Will Smith is Robert Neville, the only survivor of a plague that has killed 90% of humanity, and left the rest infected with a disease that turns them into vampire-like monsters. Neville was a military scientist studying the disease, which originated as a cure for cancer. Even as the rest of Manhattan rushes to evacuate, including his family, he refuses to leave because New York is “ground zero for the outbreak.” We catch up on his back story in flashbacks while we watch Neville go about his daily routine, hunting for food, scavenging for supplies, and even capturing infected survivors to test possible cures on. The movie’s plot deviates significantly from the novel, but for the most part, I thought the changes were decent, and reasonable adaptations for the big screen. The ending (which is the biggest change) is somewhat weak, and attempts to pick up the redemption theme that was introduced inThe Omega Man. Just like the other movies and the original novel, the best parts of this film are early on, looking into the psychology of a survivor. Will Smith said in interviews that he spoke with prisoners who spent long periods of time in solitary confinement, and that research shows in the way Neville painstakingly follows his routine, staying alive almost out of force of habit, and the near-breakdown he suffers when his routine is disrupted by another survivor. Of the three, this is easily the best adaptation, and even if you hate the ending, the first half is incredibly good. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

This review is the fourth in a four-part series reviewing Richard Matheson’s novelI am Legend, and the three movies that have been made based on it: Vincent Price’sThe Last Man on Earth, Charlton Heston’sThe Omega Man, and Will Smith’sI am Legend.