Official I Am Legend Thread

[DOG LIPS]

Wait....so he's not the last man on Earth, and he CHOOSES to stay there???

Holy crap I just died inside.

 

[Bishop2]

The only thing left to look forward to about this movie is Big Willie Style's inevitable "I Am Legend (Nod Ya Head)" theme song.

 

[ToddIsDead]

This news makes baby Jesus cry.

 

[Cinemaman]

My doubts turn into the truth

 

[Hunter Rider]

So they altered the story a bit,maybe they should say "inspired by" on the credits instead of calling it I am Legend but Christ this place is such a downer,it actually sounds like a good concept twist for the story IMO

 

[Hunter Rider]

My doubts turn into the truth

Hardly,they have deviated from the book that wasn't one of your doubts.you haven't read the book and you never know the changes may make for a good film

 

[ToddIsDead]

So they altered the story a bit,maybe they should say "inspired by" on the credits instead of calling it I am Legend but Christ this place is such a downer,it actually sounds like a good concept twist for the story IMO

While I see what you're saying, I completely disagree. The fact that he's the LAST MAN ON EARTH is an essential part of the story. It's not the same story without that one element. He's supposed to be the one man, the one monster, that plagues the vampires. He is legend. When there's still a whole planet full of people, it just really takes away from that.

 

[Hunter Rider]

While I see what you're saying, I completely disagree. The fact that he's the LAST MAN ON EARTH is an essential part of the story. It's not the same story without that one element. He's supposed to be the one man, the one monster, that plagues the vampires. He is legend. When there's still a whole planet full of people, it just really takes away from that.

That's why i said don't call it I am Legend just say inspired by,to me making his purpose more than pissing off vampires and staying alive will make for a more productive story

 

[Bishop2]

So they altered the story a bit,maybe they should say "inspired by" on the credits instead of calling it I am Legend but Christ this place is such a downer,it actually sounds like a good concept twist for the story IMO

My problem is that they had a fantastic script which took a few liberties but was mostly true to the book... I mean, you can read it online even, it's truly wonderful, one of the most intense scripts I've ever read. Now instead they've gone and changed it so completely that, as you say, they should call it something else. But even if they did, it's still a new movie based on I Am Legend, and it makes it impossible for us to get a GOOD translation for many, many, many years to come. This will make the subject matter too "recent" for anyone else to want to touch it. We've just missed our big chance.

 

[Bishop2]

That's why i said don't call it I am Legend just say inspired by,to me making his purpose more than pissing off vampires and staying alive will make for a more productive story

His other purpose was desperately trying to search out/contact any other human survivors.

 

[matrix_ghost]

Has anyone ever noticed just how much similarities this movie has with Blade 1

I dunno if these things are intentional or not. I couldn't help but notice this stuff :

Aside from the obvious tale about Vampires taking over the world , there's more stuff

1 Both characters go out and hunt vampires

2 I'm not that familiar with cars and so , but both characters drive a supercharged car. Blade drives a Dodge Charger. Will seems to drive a mustang ( that right )


3 Both movies deal with a more scientific way of the whole story of vampires.

4 In both movies , there are scenes where the characters will drive thru empty streets. Blade did after he saved that hot black chick and drove to whistler. Will SMith seems to be doing the same thing in I AM LEGEND

5 Both movies feature lead characters who are black .
Will Smith and Wesley are the stars of the movie.
N'Bush Wright is an african american female who is saved by Blade.
Salli Richardson and Alice BRaga , also black , are female and are saved by Neville.

5 IN the case of the directors , they are both directing a vampire movie as the follow up to their debut movies.

I know this seems like coincidence , but that many similarities.
HEck it does almost like this is going to be a more mature , well acted , big budget version of blade

 

[ToddIsDead]

I think a lot of what you call similarities were pretty superficial. And I fail to see how Blade took a more scientific approach to vampires. I recall a whole bunch of vampire souls going into Deacan Frost and making him super strong. Didn't seem very realistic to me.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Sounds like they are dumbing the source down for the popcorn masses. I really hope they add a few "aw hell nahs" and "nah you didn'ts".

 

[Hunter Rider]

I have the book so it being an exact translation is no big deal for me
The new approach of giving Smith's character a goal other than surviving is not dumbing anything down it's merely given the narrative a tighter focus IMO

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

I have the book so it being an exact translation is no big deal for me
The new approach of giving Smith's character a goal other than surviving is not dumbing anything down it's merely given the narrative a tighter focus IMO

I think it is dumbing down. People have a hard time believing there is only one man left in the world, plus giving him a noble reason like trying to find a cure seems less self-involved, making him more hero-friendly and likeable.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I think it is dumbing down. People have a hard time believing there is only one man left in the world, plus giving him a noble reason like trying to find a cure seems less self-involved, making him more hero-friendly and likeable.

I don't see that is dumbing anything down,if you have to spend an entire movie with a central character it makes sense that he has a goal and is likable
the fact he is trying to help his race seems like a good central point for a story rather than a guy who is just surviving for the sake of it

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

I don't see that is dumbing anything down,if you have to spend an entire movie with a central character it makes sense that he has a goal and is likable
the fact he is trying to help his race seems like a good central point for a story rather than a guy who is just surviving for the sake of it

To me, it seems a lot more marketable to the masses than the book. If not, why even change the book? Most changes to source are made to appeal to a wider audience for more BO potential. Look at V for Vendetta. Natalie's character in the books was making an attempt at prostitution when she was caught but her character was changed for the movies to be innocent. That's just one minor example though.

If they changed so much, why even bother calling it "I Am Legend"?

 

[Hunter Rider]

To me, it seems a lot more marketable to the masses than the book. If not, why even change the book? Most changes to source are made to appeal to a wider audience for more BO potential. Look at V for Vendetta. Natalie's character in the books was making an attempt at prostitution when she was caught but her character was changed for the movies to be innocent. That's just one minor example though.

If they changed so much, why even bother calling it "I Am Legend"?

changing something to make it more appealing isn't dumbing it down though,the alterations aren't stupid or easier to understand they are just less cold and distant

As for the title like i said before they should alter it and do an "inspired by"

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

changing something to make it more appealing isn't dumbing it down though,the alterations aren't stupid or easier to understand they are just less cold and distant

As for the title like i said before they should alter it and do an "inspired by"

Well, I can already hear the questions from the audience members if he's the only man: "Where did everyone go? Why is he the only one? Isn't he bored? Why doesn't he just kill himself?" I think its easier to understand for people, as people are more inclined to buy into isolation than being a lone survivor.

To me, making it more appealing is a dumbing-down move, as you're using the material more as a product than as art. Looks like they're as usual trying to make Will Smith into the world-saving hero instead of a flawed, anti-hero loner type.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Well, I can already hear the questions from the audience members if he's the only man: "Where did everyone go? Why is he the only one? Isn't he bored? Why doesn't he just kill himself?" I think its easier to understand for people, as people are more inclined to buy into isolation than being a lone survivor.

To me, making it more appealing is a dumbing-down move, as you're using the material more as a product than as art. Looks like they're as usual trying to make Will Smith into the world-saving hero instead of a flawed, anti-hero loner type.

I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with making a film more accessible nor do i see it as dumbing it down,the case is that movies of this nature with these budgets need an audience so they take concept A and then decide how to make it into a movie that has an actual appeal for the mainstream
It can be just as good a story if not a better one using the same basic outline as the book,making the hero and anti-hero and the film about his survival and isolation isn't any smarter or dumber than making it about an uninfected man staying behind to help his country/planet

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Well, at least we agree on the part where they should change the title.

 

[Hunter Rider]

That we do,i can see where fans of the original source get upset,i mean hell I'm on SHH and survived the SR boards i just sometimes look at alternatives not being necessarily bad but i don't see the point in calling a movie something it isn't

 

[CrimsonMist]

ok, so

1. No Johnny Depp

2. He uses a sports car to fight vampires? Stupid. The armored Hummer in the Protesevich and Logan scripts were better ideas, and where it deviated, it made more sense than a sports car. The use of this just shows how they want this to be a flashy action movie. Of course, i may be wrong in assuming that. But chances are, im not. This script deviates too far away from the source material. With any other script, the use of a sports car could be shown in a flashback of Neville getting a bit decadant, becuase remember, I Am Legend starts after the fact that Neville is the last man on earth.

3. Plague in manhatten? only Manhatten? IN ONE MOVIE?! Bull****! That's absolute crap. I AM LEGEND? The movie isnt even worthy. Drop a bomb on the island and there ya go. Move to PA. This sounds like a lousy rip off on Zombi 2's ending. Theres zombies in Haiti, and the people need to escape back to NY, only for it to be revealed to the viewer that, the boat that carried the zombie in the begining got around and the epidemic spread. Can you say: I AM LEGEND 2? Neville exterminates all vampires on the island, goes to NJ to find that everyone there and everywhere else are vampires...yea...sequel.

It's official. This movie will suck. I will not see it. Even though i didn't like it at all, i'd prefer to have the Protesevich script or the Logan script turned into a movie.

This movie is NOT I Am Legend. It's a craptastic summer movie, that will probably end up being PG-13 garbage.

 

[DOG LIPS]

This movie is NOT I Am Legend. It's a craptastic summer movie, that will probably end up being PG-13 garbage.

I might check it out even after all this crap, but if it's PG-13 I'll wait for rental on DVD.

 

[deathshead2]

I might check it out even after all this crap, but if it's PG-13 I'll wait for rental on DVD.

ha I guess your waiting then.