I have a particular penchant for apocalyptic tales with a preference for the likes of The Quiet Earth which is sans monsters rather than the reverse. Indeed, the most appealing aspect of those with monsters is the breakdown of society so that they are best relegated to a device rather than the focus.
I am not familiar with the novel I Am Legend but as for the flick it certainly would have benefited from a "less is more" aesthetic where the monsters were concerned -as said: toned down but also seeing less of them.
What is it in the original story that could justify locomotion counter to human physiology? The best, most specialized athletes in the world dosed with PCP or whatever you like could not scramble up the side of a building like giant insects as they did in the movie. It was silly.
Since pondering upon it...
For the evacuation of his family, why was such a critical army doctor subjected to the dangers of the hoi polloi at the sea port as opposed to a relatively secret and certainly more safe and easily secured helipad on a Manhattan rooftop?
Aerial bombing of the bridges (though empty) while throngs of people were in close proximity including, again, VIPs at the sea port helipad was ill-conceived.
Where were all the corpses? Are we to believe the monsters picked the streets clean? Likewise, are we to believe that Neville alone cleared streets of cars? Why a Mustang for hunting deer? Where would he put the carcass? Answer: product placement plus flash.
The infected who did not die immediately carried on functioning for the interim three years and as seen they killed deer for nourishment. However, in the beginning, sustenance would have been limited to only domesticated pets and the one-percent of immune humans (even less, those who did not evacuate) versus the nine-percent of the population who became such monsters. Ergo they should have died of starvation within a month. Or perhaps they lived on canned food as monsters are wont to do. :roll: But no, if they ate anything other than flesh and/or blood then they would have ravaged Neville's crops in short order.
What about other diseases? Were they suddenly and miraculously immune from dysentery, cholera, and so on? Ditto Neville et alli.
The monsters remained social -even pair bonding, they ate (so defecated), presumably slept, and chose to wear clothing. Yet all their clothing was drab and soiled; no colour. Does it not make sense that they would either discard clothing or else wear whatever was at least comfortable as they had no practical limit of such supply?
More to the social aspect: the monsters apparently kept pets. Yes, they had likewise infected dogs on leashes. So neither were as crazed as they seemed but apparently only particularly inclined to violence towards the immune -further evidenced by Neville's belov'd pet dog turning against him.
Again, the monsters were quite rational in being able to set an elaborate and technical trap. Yet there was no evidence of using other tools. Why did they not drive vehicles and use firearms? Why not shield themselves from the Sun with aforementioned clothing?
What made them fall for Neville's ploy whereby he placed a dummy at the end of the sea port dock while he waited in a car to run them down? They should have noticed the car as out of place. Even so, they could have simply jumped into the water to avoid being hit. Anna was also hanging about but they failed to spot her or even stop her from rescuing Neville which was all too brief and unexplained how she accomplished that feat. In any case she was savvy enough to do it but dim enough to lead the monsters back to the townhouse.
The monsters apparently have an accute smell for blood yet fail to detect immune dogs and people in the same room by either smell or sight -especially Neville's flashlight, despite being uber sensitive to light. Likewise at the dock they are unaware of both Neville and Anna.
Despite aforementioned patience and cunning with a trap, the monsters (lead by a recurring "boss" character) exhibit a mooncalfish lack of stealth by charging loudly at the townhouse -again, rawrrring all the time from their impossibly huge maws).
Intelligence and cooperation is once again demonstrated by one infiltrator ripping through the ceiling and roof to allow entry of others. Super monkey strength and agility is exhibited all 'round.
Neville previously remarked they have devolved completely but quite the opposite. That was likely meant to show his ignorance of their behavior but it could just as well be applied to their physical attributes which he was well aware of.
A grenade is detonated in the basement which causes a flash fire yet Anna and Ethan survive in a little fireplace ash trap hidey hole thingy when they more likely would have asphyxiated, if not succumbed to the concussion or heat. Even so, there was no reason for the monsters to flee the dark building "in the morning".
The Vermont refuge: a walled village, yet once again, such barriers were nothing to the queer agility of the monsters. I suppose in the absence of daytime shelter in rural areas they might not be inclined to travel much but then why bother with such elaborate walls? More importantly, if daylight is safe then why make a suppos-ed refuge so far north where days are shorter and the climate more harsh -especially for a crippled civilization heavily dependent upon lost conveniences and specialized knowledge.
It just does not add up, I tell you
I am not familiar with the novel I Am Legend but as for the flick it certainly would have benefited from a "less is more" aesthetic where the monsters were concerned -as said: toned down but also seeing less of them.
What is it in the original story that could justify locomotion counter to human physiology? The best, most specialized athletes in the world dosed with PCP or whatever you like could not scramble up the side of a building like giant insects as they did in the movie. It was silly.
Since pondering upon it...
For the evacuation of his family, why was such a critical army doctor subjected to the dangers of the hoi polloi at the sea port as opposed to a relatively secret and certainly more safe and easily secured helipad on a Manhattan rooftop?
Aerial bombing of the bridges (though empty) while throngs of people were in close proximity including, again, VIPs at the sea port helipad was ill-conceived.
Where were all the corpses? Are we to believe the monsters picked the streets clean? Likewise, are we to believe that Neville alone cleared streets of cars? Why a Mustang for hunting deer? Where would he put the carcass? Answer: product placement plus flash.
The infected who did not die immediately carried on functioning for the interim three years and as seen they killed deer for nourishment. However, in the beginning, sustenance would have been limited to only domesticated pets and the one-percent of immune humans (even less, those who did not evacuate) versus the nine-percent of the population who became such monsters. Ergo they should have died of starvation within a month. Or perhaps they lived on canned food as monsters are wont to do. :roll: But no, if they ate anything other than flesh and/or blood then they would have ravaged Neville's crops in short order.
What about other diseases? Were they suddenly and miraculously immune from dysentery, cholera, and so on? Ditto Neville et alli.
The monsters remained social -even pair bonding, they ate (so defecated), presumably slept, and chose to wear clothing. Yet all their clothing was drab and soiled; no colour. Does it not make sense that they would either discard clothing or else wear whatever was at least comfortable as they had no practical limit of such supply?
More to the social aspect: the monsters apparently kept pets. Yes, they had likewise infected dogs on leashes. So neither were as crazed as they seemed but apparently only particularly inclined to violence towards the immune -further evidenced by Neville's belov'd pet dog turning against him.
Again, the monsters were quite rational in being able to set an elaborate and technical trap. Yet there was no evidence of using other tools. Why did they not drive vehicles and use firearms? Why not shield themselves from the Sun with aforementioned clothing?
What made them fall for Neville's ploy whereby he placed a dummy at the end of the sea port dock while he waited in a car to run them down? They should have noticed the car as out of place. Even so, they could have simply jumped into the water to avoid being hit. Anna was also hanging about but they failed to spot her or even stop her from rescuing Neville which was all too brief and unexplained how she accomplished that feat. In any case she was savvy enough to do it but dim enough to lead the monsters back to the townhouse.
The monsters apparently have an accute smell for blood yet fail to detect immune dogs and people in the same room by either smell or sight -especially Neville's flashlight, despite being uber sensitive to light. Likewise at the dock they are unaware of both Neville and Anna.
Despite aforementioned patience and cunning with a trap, the monsters (lead by a recurring "boss" character) exhibit a mooncalfish lack of stealth by charging loudly at the townhouse -again, rawrrring all the time from their impossibly huge maws).
Intelligence and cooperation is once again demonstrated by one infiltrator ripping through the ceiling and roof to allow entry of others. Super monkey strength and agility is exhibited all 'round.
Neville previously remarked they have devolved completely but quite the opposite. That was likely meant to show his ignorance of their behavior but it could just as well be applied to their physical attributes which he was well aware of.
A grenade is detonated in the basement which causes a flash fire yet Anna and Ethan survive in a little fireplace ash trap hidey hole thingy when they more likely would have asphyxiated, if not succumbed to the concussion or heat. Even so, there was no reason for the monsters to flee the dark building "in the morning".
The Vermont refuge: a walled village, yet once again, such barriers were nothing to the queer agility of the monsters. I suppose in the absence of daytime shelter in rural areas they might not be inclined to travel much but then why bother with such elaborate walls? More importantly, if daylight is safe then why make a suppos-ed refuge so far north where days are shorter and the climate more harsh -especially for a crippled civilization heavily dependent upon lost conveniences and specialized knowledge.
It just does not add up, I tell you
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