I Am Legend

I Am Legend is some good sci fi filmaking and is based on the book by the same name that came out in 1954. There have been other adaptations of the book including the trippy movie Omega Man with Charlton Heston and a graphic novel. Basically, been there, seen that. Will Smith plays Robert Neville an Army scientist trying to find a cure to a pandemic that has infected, seemingly, the entire world. The results of the infection is that those infected display vampire like tendencies...drinking blood, long teeth, sensitivity to sunlight, etc. The disease was caused by a cure for Cancer, unlike other adaptations that blame some kind of germ warfare. Smith does an excellent job portraying a man that is dealing with an incredibly bleak future for himself and the world. He goes to day to with his routine (and his dog) of hunting for food, renting videos and most importantly broadcasting his message on the radio of where survivors can meet him. He has done this for 3 years. The vampires are wonderfully freaky with CGI distorted faces Ala The Mummy. Our first glimpse of the creepy dark dwellers is when Smith follows his dog, reluctantly, into a dark building. There is definite suspense building when all you see is the light mounted on his gun searching through the darkness. Then we see them- a group of them standing in a circle with their heads bowed. All we really see is the pale backs and bald heads. It's enough for everyone in the theatre to yell, "Run!" In some ways it would have been okay for the baddies to just stay in the shadows like that but when they do decide to descend upon him in the darkness it is not disappointing - they are very scary.
As I said in the beginning, we've seen some of this before...a little 28 Days Later with a dash of Children of Men and Lifeforce. And the scenes of the abandoned and grown over New York City is way cool. However, I think there was some stuff left on the cutting room floor that could have fleshed this movie out a little. For instance, Emma Thompson has what appears to be a cameo as the creator of a cure for Cancer and only through Smith watching recorded news programs do we find out the cure's role in what has happened. Even then it isn't clear. I feel Thompson must have had a larger role. It also isn't clear what Smith's character's role was in the disease. He seems to have a singular goal to find the cure and even sends away his family at the beginning of the outbreak in order to stay in New York City (ground zero of the illness) and continue his research. We see a brief glimpse of a Time Magazine cover that has his picture and "Our Savior" under it. What did we miss? Did Thompson and Smith have a scene together? True, a good filmmaker wants to give his audience some credit for being able to figure things out...this was a little to much. And we know with all the money they spend on effects and sets - that is what has to make it on the screen.
I did like this movie, it was good but it wasn't great. Will Smith gives great depth to his character and really makes this movie worth watching. I think this movie could have been great if it was a little longer. I hope when it comes out on video they have a "director's cut" that includes some things that just have to be there somewhere to have the movie really take hold of the viewer.
Rating: MMM (out of 5 M's)

Finally Excited About Christmas

Nothing can be more annoying to the mother of an infant, baby or toddler than someone saying, "Is he excited about Christmas?!" What 8 month old isn't?! Duh! Parents out there understand what I am talking about. At my son's first Christmas, he was more interested in playing in the pile of wrapping paper. His second Christmas, he was more interested in laughing when someone broke wind. At his third Christmas, he actually got the fact that unwrapping a box meant something was inside for him. Now, he is almost 4 years old and is excited!
NOW, you can ask me!
He knows that Santa will come and bring him presents - he asks every morning if this is the day. He likes to watch the Christmas specials - his favorite, right now, is the original animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have to start him out with the classics and it is so cute to hear him singing along. He loves to hear me sing Christmas songs and insists that the tree be plugged in every morning - like I need the encouragement. He loves the lighted train that is in our front yard and opening the drawers in the train Advent calendar we have. He is just starting to get that it is only one drawer a day. He loves driving around and looking at Christmas light displays. He is excited.
The great thing now is that my daughter (just turned 2 years old) is also excited about Christmas! I know it's because of my son's excitement. I don't know if she understands about getting presents...but she will get that figured out soon enough. She can't say "Santa" - instead she just points and says, "Ho, ho, ho!" (in an incredibly adorable little voice). She likes the lights on the tree and in the yard. She knows something different is going on around here...and it's happy.
Christmas really does take on new meaning when you have children and that new meaning has finally happened to me.
I always loved Christmas but now it seems, "Christmas means a little bit more..."