jimjack on 18/12/2007 at 18:31
I've never read the book.
The trailer looks sweet.
I'm going to catch it this friday!
I ask you: What is not to like about viewing abandoned, decaying city structures. Even if it has been played over and over again.
catbarf on 22/12/2007 at 00:10
Well, I went to go see it today. Started off great... but then it became apparent that this incarnation of Will Smith is exactly the same as every single other one he's played. It just seemed to get worse.
And the plot holes... Oh my god. Why does [SPOILER]the guy kill himself? Why not just toss the grenade and get in the crawlspace? How did the woman and kid get off the island with the bridges destroyed? Why don't we ever see infected rats? Who set up the trap that catches him- if it was a survivor, why the hell didn't they meet him from the radio transmission?[/SPOILER] Etc.
It's a zombie movie. It's a zombie movie that tied Omega Man down, raped it repeatedly and then stole a few elements.
jtr7 on 22/12/2007 at 02:00
I can answer one question:
[SPOILER]The Alpha Dark Seeker set up the trap that catches him. Eye for an eye.[/SPOILER]
As for the other questions, yeah, I agree.
catbarf on 22/12/2007 at 03:31
Quote Posted by jtr7
[SPOILER]The Alpha Dark Seeker set up the trap that catches him. Eye for an eye.[/SPOILER]
[SPOILER]What the fuck? The idea that the zombies are intelligent (or at least some of them) contradicts everything said in the movie, from 'Social imperatives have completely broken down...' to 'They've lost all higher brain function'. It might not be so much of a deal if it weren't for the fact that it goes against the theme of the movie.[/SPOILER]
jtr7 on 22/12/2007 at 03:39
That line struck me as odd, but it could chalked up to Robert's incomprehension. He is losing his grip on reality. [SPOILER]Witness his reaction to the mannequin. The Alpha Dark Seeker is intelligent and cunning, when he isn't given over to his base self.
Witness how the Alpha Dark Seeker had a grip on the dogs, and released them. That was not unintelligent. He commanded the hoards and they listened. Tearing down lights the way they did was intelligent. Robert underestimated them in his drive to heal them and redeem himself.[/SPOILER]
Also, this had nothing to do with Omega Man. It was another adaptation of Matheson's novella. Another adaptation that can't get the ending right.
jimjack on 22/12/2007 at 06:20
I saw it today. It was way too short. I haven't read the book so I can't be dissappointed as readers from the diverging storylines. There are hundreds of movies that have a quick byline in the credits "adapted from blablaha, written by macauthor" and those movies are judged against themselves, not the books they were derived from and they seem to do fine. It's impossible to make a good movie from a book.
The first two thirds of the movie had me creeped out in feeling all claustorphobic in being stuck on this man who has taken to [SPOILER]talking to mannequins to keep himself company[/SPOILER] with a good scare coming once in a while. I think Smith did a great job of running the show and bringing you inside the characters radging alternating fear, hope and paranoia and the opening shots of a deserted New York were phenominal. And just what are the chances of one of the few remaining humans left having the knowledge and the equipment to..ah just niptucking away there.
Summary: I was stoked going in, very happy going out. Except that the kid behind us wouldn't shut up.
catbarf on 22/12/2007 at 16:12
Quote Posted by jimjack
Summary: I was stoked going in, very happy going out. Except that the kid behind us wouldn't shut up.
I was in the theatre. Smith was standing by the mannequin woman. 'Are you going to say hello?'
'Yes' comes from someone in the audience.
'WTF?' is my only thought.
'Yes', again.
'Yeah, I got the pizza...'
Some idiot was on her cell phone.
Ulukai on 23/12/2007 at 21:02
Quote Posted by catbarf
It's a zombie movie that tied Omega Man down, raped it repeatedly and then stole a few elements.
The Omega Man! The zombie film that got me into zombie films in the first place. Ok, so they're not textbook zombies but you know what I mean. Still one of my favourites. If anyone hasn't see the Omega Man, go dig it up.
Can't comment on your comparison for myself yet though as it's not out here until Boxing day.
catbarf on 24/12/2007 at 02:43
Quote Posted by Ulukai
The Omega Man! The zombie film that got me into zombie films in the first place. Ok, so they're not textbook zombies but you know what I mean. Still one of my favourites. If anyone hasn't see the Omega Man, go dig it up.
Can't comment on your comparison for myself yet though as it's not out here until Boxing day.
Well, I understand that I Am Legend (movie) was based on the book, not The Omega Man, but it has several things in common with it:
1. Neville is a medical worker. In the book, he was a powerplant worker or factory worker or somesuch.
2. He's trying to cure them.
What annoys me is how they completely left out the reason for the title:
[SPOILER]In the novel, the plague victims were vampires. Neville would kill them while they slept during the day. Turns out not all of them are vampires, some are infected people who have to sleep during the day but look identical to the vampires. To them, Neville is the equivalent of Dracula or Frankenstein- he is a monster that comes out during the day and kills them in their sleep. To them, he is a legend as much as all our monsters are to us. So they kill him.[/SPOILER]
jtr7 on 24/12/2007 at 02:58
Yeah.
[SPOILER]And they are intelligent, and don't really want to be cured, and they publicly execute him as a criminal after discussing the issue with him.[/SPOILER]
