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I Am Legend, run through the fanfilter
Jan. 4th, 2008 04:29 pmSo I did something relatively rare for me and went to an honest-to-Christ MOTION PICTURE, in a CINEMA. Madness! Eighteen dollars for a flick and a bag of Skittles -- part of my brain is just like, "!!!!!" but at the same time, there's something about the experience that's wired deep, deep into my DNA and yes, I will pay money for it, fine. Life costs money, and there you are.
And you know, like the last two times I remember doing this (Pan's Labyrinth and The Simpsons), I don't begrudge it, because God, I thought it was great -- and it's one that you *should* see on a big screen, for both the cinematography and the sound, and also the way that scary movies are less scary in your living room. (I wouldn't call IAL a horror flick, really -- it's a psychological drama as much as or more than anything -- but there were some undeniable OH HOLY SHIT kind of moments that made me really, really glad I wasn't alone in the house afterward.) Full disclosure, the ending is kind of, eh, standard, which is a little bit of a letdown after the rest of the movie was so intense, but by then I was really already sold on the whole thing and in the mood for forgiveness. Also full disclosure, I *love* Will Smith and add an automatic ten points in my head to any movie he's in (although in some cases, that only elevates the movie from *oh, Jesus, my eyes* to *well, at least it had Will Smith...*) I realize this puts me kind of outside the critical mainstream; there's this cadre of actors of my generation who -- I don't know, because they're youngish? because they're pretty? because they had/have heartthrob status? -- I always feel like are not really getting the cred they deserve. Will Smith and Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio particularly, their reviews are always like, "ah, he was pretty good," and I'm left going "Seriously? Pretty good -- seriously?!?" Cast what aspersions you will on me, cinemaphiles, but I truly don't see what it is that guys like Brando and DeNiro have that these guys don't. (Admittedly, it's really hard to judge genius in a field that's outside your own. A friend once took me to see Itzaak Perlman in concert, and you know, I thought it sounded really nice, but I felt like I didn't appreciate it the way I should have, because I know fuckall about the violin, and I'm quite sure that if she'd taken me to see the twenty-fifth best violinist alive, it would've sounded really nice to me, too. The difference between Will Smith and Robert DeNiro is probably something like that.) All that said -- Will Smith is really fucking good in this movie. And also totally fucking adorable holding a puppy. I mean, many people are. But still, he really brings holding-an-adorable-puppy-adorably the next level.
Okay, that's...more than I thought I'd have to say before getting into the actual movie in a spoilery sense. But from here on out, MANY, MANY SPOILERS.
SPOILERS!!! Spoilers ahead for I Am Legend!
( Because what I really want to talk about is Ronon Dex )
And you know, like the last two times I remember doing this (Pan's Labyrinth and The Simpsons), I don't begrudge it, because God, I thought it was great -- and it's one that you *should* see on a big screen, for both the cinematography and the sound, and also the way that scary movies are less scary in your living room. (I wouldn't call IAL a horror flick, really -- it's a psychological drama as much as or more than anything -- but there were some undeniable OH HOLY SHIT kind of moments that made me really, really glad I wasn't alone in the house afterward.) Full disclosure, the ending is kind of, eh, standard, which is a little bit of a letdown after the rest of the movie was so intense, but by then I was really already sold on the whole thing and in the mood for forgiveness. Also full disclosure, I *love* Will Smith and add an automatic ten points in my head to any movie he's in (although in some cases, that only elevates the movie from *oh, Jesus, my eyes* to *well, at least it had Will Smith...*) I realize this puts me kind of outside the critical mainstream; there's this cadre of actors of my generation who -- I don't know, because they're youngish? because they're pretty? because they had/have heartthrob status? -- I always feel like are not really getting the cred they deserve. Will Smith and Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio particularly, their reviews are always like, "ah, he was pretty good," and I'm left going "Seriously? Pretty good -- seriously?!?" Cast what aspersions you will on me, cinemaphiles, but I truly don't see what it is that guys like Brando and DeNiro have that these guys don't. (Admittedly, it's really hard to judge genius in a field that's outside your own. A friend once took me to see Itzaak Perlman in concert, and you know, I thought it sounded really nice, but I felt like I didn't appreciate it the way I should have, because I know fuckall about the violin, and I'm quite sure that if she'd taken me to see the twenty-fifth best violinist alive, it would've sounded really nice to me, too. The difference between Will Smith and Robert DeNiro is probably something like that.) All that said -- Will Smith is really fucking good in this movie. And also totally fucking adorable holding a puppy. I mean, many people are. But still, he really brings holding-an-adorable-puppy-adorably the next level.
Okay, that's...more than I thought I'd have to say before getting into the actual movie in a spoilery sense. But from here on out, MANY, MANY SPOILERS.
SPOILERS!!! Spoilers ahead for I Am Legend!
( Because what I really want to talk about is Ronon Dex )
