I Am Not Beowulf
Posted on | December 26, 2007 at 7:17 pm | 2 Comments
I am not really Legend either…
There was a break in the never-ending snowstorm cycle today, so I went out and saw the IMAX version of I Am Legend. I got to the theater only a few minutes before it started and was surprised it wasn’t sold out. There were lots of seats left. I guess a lot of people had to go back to work today, unlike me. [Slight spoilers follow] The movie was interesting and suspenseful, but I couldn’t help thinking I’d seen it all before: zombies/vampires, last survivor(s) of civilization, empty New York City, etc. Will Smith’s performance saved it somewhat, although I had trouble with the fact that his character was a total superman who could do anything: scientist/doctor, military colonel, hunter, engineer, totally buff athlete, devoted family man, great pet owner, and cook. If it were me, I would’ve given up once my iPod ran out of battery power. So it was nice to see him go a little crazy in his isolation, especially at the turning point where his Life Altering Event happens. (Well, second life-altering event, since I guess you have to count being the last man alive in NYC as the first.)
I felt the last act of the movie was strangely anti-climatic for a big Hollywood action flick. Maybe that’s a good thing. Aside from kind of a lengthy fight, there was no big action set piece. It’s weird: for a movie where the hero spends most of the time by himself, you’d think that things would get more interesting once others show up. But that’s where the movie starts to go downhill. And perhaps that’s why it ended somewhat abruptly. To me, it was more interesting seeing how this one guy gets along in a World Gone Mad than to see what happens when others come into his life.
And hey, if I were the last man on earth, alone for a few years, and the last woman on earth suddenly shows up, I’d be doing more than just watching a Shrek DVD.
One reason I really wanted to see the IMAX version of the movie (which was an awesome presentation, as always) was because I heard they were showing the first six minutes of The Dark Knight, the new Batman movie. (I raved about the trailer here.) There was really no Batman in it, although there were some quick flashes of him in a montage of scenes at the end, but what it did show looked pretty cool. William Finchter shined in his brief role as a bank manager who’s more than just a bank manager, and the first look at the Joker was chilling. Okay, there was a bit of high improbability there involving some school buses, but I’m willing to let it slide, because that’s how things are in Batman’s world, especially with the Joker involved. The scene was supposedly filmed with IMAX cameras, so it looks really, really good. It filled up the whole IMAX screen, not just a strip in the center like when non-IMAX movies (like Legend) are shown on IMAX screens. The level of detail was incredible.
Jogged Today: No.
Today’s Weight: 164 lbs
Lunch Yesterday: Didn’t really have any again. Late breakfast and early supper.
Pet Peeve of the Day: More snow (4 to 8 inches) coming in tomorrow! Good thing I’m on vacation and don’t need to be anywhere!
If you haven’t yet voted in the God Poll, please do so now! Voting is open for a few more days. Results are pretty even at this point.
Latre.
Comments
2 Responses to “I Am Not Beowulf”
December 26th, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
My favorite ‘last man alive’ movie has always been “The Quiet Earth”, a New Zealand film from 1985 based on a novel I’ve never been able to track down. Not too much in the way of fights – although there is a buff black dude, of sorts – but it’s definitely got one of the weirdest, coolest endings ever. I see it’s on Netflix, for those who slavishly follow my recommendations.
Also big kudos to 1975’s “A Boy and his Dog”, although that’s not quite a ‘last man alive’ movie per se. But – great ending? Check!!
December 26th, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
I think I saw Quiet Earth a long time ago, but I don’t remember anything about it.
And of course I have Boy and His Dog on DVD, because I’m a Don Johnson completist.