Its as if the screenwriters or director, or producer ran out of ways to wrap it up. Yesterday, some intrepid soul posted an alternate i am legend ending to youtube. Rather then giving it the intelligence of the book, they ended it with some dumbed down ending for the masses, and no one who sees it could be satisfied by such a. The 1956 i am legend book is a vampire story inspired by dracula. That crap they made of him living is not true to the story.
This film is i am legend in name only, it bears very little relation to the book of the same name. Right, i just saw i am legend, and dont get the end. For those who have read the book they know why it is called i am legend. Close to the ending of the book, robert clearly changes his though process. Ending spoiler for i am legend 2007, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. Her brief outro completely ruins the darkly clever play of the books original plot that neville is a legend, hated. Half way through the book just when it was getting somewhat interesting, i realized it was actually the ending of i am legend and the rest are all short horror stories, which are unfortunately quite awful. I am legend and the omega man end with a survivor, or survivors, wanting to be fully human again. Why has no movie version of i am legend dared to keep the original. Need help with chapter 21 in richard mathesons i am legend. Influencing great modern horror writers like stephen king, its one that will stick with you. The movie i am legend directed by francis lawrence is dystopian movie. Theres lessons to be learned about mob behavior and respect for minorities. Dec 14, 2017 i am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear if you understand the personal journey of its hero.
The movie took all the intelligence out and just made it about the action. Robert neville finds himself alone after a hideous mutation turns humans into vampires. What did the healing zombie in the basement have to do with it. Blogger adam katz sent me the link because of the book vs. The 1990 tv miniseries scared the jorts off every early millennial with a. I assume you are referring to the 2007 film starring will smith and the controversial original ending special feature on the dvd release. Aug 04, 2016 i am legend is a classic horror story. As a vampire novel, the touchstone for am legend is, without a doubt, bram stokers dracula a novel which matheson mentions more than once over the course of the book. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that was influential in the modern development of zombie and vampire literature and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease.
So i just finished i am legend by richard matheson. There are two camps when it comes to discussing the issue of race in mathesons book. The infected people attack nevilles lab and he hands over the infected female hes been working on to the leader a. The controversial original ending where neville finds out that the infected are. This is the book that, to my mind, created the modern vampirezombie genre of horror. He knew he should burn up the paper plates and utensils too, and dust the furniture and. Will smiths 2007 box office hit i am legend had an ending that divided audiences, but an alternate ending exists that does more justice to the book. I did have one moment of feminist anguish about his attitude, but by the end of the book. I think its just a collection of short stories with the headliner being the most famous.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. I am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending and butterfly symbolism become a lot more clear if you understand the personal journey of its hero. Thus, in the final line of the book which also serves as the books title, neville accepts that he is a monster. In fact, without the original ending, the movies title of i am legend doesnt actually make much sense. I still remember the exact moment i started and finished this book nearly 10 years ago. The final chapter of the book takes places in an unfamiliar location. Stokers 1897 gothic horror novel tells the story of the evil count dracula, a vampire who sucks the blood of his victims. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that. Adapted from acclaimed author richard mathesons influential novelette of the same name, constantine director francis lawrences i am legend follows the last man on earth as he struggles to. I am legend read online free from your pc or mobile. It was influential in the development of the zombievampire genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. The 1990 tv miniseries scared the jorts off every early millennial with a vcr and. How i am legends ending is different in the book screen.
I am legend changed the vampires of the novel to the mindless darkseekers, a big change that made the original ending not work at all. Then it goes into a story about a man winning a carnival game, then a women getting attacked by haunted doll etc. I am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear if you understand the personal journey of its hero. As a result, major, specific spoilers for both versions abound, often including dissection of how they end. Hes a legend, but for the wrong reasonsin line with richard mathesons book, he is an entity the. If he had been more analytical, he might have calculated the approximate time of their arrival. The controversial original ending where neville finds out that the infected are, in fact, organised, b. Will smith plays the role of the relationship starved army medical researcher well.
Every night, he barricades himself inside his house and keeps the vampire horde at bay. The ending is quite bleak, and sans the last man on earth, the two other films fail at the ending. The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film. I am legend is brilliant commentary and society and human relationships and, really, the very definition of humanity. I though the book was effectively i am legend and other short stories by richard matheeson. Putting all of that in a movie might not be possible or might not make a good movie, but the alternate ending for this one goes just about as far as it could in one scene. Furthermore, the final line suggests that human societyof which neville was the last representativeis now fading into the past. And yet the core characteristics of the nightwalkers in the 2007 film are relatively true. Twodisc dvd or bluray for those unaware, let me explain the concept of richard mathesons book to. I though the book was effectively i am legend and other short stories by. Sep 09, 2017 the newest adaptation of stephen kings it has introduced yet another generation of kids to their worst nightmares.
I am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear if you. Film column i did on the source material and the four films loosely inspired by it. I was sitting shotgun while my father drove us home from a vacation in michigan. How i am legends ending is different in the book screen rant. Instead of blowing himself and the hemocytes up with a grenade, neville discovers that the hemocytes actually came for the female he captured earlier in the movie. In the book, i am legend are the final words that robert thinks on his deathbed, as he realizes that in death he will become a terrifying legend just like vampires once were. Still, you cant fault i am legend for trying to be different from the typical action thriller. The first says, man, its just a badass vampire book. Neville sacrificed himself for humanity and that because of his cure humanity was able to rebuild, establishing his legend. As discussed by first showing and film, the alternate ending for i am legend is a better representation of the source material. The book s characters realization of their perspective is the whole point of the book.
The newest adaptation of stephen kings it has introduced yet another generation of kids to their worst nightmares. The ending of the film was also altered to portray neville as sacrificing his life to save humanity, rather than being. I am legend originally had an ending closer to the books, but that was changed after negative reactions from test. I picked it up mostly because i read about the alternate ending of the will smith movie, which some criticized for not following the spirit of the book. I am legend 1010 movie clip alternate ending 2007 hd. And yet the core characteristics of the nightwalkers in the 2007 film are relatively true to one strand of what we see in the 1950s story. Her brief outro completely ruins the darkly clever play of the book s original plot that neville is a legend, hated. Usually the book is really good and people will warn each other about the movie not being as good, but this is the total opposite. Instead of thinking that he is protecting the only remains of the human race, which is himself, he understands that the world has moved on. At the end of the novel, neville finally sees things from his enemies point of view. Whats the difference between i am legend the book and i am legend the movie. In the book, the protagonist turns out to actually be the legend, as opposed to the vampires of myth.
Changing i am legend s creatures which were created by the virus outbreak in the movie made adapting the books ending impossible, as the darkseekers showed almost no signs of heightened intelligence earlier in the movie. I am legend and other stories by richard matheson goodreads. Its a full, polished ending, with complete special effects intact, so im assuming it was ripped from the special features on the imminent dvd. Whether is it has something to do with aliens or the world ending. Why is gone with the wind an enduring legend both in book and film form. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 3. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 1. The books characters realization of their perspective is the whole point of the book. We have an intriguing problem with comparing the book and film. Another big part of the i am legend book thats never been adapted faithfully is its ending, which sees neville commit suicide rather than be. The i am legend dvd with this alternate ending included is now available to buy on. He has become the legend, the monster that puts fear in those he thought were monsters.
I am legend study guide from litcharts the creators of. But if you have only seen that will smith movie that went 180 degrees on the book s message, the soulcrushing impact of these words will be lost on you. The ending to the alternate theatrical version varies from the original ending. Maybe the grimmest ending of any book if the only version of i am legend you have heard of is the will fresh prince smith film version you are in for a treat. I am legend was released on december 14, 2007, in the united states and canada, and opened to the largest ever box office not adjusted for inflation for a nonchristmas film released in the u. The alternate ending to i am legend where they respect him and growl at him in an acknowledging way is odd and feels out of place. I am legends book ending is different to both versions of the movie, but skews closer to the controversial alternate ending of the film. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson. Now for a topic thats neither divisive nor prone to eliciting irrational anger and awkward discomfort. Why does robert conclude that i am legend at the ending of the book. The book is full of good ideas, every other one of which is immediately dropped and kicked out of sight.
Mar 28, 2020 we have an intriguing problem with comparing the book and film. This aside, it is a fairly good movie with post apocalyptic themes and a storyline that will keep you interested for the 96 minutes duration. I am legend isnt particularly long either, hardly even novel length. Dec 30, 2014 adapted from acclaimed author richard mathesons influential novelette of the same name, constantine director francis lawrences i am legend follows the last man on earth as he struggles to. Youtube has the ending of the movie i am legend, as it was originally planned. I am legends biggest change from the book broke the movie. Or perhaps the film simply doesnt have the same nuances as the richard matheson book on which its based.
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