The Film
From the very first scene and the brief appearance of the always-radiant Emma Thompson (uncredited!) as the scientist responsible for a horrible plague that virtually wipes out the human race, creating in is place a new population of horrific zombie-like "dark seekers," I was consistently, pleasantly surprised by the intelligence of I Am Legend. The script, adapted from Richard Matheson's influential novel, was co-penned by one of the men to blame for Batman & Robin and Lost in Space, but from the psychological issues of Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith, a genuine star), seemingly the last man on Earth and the only hope for a cure, to the clinical nuts and bolts of said panacea, the movie challenges its audience in a way few mainstream entertainments do these days. It's certainly not without its flaws, but I enjoyed it more than expected upon repeat Blu-ray viewings.
Warner has now re-issued I Am Legend as one of its lavish "Ultimate Collector's Edition" boxed sets, just in time for the holidays, almost one year to the day after its theatrical release.
For an alternate take on the film, see Joe Lozito's review.
Read Chris Boylan's review of the earlier Blu-ray edition.
The Picture
The Sound
It's the often minimalistic--not silent, mind you-- Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundfield that's so striking here for much of the movie. (Be warned: The disc defaults to Dolby Digital so you'll need to change it in the menu). Even before the title appears, we're on edge, and the slightest offscreen noise keeps us there. Surrounds are deftly utilized, whether we're driving through a flock of birds or spinning out of control, listening to the leaky pipes in an abandoned building or of course the gangs of freaks wilding about outside at night. The rears are even good for the occasional laugh, as when Neville slices one of his golf balls off of the U.S.S. Intrepid. Dialogue, while there isn't always much of it, reproduces clearly.
The Extras
I Am Legend was a tentpole release and a serious box office hit, so we probably should have seen this double-dip coming. The extras from the March 2008 disc were somewhat limited, all carried over for this new Ultimate Collector's Edition, so re-gift or eBay your old copy with confidence. The 21-minute doc "Cautionary Tale: The Science of I Am Legend," which underscores the research which obviously went into the script; the 51-and-a-half-minute "Creating I Am Legend," broken into in 21 neat little chapters, and the four Animated Comics--not full animation but incorporating little tricks and solid audio to help tell their tie-in stories--are again presented in high-definition.
This time, the "Alternate Version" of the film is on its own separate disc instead of the prior seamless branching approach, although I'm not entirely sure why: Upon an accelerated viewing of this different cut, the only differences I could find were the last few minutes plus a quick bit of foreshadowing in an earlier scene. It looks like full high-def quality though, and audio is still Dolby TrueHD.
New for this set are the "The Making of I Am Legend" (in standard definition) and "I Am Legend: Making of Shots" (HD), this second featurette deconstructing some of the most memorable images to show how they were achieved. Each runs approximately 26 minutes. The "Focus Points" feature allows us the option to branch off from the movie briefly, via an onscreen icon, for glimpses behind the scenes. I soon discovered however that this merely folds the various chapters of "Creating I Am Legend" into the main movie presentation. A dozen "never-before-seen" deleted scenes totaling 20 minutes (SD) are assembled, with optional commentary by director Francis Lawrence and producer-screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who also contribute a full running commentary for the film. There's a lot more with the lovely Anna (Alice Braga), but these engaging moments would have surely slowed down the third act.
Disc Three is a DVD containing separate digital copies of the movie for iTunes/iPod, PC and portable Windows Media Video player. But there are also tchotchkes galore in store: a book of movie stills including before-and-after overlays of Manhattan, six art prints of other devastated cities around the world, plus a clear block containing a lenticular motion image of the climactic confrontation between man and mutant.
Final Thoughts
While not a true "home run" in terms of new and next-gen video content, those who can't get enough of Will Smith fighting dark seekers in the ghost town of Manhattan will probably let loose the Alpha Male wail of joy upon finding this Ultimate Collector's Edition under the tree.
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