Blu-ray Review: I Am Legend
By
Jon Liu
Video Format: 2:35:1 1080p
Audio Formats: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Release Date: March 18, 2008
General
“The last man on earth is not alone.”
In the year 2009, scientists discover a way to genetically alter the measles virus to cure cancer, or so they thought. Virologist, Robert Neville (Smith), is the lone survivor of that deadly virus which consumed the human population. Though this virus wiped out almost the entire population, a small percentage of the population mutated into something else. Neville attempts to find a cure for this virus to turn the mutated humans back to normal.
The Blu-ray release includes an alternate ending to the movie, which I felt tied into the movie just a little bit better. I watched the theatrical release and shortly afterwards I ended up watching the alternate ending, in comparison, to see which I preferred.
Tech Specs
Video: From start to finish the image of this movie was simply stunning. Right at the beginning of the movie my wife commented on how great it looked and it got me excited, although somewhat leery, at how the rest of the film would hold up. Resolution and detail is immaculate. The beginning sequence of the movie is comprised of mostly long, distant shots that looked razor sharp. There are plenty of close-up shots that retained the same amount of resolve, as well. In the nighttime sequences that offered the chance to lose some detail, the resolution and detail never really let up. Part of that is the great black levels, which are neither crushed nor too light. The majority of the movie’s color palette is somewhat drab, but there are a couple instances of vibrant colors, i.e. the red Ford Mustang at the beginning of the movie. My only complaint, and not so much a complaint of the video transfer, itself, but the instances of CG in this film were pretty apparent.
Audio: The audio aspect was as equally impressive as the video. From the beginning of the movie all the way to the end, the audio never lets up. The surround speakers were in constant use. Ambience and subtle detail of a desolate New York City provide a great assistance to give a good sense of the "alone-ness" that Neville experiences. Suspenseful portions of the movie retain a certain amount of silence with perfect amount of ambient noise to really tense up those sequences. Directional surround usage ramps up as the film’s action sequences occur. Low frequency remains prominent throughout and at times lends a hand to give a good sense of impact and tactile response. It never becomes too dominant or overbearing, either.
Extras
Included on this disc are the alternate version of the movie, a plethora of short featurettes and making-of videos, and a selection of animated comics that didn’t seem to correlate with the movie itself.
Menus/Navigation
The menu and navigation system was very straightforward. I really like how Warner Brothers has been doing their releases. Instead of going through a handful of trailers, warnings, and other unnecessary fluff, only to be dumped to the main menu, Warner has opted to start the movie automatically (after one warning and the WB logo introduction). I wish more studios would follow Warner’s example.
Overall Impressions
I was really looking forward to picking up I Am Legend on Blu-ray, since I missed my chance to see this movie during the theatrical run. I believe that this film did a fantastic job of creating a connection between the viewers and Robert Neville and I attribute that to Smith’s ability to command the screen. The same sort of ‘alone’ feeling that was created in the movie Cast Away was provided in this movie, and Smith does a splendid job at keeping the attention of the audience. The obvious CG work could’ve been better, but honestly, it did not deter me from enjoying this movie as much as I did. This film was a great emotional roller coaster and I am actually eager to watch this movie again.
