The 3 zombie dogs that are sent to kill robert neville have to wait until the thin line of light is gone before running to attack him. Years ago, you see, my husband had wanted to talk about the book, probably when the most recent adaptation to movie form had come out, and i am well known for not reading horror, so it wasnt an unreasonable assumption that i would never read this. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that was influential in the modern development of zombie and. I am legend is a 2007 american postapocalyptic thriller film based on the 1954 novel of the same name by richard matheson. But when it comes down to it, is the book really better than the movie. Weve seen plenty of outbreak movies, and this one would essentially be another take on 28 days later. I am legend by richard matheson i am legend starring will smith book vs movie 1differences. Neither movie was anything like this book and this book was bad. The movie shows them as either intelligent or dumb depending on what the script needs. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson.
In this paper i will analisy the movie i am legend to better understand the overall storyline and its plot. Neville was bitten by a bat during his time in the army. After richard became a novelist, many of his books were turned into movies, including i am legend, which was made into a movie three times. The movie took all the intelligence out and just made it about the action. Spoilers its not a bad movie, and it does have a certain charm. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 2. Sometimes the book is betterones imagination can surely be more entertaining than what hollywood tosses out, right. I picked it up mostly because i read about the alternate ending of the will smith movie, which some. We see manhattan three years after a deadly virus has killed every healthy human on the island, except one.
The godfather novel is the best selling phenomenon, a classic of our time, it was written before the movie came out, approximately 30 years ago. Unlike neville, they had no immunity to the virus and subsequently became creatures previously known only in legend as vampires. Stokers 1897 gothic horror novel tells the story of the evil count dracula, a vampire who sucks the blood of his victims. It was influential in the development of the zombievampire genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. This movie works on so many levels ultimately its hard to say which is better, the book or the movie.
In this postapocalyptic world of vampires, robert neville, as the only human who survives the plague, spends his lonely, monotonous days destroying the undead and endures nights of. At one time, the vampires were normal people who were infected by a bacteria later dubbed vampiris, by matheson. The movie is not your typical hackemup cheap scare vampirezombie movie. Book vs movie i am legend from book vs movie podcast on. At first glance, the book and the movie appear the same.
The streets are overgrown with weeds, cars are abandoned, the infrastructure is beginning to collapse. The bacteria that causes it was spread through spores hidden in dust storms caused by bombings. In this postapocalyptic world of vampires, robert neville, as the only human who survives the plague, spends his lonely, monotonous days destroying the undead and endures nights of torment and near madness. They are cannibalistic zombies who have an aversion to light. I first read i am legend, by richard matheson, when i was in my late teens and i thought it was brilliant. The ending was disappointing and rushed, but the rest of. However, what they typically leave out is the equally terrific job done by author richard matheson coming up with the storyline and writing the original book version. I am legends biggest change from the book broke the movie. Recommendation engine sorted out serious, suspenseful, bleak and suspense films with plots about danger, survival, chaos, blood, apocalypse, violence and death mostly in scifi, drama and thriller genres. Jun 04, 2011 sometimes the book is betterones imagination can surely be more entertaining than what hollywood tosses out, right.
Book vs movie i am legend the richard matheson novel vs. The two earlier films are the last man on earth 1964 and the omega man 1971. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i am legend near you. I really liked that one, and i wrongly assumed that since they had used the original title from the book that both movies were based on, that it stayed closer to the original source material. My thoughts on i am legend, both with the 1954 book written by richard matheson and the 2007 film directed by francis lawrence. Directed by francis lawrence, the film stars will smith as us army virologist robert neville set in new york city after a virus, which was originally created to cure cancer, has wiped out most of mankind, leaving neville as the last human in new york, other than. I am legend movie conclusion the movie as well as the novel are both extremely captivating, and although they are based off of the same thing they are extremely different from one another video what are the key elements that stand out and separate both. The infection was created through an engineered version of the measles virus meant to treat cancer which mutated into a deadlier strain. The novel i am legend 1954, written by american author richard matheson, was adapted for the movie by screenwriters akiva goldsman and mark protosevich. Because of his imagination and talent, so many of mathesons books and stories were translated to movies and tv. 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 is very short, not novel length, only 159 pages long, out of the 312 pages in the book. Aug 04, 2016 then came the movie i am legend with will smith. The cure for cancer has transformed people into super strong, wall climbing, flesh eating beast.
The opening scenes of i am legend have special effects so good that they just about compensate for some later special effects that are dicey. The movie i am legend was a horror movie that took a different aprroach from your normal horror movies. In the end, he confirms that he is the last man of his race, and at his death, he will be a legend, as vampires are now. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 4. Robert neville however spends almost half a day hanging in an upsidedown position without dying from all the blood flooding in his brain. At the time of reading, and i think this is important to keep in mind, i was coming off the back of isaac asimov and philip k. I am legendbook the novels main character is robert neville, apparently the sole survivor of a pandemic the symptoms of which resemble vampirism. Neville draws a vial of her blood and gives it to anna, before shutting ethan and her inside a coal chute in the back of the lab. Id argue that theyre different enough in tone and intention that you could enjoy them as two completely independent stories. It is also credited as the main influence to portray vampires as the characters we know nowadays. The book, however, brings the wide scale stuff down into the mind of one individual. Francis lawrences 2007 film i am legend had not one but two endings, and while both are different from what. Free essays on the difference between the book i am legend.
While reading the road i was both intrigued and interested as to how hollywood would portray this story, and after seeing the movie i was impressed with how closely the film followed the book. There are at least three not all of which are called i am. Rumor has it there will be an i am legend 2 sequel or prequel, tbd soon, which i think is a huge mistake. 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. How i am legends ending is different in the book screen rant. In the process, he empowers himself and gives himself a new purpose in life.
Set in 1977, the omega man depicts the story of robert neville the same character used in both the original book and i am legend living in a. While richard mathesons postapocalyptic science fiction book, i am legend, and francis lawrences postapocalyptic science fiction movie, i am legend, both have similarities and differences, in the end, the original book version prevails mainly because the movie version alters the original storyline too much. I know the movie is more than a year old but its on hbo and i have just seen it. Theres lessons to be learned about mob behavior and respect for minorities. I am legend isnt a remake of omega man, but it borrows liberally and obviously from the earlier movie, almost as much as it borrows from the novella its supposedly based on.
Hanging upsidedown for too long can seriously hurt you. Book vs movie i am legend brooklyn fit chickbrooklyn. Dick, robert heinlein and kurt vonnegut, alfred bester and the. The shrinking man, hell house, what dreams may come, and a stir of echoes were all books written by richard that later became movies. Compare contrast book movie i am legend free essays. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth, the omega man, and i am legend.
I liked the movie independence day, but really had trouble with the scenes of devastation in the cities. It was still scarey but only had that horror effect when the time was right or when the monster was approached. Book vs movie essay 2686 words 11 pages when one hears the title i am legend being mentioned, they usually associate it with will smith and the terrific job he did in portraying the protagonist of the story robert neville. Bless matheson for bringing us the concept of a vampire apocalypse. But i went into reading i am legend knowing the ending, knowing the twist. Smith does a great job as robert neville, the protagonist, and despite some completely unnecessary cgi characters that looked old after a couple of years, its quite a pretty and w.
Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 1. Postapocalypse i am legend, logans run, dark city directors cut, the omega man 4. Vampires have inherited the earth in richard mathesons i am legend. Richard mathesons 1954 novel i am legend has been adapted into films before, most notably 1971s the omega man, with charlton heston. I am legend contains a surprising amount of psychological insight about grief, loneliness, and depression. 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. This version of i am legend is the third movie adaptation of mathesons novel. The ending was disappointing and rushed, but the rest of the movie rocked.
Set in 1970s southern california, the novel is about the life of robert neville, the seemingly only survivor of a worldwide pandemic. 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. Throughout the book, robert neville studies the science of vampirism. Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in new york city struggles valiantly to find a cure in this postapocalyptic action thriller. Richard mathesons i am legend has been made into several movies, including the recent will smith movie, and the last man on earth, starring vincent price. January, 1976 i am legend opens with robert neville inspecting his house on a. Book vs movie i am legend electronic media collective. Apr 14, 2019 book vs movie i am legend the richard matheson novel vs. In the movie the origins of the vampire plague are unknown. The book and the movie the godfather have their similarities and differences. He believes this led to his immunity to becoming a vampire. There are also occasions where the big wigs in hollywood outdo the imagination and give us a masterpiece. But these superhumans are more than what they seem.
This was one of my major issues with the movie version of i am legend the complete loss of civilization is something that bothers me a lot. The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Amazons choice for i am legend movie 4 film favorites. Even though they could have run right through it with superfluous damage. 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 novels main character, robert neville, is the last human being left on eartheveryone else has been turned into a vampire.
I am legend themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. I am legend read online free from your pc or mobile. The movie i am legend, a postapocalyptic science fiction film, directed by francis lawrence in 2007, is regarded as one of the most popular modern vampirelike creature films. Set in 1970s southern california, the novel is about the life of robert neville, the seemingly only survivor of a worldwide pandemic which causes people to turn. Robert neville will smith is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and manmade in this post. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 3. He is a legend because he is the source of the cure. I am legend is a thrilling movie about the accidental evolution of man. Play in new window book vs movie i am legend the richard matheson novel vs. He then takes a grenade and kills the darkseekers and himself, saving the cure. The margos are back and ready to get a little postapocalyptic with the 1954 classic novella i am legend from prolific storyteller richard matheson.
Dec 14, 2007 enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i am legend near you. Though he has lost his fear of the vampires, these are afraid of him and want him dead. With will smith, alice braga, charlie tahan, salli richardsonwhitfield. Sep 21, 2011 i liked the movie independence day, but really had trouble with the scenes of devastation in the cities. I am legend study guide from litcharts the creators of. Another important theme of i am legend is the powerboth benevolent and maliciousof science. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, and i am. The rest of the book is a collection of short horror stories and not very good ones either.
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