When the trailer (version1, version2) for the movie came out, i remember being very excited. I waited patiently for it's release, which luckily wasn't so difficult since there were many pretty good and highly anticipated movies that released towards the end of 2007. After watching the trailer right, i expected it to be a little like "Resident Evil", a popcorn action-horror-suspense flick with a lot of good looking action scenes, entertaining not so overdone stunts and a simple one dimensional storyline with minimal dramatic character issues, something like that, but ofcourse Will Smith is too good and too big an actor to be starring in a popcorn flick so it increased my expectations a little bit.
Sadly though, i wasn't able to watch it on it's opening day because of my university opening semester week so i was able to get some feedback from the newspaper reviewers and some friends on the movie before i actually watched it. Now that i've watched it, personally, i give it a 2 thumbs up. A definite must watch for those who like a moderate paced suspense-action movie. i believe it's one of those movies that's a keeper, where you should buy the DVD when it comes out because you would want to watch it again sometime in the future. i think what's special about the movie is how they emphasized on the fear of living in forced solitude, as my friend calls it, and also the fear of loosing the reason to live and to survive while being all alone, like literally. Some parts of the movie will just really put you at the edge of your seat. i believe they did really well in playing with the audiences emotions, in anticipating something really bad to happen and just keep on building that feeling up to the climax, in my view, where his dog runs into the dark area. That was just freaky to me. You could somehow feel the fear that was going through Robert Neville's mind and you'd just join him panting heavily because of it. It's been a while since i was so freaked watching a movie. Then there were the sad parts where you just emphatize him, you'd just want to cry.
On the other hand, i can understand why some critics condemned the movie for being in some words "boring", "slow", and too silent or something like that. It is, i think, because it was intentionally done that way to achieve a very heavy, serious feel to the movie to again emphasize on that forced solitude thing i mentioned earlier. Like the silence of being the only one alive. Eerie. But that's the thing, if you come in looking for a fast paced action flick with lots of blood and disgusting killing stunts like in "30 Days of Night", you might just be disappointed. And on some reviewers saying that it's somehow a lot like "28 Days Later", i personally think that this movie is a lot more entertaining and well arranged. Well, i wasn't disappointed. i really appreciate how the movie made me think about a lot of issues after watching it and it's always nice to see Will Smith at his best. i believe i would be going to a bookstore soon to get the novel, since some say the ending in there was better. Well, can't wait. Will definitely be amongst the influential movies of 2008.
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