Official I Am Legend Thread

[cerealkiller182]

That may be true, but this whole thing was about Neville being a villian. Me using the word evil was probably a poor choice of words. A symptom of typing a post before it's truly thought out. I didn't think he evil and I don't think you did either after reading the book. He did what he thought was right. In his situation, we might do the same.

Fair enough

 

[Rac]

I just read the book for the first time. Very good. The Omega Man was maybe little bit truer to the source material than I Am Legend. Though they both were sucky. Dunno about The Last Man On Earth, haven't seen it yet.

 

[cerealkiller182]

I didn't see it. Most of Neville in the film was fluff. Smith did what he could and I still liked the film until the woman and kid showed up.

Neville in the book was nothing like Neville from the film. Their motivations, situation, personality, everything was different. That was one of the problems I had with the film. I loved the book but found that all they used was the title.

I thought 'The Omega Man' came much closer. That one fell short too as an adaptation though.

Ithought Will Smith did a great job with the hysteria leading up to the car wreck. I had already figured it would be different since the trailer was obviously not even close to the book. But when I see an adaptation I dont want to see a word for word translation, but i'd like to see some respect to the essence of the book, which was a rational man trying to make sense of an irrational happening and dealing with isolation. I thought the ending ruined that essence.

 

[Warhammer]

I didnt describe the set-up, i described the way that the ending of the book (at least its essence) could be used in the movie.

You still aren't getting what I am trying to say.

Spoiler

The ending of the novel would be Neville realizing what he is from the perspective of the vampire colony. He is legend. They kill him. That is the ending. The events of the book set up that ending. The fact that there are two different types of vampires, the vampires starting a colony and trying to survive, the woman going to Neville's house, etc. All of that sets up the plot until we get to the ending.

My point is that if the film stayed exactly how it was, but used the ending that is described above, it would not fit the context of the film. You need everything that happened in the novel to happen in the movie in order for the novel's ending to happen, and have relevance. If you just throw in the ending of the novel with the plot of the movie, nothing is set up for that specific ending to make sense. For example, it's just like having the movie Spider-Man, then having a random plot twist at the very end of the movie stating that Doctor Doom created the spider that bit and turned Peter Parker into Spider-Man. It'd be random, not fit the context, and have no relevance to the plot of the movie.

Do you understand what I am trying to say now?

If you understand what I am trying to say, then you will get my point about how you could not have thrown in the ending from the novel into the end of the movie. Due to the movie's plot, it is out of place.

 

[matthooper]

Ithought Will Smith did a great job with the hysteria leading up to the car wreck. I had already figured it would be different since the trailer was obviously not even close to the book. But when I see an adaptation I dont want to see a word for word translation, but i'd like to see some respect to the essence of the book, which was a rational man trying to make sense of an irrational happening and dealing with isolation. I thought the ending ruined that essence.

My favorite parts of the book were his dealing with the vamps at night. Their howling, their taunting, and it driving him mad. We saw none of that. Two seconds of Smith sleeping in the bathtub with some noises outside.

I am a big Will Smith fan and none of the blame for a poor interpretation go to him. He was fine with what he was given.

 

[cerealkiller182]

You still aren't getting what I am trying to say.

Spoiler

The ending of the novel would be Neville realizing what he is from the perspective of the vampire colony. He is legend. They kill him. That is the ending. The events of the book set up that ending. The fact that there are two different types of vampires, the vampires starting a colony and trying to survive, the woman going to Neville's house, etc. All of that sets up the plot until we get to the ending.

My point is that if the film stayed exactly how it was, but used the ending that is described above, it would not fit the context of the film. You need everything that happened in the novel to happen in the movie in order for the novel's ending to happen, and have relevance. If you just throw in the ending of the novel with the plot of the movie, nothing is set up for that specific ending to make sense. For example, it's just like having the movie Spider-Man, then having a random plot twist at the very end of the movie stating that Doctor Doom created the spider that bit and turned Peter Parker into Spider-Man. It'd be random, not fit the context, and have no relevance to the plot of the movie.

Do you understand what I am trying to say now?

If you understand what I am trying to say, then you will get my point about how you could not have thrown in the ending from the novel into the end of the movie. Due to the movie's plot, it is out of place.

But the fact that their was intelligent race of vampires was not revealed until near ending of the book. I see no reason or their to be a similar reveal in at the end of the movie.

Spoiler

The movie version did a similar thing. They presented a movie about the last human yet humans just showed up. So instead of flipping out and driving his truck into them, he could meet another female vamp (cause Im sure theres more than one) outside the video store after talking to the girl mannequin. And the book can follow within context of the film. Hes looking for a cure so hes gonna want to study her. Instead she leads the vamps to his place, They attack. Insteado killing him, they capture him.Aterward it is revealed that their is a developing intelligent amp civilization. HEs still a threat since he already kidnapped one member, it wouldnt be razy if he had kidnapped others

 

[Figs]

I just read the book for the first time. Very good. The Omega Man was maybe little bit truer to the source material than I Am Legend. Though they both were sucky. Dunno about The Last Man On Earth, haven't seen it yet.

The only thing I really found sucky with Omega Man was the inclusion of other people. God damn Hollywood! Why do they need to include 'others' almost everytime they adapt this.

It's been a long time since I've seen the Vincent Price version so can't remember how that one went.

I had seen Omega Man multiple times before reading the book so I liked it a lot. After reading the book I still like it a lot but see where they missed the mark.

 

[Figs]

But the fact that their was intelligent race of vampires was not revealed until near ending of the book. I see no reason or their to be a similar reveal in at the end of the movie.

Exactly. It would have made more sense that way, especially with the scene where that 'Leader' of the infected moved the statue to trick Neville. As well as when Neville captures the female, the male stands their getting burnt by the sun yelling at him, kind of showing him he's not afraid of Neville AkA:the true monster in this new society.

 

[matthooper]

The only thing I really found sucky with Omega Man was the inclusion of other people. God damn Hollywood! Why do they need to include 'others' almost everytime they adapt this.

I havn't seen Omega Man in a while but the inclusion of the humans in the Will Smith version was definately the downfall for me.

 

[Figs]

I havn't seen Omega Man in a while but the inclusion of the humans in the Will Smith version was definately the downfall for me.

Same here, I actually enjoyed all of it up till that stupid woman and boy were brought in. It was still entirely different from the book and should have been named something else but I still enjoyed 95% of it.

 

[Warhammer]

But the fact that their was intelligent race of vampires was not revealed until near ending of the book. I see no reason or their to be a similar reveal in at the end of the movie.

Spoiler

The movie version did a similar thing. They presented a movie about the last human yet humans just showed up. So instead of flipping out and driving his truck into them, he could meet another female vamp (cause Im sure theres more than one) outside the video store after talking to the girl mannequin. And the book can follow within context of the film. Hes looking for a cure so hes gonna want to study her. Instead she leads the vamps to his place, They attack. Insteado killing him, they capture him.Aterward it is revealed that their is a developing intelligent amp civilization. HEs still a threat since he already kidnapped one member, it wouldnt be razy if he had kidnapped others

Spoiler

Cool. Your explanation was clear, and I can now see what you were trying to say. The only problem that I still have is that having Ruth in the movie would have been better. Without her, the vampires coming to take Neville back to their civilization seems a bit random, but overall, I get what you are saying.

Still, though. I am not upset that they did not use the novel's ending. It would have been excellent if they did, but to say that the movie was bad because it's ending was not like the novel's is a personal preference, not a valid criticism.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Spoiler

Cool. Your explanation was clear, and I can now see what you were trying to say. The only problem that I still have is that having Ruth in the movie would have been better. Without her, the vampires coming to take Neville back to their civilization seems a bit random, but overall, I get what you are saying.

Still, though. I am not upset that they did not use the novel's ending. It would have been excellent if they did, but to say that the movie was bad because it's ending was not like the novel's is a personal preference, not a valid criticism.

It changed the entire meaning of the title so i think its pretty valid

 

[Lord Blackbolt]

So anyone see the new ending. I don't know if I like it...I kinda like it better. Cause it's a better set up for a sequel, but more anti-climatic than the other ending.


http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35857

 

[Warhammer]

It changed the entire meaning of the title so i think its pretty valid

We'll have to agree to disagree then. While you aren't wrong, there is an argument for the other side, too. Neville is still a legend, at the end of the film, so it does not change the entire meaning of the title. It's just that the film's example of a legend was not the same as the novel's.

On a related note, the way I judge a book-to-film adaptation on it's own merit (regardless of the novel it was adapted from) is mainly because of The Shining. The novel and the film had it's many differences. Stephen King, the author, didn't even like it. However, it was a damn good film, and I'll be damned if I say that I dislike a film just because it wasn't truthful to the source material. That is why I judge the novel, then separately judge the film that it was based off of. The same goes to the Harry Potter books and films. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban was probably the least faithful adaptation so far, but it is my favorite movie of the entire franchise. I'll be damned if I disregard how good that film is because it wasn't faithful to it's source material. No personal preferences, just valid criticisms.

That's just me...

 

[cerealkiller182]

So anyone see the new ending. I don't know if I like it...I kinda like it better. Cause it's a better set up for a sequel, but more anti-climatic than the other ending.


http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35857

If a producer ever says "lets make a sequel to that last man on earth movie" then Hollywood is beyond redemption.

 

[Secret_Riddle]

The new ending pushes the movie from a 7 to an 8 in my books.

HATED the original ending.

 

[cerealkiller182]

We'll have to agree to disagree then. While you aren't wrong, there is an argument for the other side, too. Neville is still a legend, at the end of the film, so it does not change the entire meaning of the title. It's just that the film's example of a legend was not the same as the novel's.

On a related note, the way I judge a book-to-film adaptation on it's own merit (regardless of the novel it was adapted from) is mainly because of The Shining. The novel and the film had it's many differences. Stephen King, the author, didn't even like it. However, it was a damn good film, and I'll be damned if I say that I dislike a film just because it wasn't truthful to the source material. That is why I judge the novel, then separately judge the film that it was based off of. The same goes to the Harry Potter books and films. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban was probably the least faithful adaptation so far, but it is my favorite movie of the entire franchise. I'll be damned if I disregard how good that film is because it wasn't faithful to it's source material. No personal preferences, just valid criticisms.

That's just me...

I agree I want adaptation not translation, but it took away the essence of the film.

 

[Erzengel]

Having him cure the strain of virus doesn't make him a legend, it makes him historical or noteworthy but "legend" is a connotation that it's a tale, a ghost story, a boogie man, and that's what he was to those Vampires.

Also it goes with how the Vampires were thinking creatures like with the trap, that all the alpha vampire wanted was his mate.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Having him cure the strain of virus doesn't make him a legend, it makes him historical or noteworthy but "legend" is a connotation that it's a tale, a ghost story, a boogie man, and that's what he was to those Vampires.

and the vampires weren't even smart. They do things than any ape or monkey does. The vampires in the book were culturally growing implying they had worth

 

[Warhammer]

I agree I want adaptation not translation, but it took away the essence of the film.

Let's just agree that in this situation, a translation, albeit with a few changes, would have been a bit better.

 

[The Apatow Crew]

So whos gonna buy the dvd in 2 weeks? I will.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Ok. I'm not going to read 99 pages of this thread. I've only seen the movie once. Never read the book. There that's out of the way...


I thought that Will Smith moved the mannequin himself. I thought that he was going crazy and decided to commit suicide by "trapping" himself.

I know I'm prolly rehashing a bunch of stuff, but am I a complete idiot for thinking that?

Loaded question I know.

 

[Secret_Riddle]

Ok. I'm not going to read 99 pages of this thread. I've only seen the movie once. Never read the book. There that's out of the way...


I thought that Will Smith moved the mannequin himself. I thought that he was going crazy and decided to commit suicide by "trapping" himself.

I know I'm prolly rehashing a bunch of stuff, but am I a complete idiot for thinking that?

Loaded question I know.

Interesting, but i think its more likely that the vamps watched him, and moved the mannequin at night.

The only wierd thing is..the mannequins head moved..freaked me out when i saw the film.

 

[Erzengel]

and the vampires weren't even smart. They do things than any ape or monkey does. The vampires in the book were culturally growing implying they had worth

Yeah but they didn't have the infected in the movie, and secondly, it bothered me that they could rig a trap for being "apes".

 

[Franklin Richards]

Another reason I thought the "Fight Club / Castaway " craziness was taking over.

I thought for sure he was the one setting up the traps.