The following review may contain spoilers...

A wonderful breakthrough has meant a cure for all forms of cancer. Just a few years later the supposed cure has led to the practical extinction of the human race. In New York, just one man - Robert Neville (Will Smith) - and his dog remain.

Hunting for antelope and avoiding lions in Times Square, Robert and his dog survive because he is immune to the virus. By avoiding the shadows he protects himself from the other survivors - well, people who were not killed by the virus, but who could hardly be called human anymore.

Neville spends much of his time trying to come up with a cure for their condition, but it seems like a losing battle. Unfortunately he under-estimates his foes and soon, despite all his best security measures, he finds himself in serious danger.

Will Smith is one of those actors who continues to jump between genres - originally a comedy actor in films like Men In Black and tv shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, he has also done action (Bad Boys 2) and drama (The pursuit of happyness). But this is his first horror/sci-fi film, but he fits the role like a glove.

Unlike a lot of films of this kind, this one doesn't go overboard with blood and gore. It also doesn't over do the number of encounters with the enemy. If I were to describe it as anything it would be a "grown-up" vampire film because of how much credibility it has. The fact that the creatures are not refered to as "vampires" or "zombies" also makes it credible.

The fact is that they don't fit the description of either - the sunlight aversion certainly gives them vampiric characteristics but their feeding habits make them seem far more like zombies. My conclusion is that they are neither.

The comedian in Smith comes through at times: In one scene he recites word for word a scene from Shrek - so used to being alone that having company no longer comes naturally.

What I liked most was the ending - this kind of ending is rare in films of this genre - where for some reason writers love a negative twist. I really enjoyed this film and its certainly one I'll consider buying. One to see!

see also:
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, X Men: First Class, Avatar, Star Trek

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