"I Am Legend" is one of the few movies I saw at the theater in 2007 (I have 2 kids, one of which is an infant, so it's hard for me to get to the theater these days). I usually only go see a film at the theater if I am VERY interested in it. Other than that, I wait for the DVD release.



For me, paying to see this at the theater was WELL worth the money. I have not read the original book (but I plan to now that I've seen the film), so I really can't say how accurately the original story is portrayed. Regardless, I was RIVETED. I found the story to be very intriguing, suspenseful, sad, heart-warming, and downright nerve-wracking.



What really held my attention, though, was Will Smith's performance. He has definitely come a long way since his "Fresh Prince" days. This man can carry a role like a champion (I also recommend his peformance in "The Pursuit of Happyness" - it was Oscar-worthy). His performance took me in and made me sympathize with the character as if he were my best friend. >>>SPOILER ALERT<<< When he ended up having to kill his beloved pet, I was almost in tears. You could feel Neville's anguish and pain beneath his determination to find a cure.



Most of the detractors to this film seem to site the poor CGI effects that depicted the infected as being a major downfall of the movie. Yes, I've seen better, but this did not distract me or diminish my enjoyment of the film. From what I understand, the director originally had actors in make up and costumes to portray the infected, but it just didn't work and was not very convincing, so they decided to switch to CGI. Perhaps they were forced to do a "rush job" which resulted in subpar creature effects. Just my two cents' worth.



As for the DVD itself, the picture and sound quality are both very good, but the extras that are offered really aren't all that much to rave about. There are a few "animated comics" that take place in other parts of the world that have to do with the virus infection, but are unrelated to Neville's story. These comics are well-done and stylish, but they aren't very long. There really could have been more special features offered. A "making of" short would have been nice, but instead, you can download a digital copy of the film. Big woop.



This particular release also comes with an alternate ending not shown in theaters. In my personal opinion, the original theatrical ending was better. Again, just my two cents'.



All in all, "I Am Legend" was an excellent film worthy of adding to your home video library.