10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching I Am Legend, 16 Years Later
After 16 years, rewatching I Am Legend may mean facing a few harsh realities. The action film starring Will Smith is precisely what you would expect for a 2000s action movie, and that is far from a bad thing. The idea of a global zombie apocalypse is something that will always be appealing in Hollywood, and I Am Legend beautifully explores the effect that the absence of humanity would have on the world. Then there is Smith's performance as Robert Neville—the actor truly managed to capture the anguish of solitary confinement, which was a significant asset to the film. Overall, there is a lot to love.
The Alternate Ending
The alternate ending for I Am Legend has aged better than the official cut. I Am Legend's original ending certainly had a high impact, with Smith's Rober Neville sacrificing his life to save his companions, but this was somewhat lessened with the release of the DVD version of the film. The special features came with an alternate ending, which saw Neville realize that the alpha Darkseeker was in love with the female zombie he had captured. This proved that I Am Legend's protagonist had entirely misunderstood the infected beings and had been experimenting and killing sentient creatures capable of love. Ultimately, the fact that I Am Legend 2 will follow this alternate ending proves that it should have been in the official cut from the beginning.
I am legend alternate ending
The Emotional Impact
I am Legend is full of tragedy, including the death of Neville's daughter during one of the flashback segments of the film. However, the most devastating scene of the entire movie is when Neville's dog, Sam, gets infected with the Krippin Virus and begins to turn. Smith's character does everything he can to save her, but he ultimately is forced to kill his very last companion. Sam had been the puppy Neville had given his daughter as a gift and the only piece of his family he had left. Ultimately, it doesn't matter how often someone watches I Am Legend; this scene will always hurt too much.
I Am Legend Dog Death
Sam's death is even worse with the reveal that a cure was possible in I Am Legend.
I am legend dog story even darker darkseekers
The Long-awaited Sequel
There was always a lot of room to extend I Am Legend's story. Since Neville died at the end of the official cut of I Am Legend, it makes sense that a sequel wasn't initially part of the equation. However, once people began seeing the alternate ending, the calls for I Am Legend 2 began. So many questions were left unanswered, especially regarding what would happen to civilization after Neville realized that the Darkseekers were intelligent beings capable of love. Additionally, it was captivating to see what had happened to New York only a few years after civilization collapsed, so future decades are worth exploring. There's always been room to expand this universe, and it's only a shame that it hasn't happened until now.
I Am Legend 2 Neville Sam
