ROTTEN TOMATOES: Will Smith Talks Spielberg's Chicago Seven, Alternate I Am Legend Ending

Will Smith Talks Spielberg's Chicago Seven, Alternate I Am Legend Ending

by Jeff Giles | January 17, 2008

Summary

He isn't even finished with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull yet, but why should we let that stop us from speculating about Steven Spielberg's next movie? Back to Article

(21-38 of 38 posts) | Reply

jrdamwijk writes:
on Jan 17 2008 12:58 PM

Well, I think the ending of the movie was just fine. People need to realize there is a difference between wanting a non hollywood ending for a good, legitimate reason, and then seeing something that is a bit upbeat like this, which I thought was actually done really well. It wasn't overdone, it was fairly simple, it wasnt overstated, he just accepted that as how it should be and it was. Besides, that last line. light up the dark, was the perfect way to end it. You cannot expect everything in the movie to be exactly like the book, when you make a film you have to make some changes, no matter what, to make a better film. Its the very reason why some of the Harry Potter films blow completely, and some of them are pretty damn good, because the ones that are good go out of their way to make the movies actual films, have a unique visual flare, and can be enjoyed even if you know exactly how the events will play out, because they made subtle changes and went for the movie effect, not the books, which is the right way to go about making a movie. Acting jaded and movie hardened doesn't actually make you a good film critic. It's like the people who claimed the ending to A.I. was too upbeat and Spielberg like, anyone who actually felt the ending was upbeat in A.I. must not have been paying any attention at all. That goes less so for this, sure, the ending might have been a littler "happier" then should have been, but this doesnt completely negate the effect the ending had. And hey, Peter Jackson screwed up the ending to LOTR but everyone just gives it a free pass due to the fact that the rest of the movies were pretty decent(I say pretty decent, Im not a huge fan).

(Reply to this)

southwick writes:
on Jan 17 2008 02:27 PM

In reply to this comment (#1483317)
jrdamwijk,
I think you are confused as to the difference between changing the entire theme of a story and simply changing the story to fit within a movie.

The ending of LOTR was not drastically different. The Scouring of the Shire was not of some huge importance in the overall ideals of the story. Honestly I was glad to see that cut vs. actual important parts.

The ending of I am Legend was A COMPLETELY different point.

In the movie he is a legend because he "finds a cure, and is a hero."

In the book he is a legend because he has become the vampire. The legendary beast that hunts the innocent in their beds killing them in their sleep.

That isn't even the same damn story. Thats a completely different story that stole another stories name. It would be like having a movie called Lord of the Rings in which a short person named Frodo goes on a quest to obtain a cheeseburger.

When you change the entire theme of a story it begs the question, why even give it the same title? They could have called I Am Legend anything since ultimately they made an unrelated apocalyptic movie where the main character shares his name with the character from a novel.

(Reply to this)

marktime writes:
on Jan 17 2008 02:42 PM

No matter how they change the ending it will still be completly different from the book. That being said I didn't like the ending of the book all too much, but it was still better than the movie.

(Reply to this)

MaxFisher14 writes:
on Jan 17 2008 03:01 PM

Fims Ending sucked my balls

(Reply to this)

b_lcky writes:
on Jan 17 2008 04:36 PM

I haven't read the book but I wasn't overly satisfied with the ending of the movie. I still liked the movie, but the whole "human utopia" thing seemed like a cop-out to me. C'mon...if the virus doesn't like the cold, how the hell did it wipe out all the people in the world. I like the sound of the book ending a lot better.

(Reply to this)

Matanuki writes:
on Jan 17 2008 05:24 PM

In reply to this comment (#1484478)
Of course it was a cop-out! I was saying this on my way out of the movie. Quizzed my friends who saw it with me. None of them, I knew, read the book so I said, "Did the title make any sense to you?" Their collective resounding "no" was evidence of exactly what Southwick said. It was a different story with the title of a far superior story clumsily tacked onto it, I guess, for no other reason than it sounded cool. This is unfortunate because, aside from my contempt for the insulting Hollywood trend of dumbing everything down, I actually thought Will Smith put in a reputable performance. Imagine if he would have gotten to play that character named Robert Neville in that other story called "I am Legend".

(Reply to this)

Damon687 writes:
on Jan 17 2008 06:27 PM

Will Smith character was a legend at least, he was the Dr who tried to save the world (but ultimately failed). I personally enjoyed the movie, looked and sounded great in Imax. Will Smith was on the money and I was extra happy with the first 2/3 and still quite satisfied with the end. It did end a bit quickly but that's really my only complaint at all. Even if you didn't like the end or the last part, to say the entire movie sucked is ridiculous just based on the first half of the movie. That being said, even though I enjoyed the ending enough, I would still like to check out the alternate one, the book ending also sounds pretty cool.

I didn't really get the Human Utopia out of it (do you even know what a Utopia is), it was just essentially a walled in commune for survivors (ones that were immune). Sure it was nice but it was so far from a utopia it isn't even funny. Also, they were alive due to being the 1%, 10% survived but 9% of those turned into the vampires.

Its a bit sad that an article about the next Steven Speilberg movie with a mention about an I Am Legend ending and its bash fest.

(Reply to this)

webbew writes:
on Jan 17 2008 08:28 PM

Definitely need a better ending to wash the taste out of my mouth from the one tacked on to the theatrical release. Bleck! Worse than Blackberry Slusho. If it ends like the book then they should just scrap the theatrical ending and use the alternate for the DVD. Maybe then ten years down the road this film will be remembered as the great film it almost was.

(Reply to this)

screwhead100 writes:
on Jan 17 2008 09:27 PM

if they would have made the movie exactly like how the book goes then it would be so many notches up to me.........the ending in the theatre ruined it..........there was no RUTH, there was no zombies that gained back mental capacity or "halfway infected" but aware zombies that had morals............the ending of the book is 100 times better than the movie's but i dont think the book's ending would have worked in the movie because they never show the half intelligent half zombie people in the movie......they totally ruined a good thing and i couldn't even like the movie because of it........

(Reply to this)

duckmanx88 writes:
on Jan 17 2008 09:49 PM

the movie was ****. the book was incredible. will is such a wonderful actor. he deserved a movie with better CG and a screenplay that actually follows the book.

(Reply to this)

polycube writes:
on Jan 17 2008 10:27 PM

The movie had issues from the very beginning. Neville states that the zombies have lost all human characteristics or something - yet they're able to plan elaborate trip-wire traps, and want revenge for the abduction of that one zombie chick. Also, the flashbacks were totally useless. The only tiny bit of information it provided was that Neville at one point was religious. Other than that it was just an excuse for some special effects. Also, when Neville and the woman put the kid to bed, Neville turns up the music. And throwing the eggs and getting super angry was just over-the-top. I figured Neville would have been a bit more positive...didn't make sense to me. Oh, and showing the routine of waiting for survivors twice was totally unnecessary. They could have used the time to develop the relationship between Neville and the survivors, or more action, or something. I like Will Smith, but I was fuzzy on the motivation for some of his larger reactions. I'm totally interested in reading the book though.

(Reply to this)

polycube writes:
on Jan 17 2008 10:33 PM

And all the screen time dedicated to showing the Shrek movie...why, why, why? Here we are in a strange alternate reality with really unique circumstances and we're in the living room with Neville watching Shrek. That didn't work for me.

(Reply to this)

jasperoosterveld writes:
on Jan 18 2008 01:43 AM

I really liked the movie (imax!!) but the book sounds amazing, to bad they didn't do that but thats probally because its harder to sell (stupid of course).

(Reply to this)

descentintomadness writes:
on Jan 20 2008 12:28 PM

I kinda felt that maybe things weren't close to the movie after he snatched the zombie wife and the husband built a trap and set dogs to get him.

(Reply to this)

vineethchacko writes:
on Jan 22 2008 11:02 AM

I hate it when Hollywoody endings take away from the spirit of really good books that have been written.

(Reply to this)

lovernotfighter9 writes:
on Jan 23 2008 06:16 AM

the ending sucked, It was horrible, I saw it for my birthday and my heart sank because of the ending, i don't know what the books ending is but i hope it's at least good

(Reply to this)

gadawg writes:
on Jan 26 2008 05:58 PM

damn straight, hallmark ending. keep it closer to the book.
Simple and staight to the point, they wanted the information he had (in his blood) to make themselves more human, and killed him trying to get it.

(Reply to this)

taguro writes:
on Feb 05 2008 12:58 PM

The ending to I am legend was truly dreadful anything could have been better even making the movie all over again but removing the nasty cgi and will smith

(Reply to this)