie touch on a man's struggle to hold on to his sanity, humanity while alone. While there have been other movies that hint on it, this action movie was really made by Smith's character and this battle to not feel like he was alone. Furthermore, his reaction to him realizing he is not alone was mint.

Anna (Alice Braga) comes in later in the movie to save Neville's life and is on what she sees as a mission from God to save the planet. Meeting Neville, saving him from himself (he tries to commit suicide, while taking a bunch of dark stalkers with him) is one step on this journey. She's not a recognizable face, but she did an excellent job. I'm particularly happy that she isn't some bombshell, and that nothing necessarily romantic happens between them. That made it devoid of the typical cheesiness.

Best part of all this: The hero doesn't live to see the end!!!!!! It's rare, but when it happens, it's a breath of fresh air.

Cons: Rabies makes humans into rabid sunlight hating zombies? I think Hollywood has almost successfully gotten us to think that that makes sense.

How does the do the "dark stalkers" all of a sudden set a trap for him? That entire thing was a tad shady.

The dog dieing...uggg, just trying to pull fro Old Yella.

Why would the government blow up the bridges? WTF

If Anna waited on the pier for him, then why does she wait for him to pretty much be killed by those things, before she saves his ass. How did she save him? wtf

How was Neville the cause of the virus? Why does he feel so personally responsible?




Conclusion: I was able to ignore a few inconsistencies, and instead paid attention to the acting and what Smith was attempting to do in conveying a one man alone in this world scenario. That plot could get old without a villain, or anyone to interact with. Even an incredible actor would be pushed to their limits working with a script that took it to that length, but by adding a dog, and later Anna and her son, you contrast the characters moments of humanity, with those of his progressing slow insanity and eventual suicidal attempt.