I Am Legend - Blu-ray Disc

04-04-2008, 04:36 PM

'kay, here's a short review of I am Legend

Some basic stuff:
US BD50
region free
looks like this, click on the thumbnails for the full size picture

Film: 3/5

Synopsis:
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. [imdb]

This could have been a great film. The book is a classic and i have read it after seeing the film. Until about 2/3 of the playtime, the movie is really good. What do you do, when you are the last man on earth? How do you keep on living and for what reason? Is there any purpose left for you? The first 2/3 of the film revolve around these questions and it is really good and well told. The story differs from the book, but that doesn't matter. Will is giving a great performance.

Sadly during about the last third, the movie turns into a "usual" Hollywood CGI action monster-fest and they lost their grip on the story.

There are two endings on the disc, the theatrical and a "controversial" alternative ending. I will not spoil anything except that they both differ from the book. There is a thread for discussing the endings with spoilers here:

Thoughts on I Am Legend Alternate Verion: SPOILERS

Imo a missed opportunity. Sadly.

Video: 4/5

The video looks great. It is very sharp, i see no artefacts, edge enhancements or other nasty stuff, so no overprocessed look. Colors are beautiful. Contrast is rather natural, not as hot as many other films.

I didn't give it a full five star rating, because i feel the video is a little bit (but only a little bit) on the softer side. Mind you i have a 2 meter wide screen (but only a 720p projector), it's only that some other titles seem to be a tad more detailed. Take that with a grain of salt, many other reviews hand out the full five star rating.

Here are some screenshots, captured directly from the stream with my htpc. Video decoder is Microsoft DMO

You might find it interesting to see the filesizes on the disc. First picture shows the video streams. 00000.m2ts is the movie with the theatrical ending, 00006.m2ts has the alternative ending. Both files are the complete film each. The second picture shows the main movie with the theatrical ending demuxed into the video-only stream (vc1 encoded) and the TrueHD audio track. Some might find it interesting to see the actual filesizes on this BD50....

Audio 5/5

TrueHD 5.1 48kHz/16 bit sounds great. Mind you, my system isn't the very best but it rocked pretty good.

Extras ?/5

Well, apart from the alternative ending, there is some stuff like a 50min. behind the sceens featurette and other features, partially in Highdef. You can probably read what is included on the above picture of the backside of the box. Since i don't really care much about the extras, i didn't rate them.

Overall 4/5

Its great eye candy, but i am afraid the film hasn't got much repeated viewing value. A missed opportunity imo. But if you liked the film, you'll love this BD!

Farout777 · 04-04-2008, 10:11 PM

Thanx Nikopol!
Look forward to mine coming in next week in the "red" flavor.

sigill · 04-05-2008, 12:52 PM

Thanks for the review. I dont think ill bother getting this now. Id heard sone iffy reviews and wasnt too sure.

04-05-2008, 01:54 PM

I would at least recommend a rental, imo the film itself is really great (5/5) until they start the CGI-fest towards the end.

04-05-2008, 02:08 PM

Oh, and i have checked out most the extras now. I'd rate them average (3/5)

Cautionary tale:

A sort of documentary about viruses and epidemics like the spanish flu, AIDS and SARS. Nothing too interesting imo.

Creating I Am Legend:

The usual short clips about how they make the movie. This is as usual getting me bored pretty quick and i hate the typical "actor talks about his character" stuff.

4 Animated Comics:

They show the effects of the infection in four different parts of the world in four unrelated animated short stories. Imo 3 of them are b.s., 1 (the last) is actually very good.

sigill · 04-06-2008, 08:39 AM

Okay ill give it a rent. i might be surprised. It wont be the first time i havent fancied a film and then when ive watched it thought it was great!!

PFC5 · 04-06-2008, 10:50 AM

I didn't really like the ending in the theaters so I thought I would like the alternate ending better, but I didn't. It actually made me like the original theatrical ending more though. Go figure.

MikeRox · 04-06-2008, 01:31 PM

That looks like it's ripped straight out of Burnout

I quite fancy this, unsure which "flavour" to buy though. Cheaper to import than buy locally, but I prefer our cases to the US ones.

tvine2000 · 04-06-2008, 03:17 PM

in the movie they said they were heading for bethel ,vermont.
Mmmm,i live in bethel vermont you don't want to come here cause theres noting here!

Clear Black · 04-06-2008, 04:00 PM

Err...Thats the point M8! Even the Fles-eaters got bored there and couldnt stand the cold.

GLOW · 04-08-2008, 09:34 AM

I didn't even bother watching the alternate ending. It was a decent movie though, miles ahead of The Omega Man which was just awful IMO (BTW, they're both inspired by the same book), but I wouldn't see it again. My favorite character was the dog. I almost cried when he got attacked by the darkseeker dogs.

PQ was good but like Niko said it's a bit soft, especially for a new release. Maybe that was intentional so the hideous CGI wouldn't stand out as much.

Can't judge the AQ since I watched it on my plasma which isn't hooked up for surround sound.

I'm glad I rented it. Not bad but not worth a buy.

LordGamer · 04-11-2008, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLOW

I didn't even bother watching the alternate ending. It was a decent movie though, miles ahead of The Omega Man which was just awful IMO (BTW, they're both inspired by the same book), but I wouldn't see it again. My favorite character was the dog. I almost cried when he got attacked by the darkseeker dogs.

PQ was good but like Niko said it's a bit soft, especially for a new release. Maybe that was intentional so the hideous CGI wouldn't stand out as much.

Can't judge the AQ since I watched it on my plasma which isn't hooked up for surround sound.

I'm glad I rented it. Not bad but not worth a buy.

The alternate ending was better in my opinion. Plus, it made more sense when you consider the earlier scene with the "alpha male" yelling in the sun.

As for what happens to the dog, while I didn't get emotional, I do believe the scene was very well done and Will did an excellent acting job.

Bravestime · 04-12-2008, 11:45 AM

Just watched this movie, finally got it from Netflix several days ago, and although I'm not a Will Smith fan, I really liked it. I ended up buying it from Amazon. A large taste of the "Omega Man".

I'll have to check out the alternate ending when I get my copy from Amazon.

dukerock12 · 04-14-2008, 07:50 PM

possibly the best blu ray i've seen yet. the scene were will smith is just getting up from a long night of sleep you can see every freckle, pimple ,and facial hair on his face. the transfer is amazing. the only negative about the transfer is sometimes you can point out fake backgrounds and cgi.

MikeRox · 04-15-2008, 04:42 AM

Wouldn't you say being able to spot CG backgrounds etc would actually be a direct result of a good transfer really though? I can't decide whether to buy this or not.

04-04-2008, 04:36 PM	#1
Nikopol Guest Posts: n/a	I Am Legend - Blu-ray Disc 'kay, here's a short review of I am Legend Some basic stuff: US BD50 region free looks like this, click on the thumbnails for the full size picture Film: 3/5 Synopsis: 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. [imdb] This could have been a great film. The book is a classic and i have read it after seeing the film. Until about 2/3 of the playtime, the movie is really good. What do you do, when you are the last man on earth? How do you keep on living and for what reason? Is there any purpose left for you? The first 2/3 of the film revolve around these questions and it is really good and well told. The story differs from the book, but that doesn't matter. Will is giving a great performance. Sadly during about the last third, the movie turns into a "usual" Hollywood CGI action monster-fest and they lost their grip on the story. There are two endings on the disc, the theatrical and a "controversial" alternative ending. I will not spoil anything except that they both differ from the book. There is a thread for discussing the endings with spoilers here: Thoughts on I Am Legend Alternate Verion: SPOILERS Imo a missed opportunity. Sadly. Video: 4/5 The video looks great. It is very sharp, i see no artefacts, edge enhancements or other nasty stuff, so no overprocessed look. Colors are beautiful. Contrast is rather natural, not as hot as many other films. I didn't give it a full five star rating, because i feel the video is a little bit (but only a little bit) on the softer side. Mind you i have a 2 meter wide screen (but only a 720p projector), it's only that some other titles seem to be a tad more detailed. Take that with a grain of salt, many other reviews hand out the full five star rating. Here are some screenshots, captured directly from the stream with my htpc. Video decoder is Microsoft DMO You might find it interesting to see the filesizes on the disc. First picture shows the video streams. 00000.m2ts is the movie with the theatrical ending, 00006.m2ts has the alternative ending. Both files are the complete film each. The second picture shows the main movie with the theatrical ending demuxed into the video-only stream (vc1 encoded) and the TrueHD audio track. Some might find it interesting to see the actual filesizes on this BD50.... Audio 5/5 TrueHD 5.1 48kHz/16 bit sounds great. Mind you, my system isn't the very best but it rocked pretty good. Extras ?/5 Well, apart from the alternative ending, there is some stuff like a 50min. behind the sceens featurette and other features, partially in Highdef. You can probably read what is included on the above picture of the backside of the box. Since i don't really care much about the extras, i didn't rate them. Overall 4/5 Its great eye candy, but i am afraid the film hasn't got much repeated viewing value. A missed opportunity imo. But if you liked the film, you'll love this BD!

04-04-2008, 10:11 PM	#2
Farout777 BLESSED Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Richmond,TX Age: 46 Posts: 1,846	Thanx Nikopol! Look forward to mine coming in next week in the "red" flavor. __________________ <((>< L2W,PFC5 & SAMCAN07 ><))> Panasonic PT AE3000U (1080p) Custom Carada 141" 2.37AR BW Screen Pioneer VSX-84TXSi LG BH200 Super Blu Toshiba HD A1, A2, A3, A30 & XA2 Panasonic BD55K & 35K Oppo DV-981HD Panamax M5100-EX Aperion Audio Intimus 633-T Mains X2 Aperion Audio Intimus 634-VAC Center Aperion Audio Intimus 534-SS Surrounds X4 AV123 MFW-15 (X2) Subs Philips Pronto TSU 7500 Remote

04-05-2008, 12:52 PM	#3
sigill High Def fan Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: United kingdom-Manchester Age: 33 Posts: 2,976	Thanks for the review. I dont think ill bother getting this now. Id heard sone iffy reviews and wasnt too sure. __________________ Phillips 37" LCD 720p/1080i Sony BDP-S350 Toshiba BDX2100 Toshiba XDE-500 DVD player Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 AVR KEF1005.2 speakers Latest HD movies bought - The Game - The Skeleton Key - Memento 210 Blu-rays

04-06-2008, 08:39 AM	#6
sigill High Def fan Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: United kingdom-Manchester Age: 33 Posts: 2,976	Okay ill give it a rent. i might be surprised. It wont be the first time i havent fancied a film and then when ive watched it thought it was great!! __________________ Phillips 37" LCD 720p/1080i Sony BDP-S350 Toshiba BDX2100 Toshiba XDE-500 DVD player Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 AVR KEF1005.2 speakers Latest HD movies bought - The Game - The Skeleton Key - Memento 210 Blu-rays

04-06-2008, 10:50 AM	#7
PFC5 Former Super Moderator - RIP Join Date: May 2005 Location: Mass Posts: 38,295	I didn't really like the ending in the theaters so I thought I would like the alternate ending better, but I didn't. It actually made me like the original theatrical ending more though. Go figure. __________________ Denon AVR-887 Klipsch RP-5 Pwred Towers (mains) (525 watts peak each 12"Subs) All Klipsch RC-25(ctr),(2)SS1(surr),(2)SS1(rearSurr) Toshiba (2)HD-A20,PS3,BD35 For SACD/DVD-A Samsung HD-841 Panny 50pz80u plasma SETTINGS RCA HD50LPW162 50"DLP w/HD2+ SA 3250HD 47" LCD+Yamaha5790+HD-A1(bedroom) Harmony 680 + (2) 670s (amazing remote/support) Game room with Onkyo receiver & B&W Speakers The_Cable_Game Take the high ground and be happier PSN: PFC5

04-05-2008, 01:54 PM	#4
Nikopol Guest Posts: n/a	I would at least recommend a rental, imo the film itself is really great (5/5) until they start the CGI-fest towards the end.

04-05-2008, 02:08 PM	#5
Nikopol Guest Posts: n/a	Oh, and i have checked out most the extras now. I'd rate them average (3/5) Cautionary tale: A sort of documentary about viruses and epidemics like the spanish flu, AIDS and SARS. Nothing too interesting imo. Creating I Am Legend: The usual short clips about how they make the movie. This is as usual getting me bored pretty quick and i hate the typical "actor talks about his character" stuff. 4 Animated Comics: They show the effects of the infection in four different parts of the world in four unrelated animated short stories. Imo 3 of them are b.s., 1 (the last) is actually very good.

04-06-2008, 01:31 PM	#8
MikeRox Connoisseur of Fine Games Join Date: May 2007 Location: Huddersfield, United Kingdom Posts: 15,756	That looks like it's ripped straight out of Burnout I quite fancy this, unsure which "flavour" to buy though. Cheaper to import than buy locally, but I prefer our cases to the US ones. __________________ Currently Playing: Xenoblade Chronicles, Ridge Racer 3D, DIRT 3

04-06-2008, 03:17 PM	#9
tvine2000 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: vermont Age: 63 Posts: 1,207	in the movie they said they were heading for bethel ,vermont. Mmmm,i live in bethel vermont you don't want to come here cause theres noting here!

04-06-2008, 04:00 PM	#10
Clear Black High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 137	Err...Thats the point M8! Even the Fles-eaters got bored there and couldnt stand the cold. __________________ Phillips Ambilight 2 42" 1080p LCD Onkyo TX-SR605B 7.1 Toshiba A20 Xbox 360 PS3

04-08-2008, 09:34 AM	#11
GLOW High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Post-Empire America Posts: 10,060	I didn't even bother watching the alternate ending. It was a decent movie though, miles ahead of The Omega Man which was just awful IMO (BTW, they're both inspired by the same book), but I wouldn't see it again. My favorite character was the dog. I almost cried when he got attacked by the darkseeker dogs. PQ was good but like Niko said it's a bit soft, especially for a new release. Maybe that was intentional so the hideous CGI wouldn't stand out as much. Can't judge the AQ since I watched it on my plasma which isn't hooked up for surround sound. I'm glad I rented it. Not bad but not worth a buy.

04-12-2008, 11:45 AM	#13
Bravestime Supporter of HiDef Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Aiken, SC Age: 56 Posts: 4,510	Just watched this movie, finally got it from Netflix several days ago, and although I'm not a Will Smith fan, I really liked it. I ended up buying it from Amazon. A large taste of the "Omega Man". I'll have to check out the alternate ending when I get my copy from Amazon.

04-14-2008, 07:50 PM	#14
dukerock12 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 149	possibly the best blu ray i've seen yet. the scene were will smith is just getting up from a long night of sleep you can see every freckle, pimple ,and facial hair on his face. the transfer is amazing. the only negative about the transfer is sometimes you can point out fake backgrounds and cgi.

04-15-2008, 04:42 AM	#15
MikeRox Connoisseur of Fine Games Join Date: May 2007 Location: Huddersfield, United Kingdom Posts: 15,756	Wouldn't you say being able to spot CG backgrounds etc would actually be a direct result of a good transfer really though? I can't decide whether to buy this or not. __________________ Currently Playing: Xenoblade Chronicles, Ridge Racer 3D, DIRT 3

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