Will Smith, Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan in the Francis Lawrence movie ‘I Am Legend’

Loosely based on the 1954 Richard Matheson novel I Am Legend, the science fiction horror movie I Am Legend (2007) as directed by Francis Lawrence captures our look today. Writing credits for the 2007 movie rest with Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman. The movie, set in New York City, New York, sees a measles-based virus built to cure cancer go post-apocalyptically wrong. A single man finds himself isolated in Manhattan to develop a cure while fighting virus-infected mutants bent on infecting anyone still healthy.

(From left, Will Smith as Robert Neville, Willow Smith as Marley Neville and Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Zoe Neville in the Francis Lawrence movie I Am Legend).

Set in 2012, three-years after an intended cancer cure has turned lethal, Will Smith portrayed United States Army virologist Robert Neville in I Am Legend. Neville follows a daily routine of seeking food and supplies, experimenting on rats to counteract the lethal disease, and waiting for infected survivors at the South Street Seaport, where a recurring recorded message directs people. We learn of a sad backstory for Neville’s wife and daughter, Zoe and Marley as portrayed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Willow Smith, through flashbacks of the evacuation of Manhattan before the current day of the film. That backstory adds depth to Neville’s attempts in the current day, along with his dog Samantha (Sam) as portrayed by Abbey and Kona, to cope with loneliness.

(From left, Will Smith as Robert Neville and Abbey as Samantha (Sam) in the Francis Lawrence movie I Am Legend).

The substance of the action for the movie begins when Robert and Sam pursue a deer into a darkened building, encountering infected people harmed by daylight called Darkseekers. Using a snare trap, Neville captures an infected female bonded to an infected male to take to Neville’s Washington Square Park home for experimentation, seemingly without success.

(From top, Will Smith as Robert Neville and Kona as Samantha (Sam) in the Francis Lawrence movie I Am Legend).

The next day, Robert is snared outside Grand Central Station and, waking near sunset to have an excruciating turn occur when he and Sam defend themselves against a pack of dogs. Neville acts out in grief, with Anna and a young boy named Ethan from Maryland, having come to South Street Seaport owing to Robert’s broadcast. The veracity of Anna and Ethan’s stories of travel through Maryland, Bethel, Vermont, and São Paulo, Brazil worries Robert Neville. At least two separate movie endings exist, with the alternate ending rather than the ending shown in movie theatres reportedly considered canonical for the sake of a movie slated to serve as a sequel to I Am Legend reportedly in production. Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan portrayed Anna and Ethan, respectively.

(From left, Alice Braga as Anna, Charlie Tahan as Ethan and Will Smith as Robert Neville in the Francis Lawrence move I Am Legend).

Other movies made based on the 1954 book I Am Legend have included The Last Man on Earth (1964) and The Omega Man (1971). I grant I Am Legend as directed by Francis Lawrence 3.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, May 11, 2024

Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie ‘King Richard’

Fierce determination for a just outcome in realizing talent against cultural obstacles brings us to the tennis world today. Dramatization of the role Richard Williams, Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price and their family experienced in aiding the rise of tennis players Venus Williams and Serena Williams as successful tennis players is the subject of the movie King Richard (2021).

(From left, Will Smith as Richard Williams and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

The Reinaldo Marcus Green directed movie King Richard focuses heavily on the role Richard Williams, as portrayed by Will Smith, had in parenting his two biological kids with Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price to elite levels in women’s tennis. Price, married to Richard through the period considered by the movie, was portrayed by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Williams was single-minded in raising Venus and Serena to be tennis players with as many level-setting advantages as they could get, which included efforts to steer his two biological and at points his three step daughters away from unhelpful elements in their Compton, California neighborhood. Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton portrayed Venus and Serena Williams, respectively.

(From left, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams, Will Smith as Richard Williams, Demi Singleton as Serena Williams, Tony Goldwyn as Paul Cohen, Christopher Wallinger as John McEnroe and Chase Del Rey as Pete Sampras in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

While Brandy and Richard were skilled tennis players in their own right, there were thoughts that coaching from professionals with influence in professional, or amateur leading to professional, coaching would be better. This led Williams to bring his young daughters Venus and Serena to a practice Paul Cohen was administering for a pair of professionals on the men’s tennis tour. Cohen, portrayed by Tony Goldwyn, would agree to coach only one of the sisters for free. Venus received the professional coaching as Serena would be coached by Brandy, her mother.

(Five daughters lived in the home of Richard Williams and Oracene ‘Brandy’ Price at the beginning of King Richard. From left, Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew as Yetunde Price, Layla Crawford as Lyndrea Price, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams, Daniele Lawson as Isha Price and Demi Singleton as Serena Williams were portrayed in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

An eventual disagreement over the personal effect that participating in tournaments, as Cohen recommended as the eventual means of the Williams daughters becoming professional, that led to drama within the tennis playing and human upbringing of the Williams sisters. Connecting to Rick Macci, as portrayed by Jon Bernthal, led the family to Florida for training. The strong wills of Rick Macci and Richard Williams would conflict frequently, yet a significant beauty of the King Richard landed for me in how this and the eventual results for the Williams‘ girls were portrayed for the family and in actual life.

(From left, Will Smith as Richard Williams and Jon Bernthal as Rick Macci in the Reinaldo Marcus Green movie King Richard).

The underlying humanity and nuance in the King Richard story worked really well. Credit for this in part rests with the screenplay of Zach Baylin, along with the production of Will Smith and the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green. Having enjoyed the biography, the sports content, the humanity and the performances of Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, I give Reinaldo Marcus Green‘s King Richard 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, June 3, 2023

Will Smith, Gene Hackman and the Tony Scott movie ‘Enemy of the State’

Looking for an action-packed movie with a sharp storyline with a star-studded cast led by director Tony Scott? The movie Enemy of the State (1998) offers much for you in these regards, plus is as much a Christmas movie as the movie Die Hard (1988) will ever be.

(From left, Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean and Gene Hackman as Edward Lyle in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

Robert Clayton Dean and Edward Lyle, as portrayed by Will Smith and Gene Hackman respectively, are reluctantly pulled together in a bizarre string of events in Enemy of the State. The individual stories underpinning this pairing begins in advance of their awareness of one another when the ambition of Thomas Brian Reynolds, as portrayed by Jon Voight, sets something much bigger in motion.

(From left, Regina King as Carla Dean and Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

The familial life of Robert Clayton Dean is introduced with an introduction to Eric and Carla Dean, portrayed by Jascha Washington and Regina King, respectively. This occurs after learning that Robert is a lawyer in the crosshairs of Mob Boss Paulie Pintero, as portrayed by Tom Sizemore, and has been threatened.

(From left, Lisa Bonet as Rachel F. Banks and Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

When actions initiated by Thomas Bryan Reynolds get out of hand, Robert Clayton Dean is sucked into the suspense and action along with former college love interest Rachel F. Banks, as portrayed by Lisa Bonet. Neither were seeking a spotlight to their relationship, and the well written storyline ties together the backstory of these with an emotional punch.

(Prominently from left – Jon Voight as Thomas Brian Reynolds, Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean and Tom Sizemore as Mob Boss Paulie Pintero in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

With keeping much of the David Marconi screenplay details held back for you to focus on watching the movie, let me be clear that the movie moves quickly and is an opportunity for clear action and suspenseful punch. The movie is consistent in storyline and built from a premise that, admittedly far-fetched in certain aspects, is based in motivations that are spot on and real life.

(From left, director Tony Scott and actor Will Smith on set of the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

This reviewer for one enjoyed the experience of Enemy of the State. The initial premise is offered right off the bat. The action moves quickly and the pace of the movie is even, smart and kept me in my seat for the duration. For these reasons, I give Enemy of the State as directed by Tony Scott 4.00-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, March 13, 2021

Will Smith and Clive Owen in the Ang Lee film ‘Gemini Man’

The movie Gemini Man (2019) deserves better than the box office gate this film feels like it is going to receive. The reception from critics are doing nobody any favors when it comes to a movie that deserves better than the press is giving this film. Go see the movie Gemini Man.

(Benedict Wong as Baron, left, and Will Smith as Henry Brogan in the film Gemini Man).

The movie Gemini Man itself begins with a strong introduction to the action film that it is. Will Smith stars as Henry Brogan, an assassin at the top of his field seeking to retire. The initial mystery following Henry’s decision to retire is the larger question of why walking away into the sunset would not be a satisfactory outcome to whomever seems to have placed hit on his head.

(Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Danny Zakarweski in the film Gemini Man).

Danny Zakarewski, as played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is tasked with surveiling Henry as Henry visits a friend by boat. Circumstances quickly change, bringing the lives of Danny, Henry and others into question. An alliance between Danny and Henry are formed, with a trip oversees that introduces us to Baron, as portrayed by Benedict Wong.

(Clive Owen as Clay Verris, left, and Will Smith as Junior in the film Gemini Man).

The film itself is cinematically stunning, which in parts introduces the audience to the characters of Junior as played by Will Smith and Clay Verris as played by Clive Owens. The larger drama partly deals in the backstories of Verris, Brogan, Baron and Junior while layering more intrigue than it is fair to divulge for those who haven’t seen the film.

(Gemini Man director Ang Lee).

Ang Lee directed this film, which has meant a more ponderous and intelligent take on the psychological complexities of the characters. Perhaps the Ang Lee film Ride with the Devil (1999) performs better in the complexity regard, though both have had the visually stunning yet lacking emotional depth critique leveled at them. My sense is that this film, for as hard as some find following the action in some of the fight scenes, is that it performs better than some are granting. I enjoyed the film, acknowledging that I would have liked something a bit more from the story of Junior to help bring some emotional heft to the movie experience. My grade for Gemini Man is 3.5-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, October 26, 2019