The God of "Legend"
If everyone on earth is gone, except for a lonely Will Smith and his loyal German Shepherd, does it mean God has left the building, too? That’s one of the themes explored in the blockbuster sci-fi epic I Am Legend, based on the novel by Richard Matheson.
Smith plays Robert Neville, the lone survivor of the aftermath of a “miracle” cure that proceeds to wipe out quite a bit more than cancer. He spends his days practicing his golf swing, working his way through a DVD rental store and broadcasting for other survivors. He also dons a lab coat attempting to reverse the effects the virus has had on the unfriendly zombie/vampire hybrids he spends his evenings avoiding.
As you might expect, it’s not highbrow art but an unapologetically apocalyptic action movie; a good excuse for the filmmakers to cause viewers to jump and Smith to carry a gun around dropping a few one-liners. Still, as the proverbial atheist in a foxhole, he manages to question whether or not there is still a chance for divine intervention at the end of the world, much like Mel Gibson’s character did in another sci-fi flick, “Signs.”
Although some viewers may be uncomfortable mixing questions of faith in a world populated by zombies, others consider that even under the most nightmarish and far-fetched circumstances, there will always be God.
Review by DeWayne Hamby
Smith plays Robert Neville, the lone survivor of the aftermath of a “miracle” cure that proceeds to wipe out quite a bit more than cancer. He spends his days practicing his golf swing, working his way through a DVD rental store and broadcasting for other survivors. He also dons a lab coat attempting to reverse the effects the virus has had on the unfriendly zombie/vampire hybrids he spends his evenings avoiding.
As you might expect, it’s not highbrow art but an unapologetically apocalyptic action movie; a good excuse for the filmmakers to cause viewers to jump and Smith to carry a gun around dropping a few one-liners. Still, as the proverbial atheist in a foxhole, he manages to question whether or not there is still a chance for divine intervention at the end of the world, much like Mel Gibson’s character did in another sci-fi flick, “Signs.”
Although some viewers may be uncomfortable mixing questions of faith in a world populated by zombies, others consider that even under the most nightmarish and far-fetched circumstances, there will always be God.
Review by DeWayne Hamby
posted by Drew Dyck at 11:08 AM
3 Comments:
Amen to this review. Some worthy topics raised in Legend, even if those topics are not resolved by the end in fully satisfying way.
I recently saw "Big Willie's" (my pet name for him ever since Independence Day) latest epic. He continues to grow as a performer and I was not dis-pleased. The film indicates that prior to the epidemic, he was a man of some faith. Evident by his wife and daughter praying right before they took off in the helicopter. It seemed a natural thing they did as a family.
He apparently lost his faith because of the oncoming disaster but later reconnected at the end. Kudos to the writers for including at least that much!
I liked Legend because I like Smith as an actor. Nevertheless, I did see a contradiction. At one point in the movie Smith's character says, "God didn't do this (creating the zombie-making virus), we did this." I agreed with that because I believe that this world is in such a mess due to the decisions made by mankind. But not long after that, the woman in the movie expresses her belief that God has made a way out for them and Neville (Smith's character) says, "There is no God."
I see this a lot in movies these days. Hollywood seems to love to say "There is no God." That's not surprising when you consider who's really over the system.
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