Richard Matheson's prescient 1954 novella "I Am Legend" has inspired everything from George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" zombie movies to such post-apocalyptic thrillers as "28 Days Later."
The book also spawned two earlier movie adaptations — the science-fiction/horror-thrillers "The Last Man on Earth" (1964, starring Vincent Price) and "The Omega Man" (1971, Charlton Heston).
While this new third version actually bears the book's title, in many respects it's more of an "Omega Man" remake than a faithful adaptation of the story — albeit better than the '71 film, which has not aged well.
"I Am Legend" doesn't have that earlier movie's hokey religious symbolism, and it's pretty tense at times. But it does have a few similar weaknesses, including a rather rushed ending.
Will Smith stars in this near-future tale as Robert Neville, a virologist who finds himself alone in New York City after a genetically modified virus wipes out most of the Earth's population.
Neville was one of a few humans with an immunity to the virus, although hordes of so-called "dark seekers" — once-human, now vampirelike creatures — have killed most or all of those other survivors.
A former soldier, Neville spends his days foraging for food and supplies. He's also working on an antidote for the viral vampirism, using his blood as a possible curative agent. And secretly, he hopes to find other normal humans.
Director Francis Lawrence ("Constantine") definitely knows how to build and sustain tension. The confrontations between Smith's character and the dark seekers are pretty well-done. However, those computer-generated characters — which were done with some of the same motion-capture technology as "Beowulf" — aren't completely convincing.
Still, Smith is, as always, a likable hero, and his unforced performance is definitely a saving grace. He's very believable once the disappointed Neville's sanity stars to wane.
Sharp-eyed eyed viewers will also be able to spot an uncredited Emma Thompson in early scenes as a medical researcher, as well as Smith's daughter, Willow, who appears in brief flashback sequences.
"I Am Legend" is rated PG-13 for strong scenes of violent action (creature attacks, animal violence, shootings, and explosive and vehicular mayhem), gore and blood, drug content (use of hypodermic needles and experimental vaccines) and scattered profanity. Running time: 100 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com