|
|
|
|
| Select
a Category: HOME | MOVIE REVIEWS | 4 STAR REVIEWS | TRAILERS ABOUT US | CONTACT US | LINKS | PUBLISHING PERMISSION |
|
|
|
I AM LEGEND 2 Stars - Weak The fear of unexpected consequences with genetic engineering
has
permeated
modern
life.
Recognizing
the
good
intentions
of
the
scientists
who
are
working
diligently
to
create
cures
for
the
maladies
that
plague
us,
we
are
nevertheless
aware
that
some
cures
may
unexpectedly
destroy
us. That is the premise of Francis Lawrence’s film
“I
Am
Legend.” Based only loosely on the novel by Richard Matheson, Mark Protosevich
(The
Cell)
and
Akiva
Goldsman
(The
Da
Vinci
Code)
create
a
screenplay
which
walks
with
us
into
the
horror
of
a
world
that
has
lost
its
people.
The
cause
is
given
in
the
first
minute
of
the
film
as
we
watch
an
appropriately
proud
genetic
engineer
(Emma
Thompson)
explain
on
a
morning
news
show
that
she
has
cured
cancer. The method was simple: she took the measles virus and genetically
changed
it
to
fight
the
cancer
cells.
She
explains
it
in
analogical
form
when
she
asks
her
audience
to
imagine
a
car
being
driven
by
a
bad
man
and
doing
bad
things. What she and her research team were able to do is take the bad man
out
and
replace
it
with
a
cop.
What
she
didn’t
realize
at
the
time
was
that
it
was
a
bad
cop. Within three years the human race on the planet
has
been
decimated. Taking some of the lessons of the film “Castaway” in which
the
Tom
Hank’s
character
was
alone
on
screen
for
a
majority
of
the
film
and
needed
both
for
his
sake
and
for
the
audience’s
to
create
an
imaginary
relationship
with
a
volleyball,
Robert
Neville
(Will
Smith)
is
the
last
man
alive
in
New
York
City.
To
give
him
a
companion
and
for
dialogue,
he
is
accompanied
by
his
trusted
friend,
Samantha,
his
son’s
German
Shepherd
dog. A research scientist within the military, Lt. Col. Neville
decides
to
send
his
family
away
when
the
government
quarantined
the
City
where
the
new
virus
was
first
used
and
where
it
first
began
to
kill
its
hosts. Believing that he can stop it, Nevill sets
up
a
sophisticated
lab
in
the
basement
of
his
home
and
begins
the
task
of
animal
and
human
experiments.
We
view
the
devastation
from
both
the
effect
it
has
on
him
individually
and
the
devolution
it
causes
to
society
and
the
world
as
a
whole. As a science fiction film, there are many loose ends to this
fascinating
premise.
It
could
be
made
stronger
in
a
variety
of
ways.
But
it
is
a
film
that
explores
many
current
fears
including
the
question
of
whether
God
would
intervene
if
humanity
purposely
or
inadvertently
was
destroying
itself.
That
is
a
question
with
an
answer
we
hope
we
do
not
have
to
find
out.
Discussion:
________________ Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual movie commentary.
Hal
Conklin
is
former
mayor
of
Santa
Barbara
and
Denny
Wayman
is
pastor
of
the
Free
Methodist
Church.
For
more
reviews:
http://www.cinemainfocus.com.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| Select
a Category: HOME | MOVIE REVIEWS | 4 STAR REVIEWS | TRAILERS ABOUT US | CONTACT US | LINKS | PUBLISHING PERMISSION |
|
|
© 2000-2007 Cinema In Focus
