I Am Legend
2007’sI Am Legend , starring Will Smith , changed the vampires from the novel into more zombie - like creatures called Darkseekers , making the movie worse as a resolution . While using the title of respect of Richard Matheson ’s novel suggested that it would be a more faithful version than premature versions - 1964’sThe Last Man on Earthand 1971’sThe Omega Man- changing the creatures wholly altered the entire period of the news report , especially the conclusion .
Matheson’sI Am Legendbook end with Robert Neville being put to death by the lamia for crimes he confide against them , noting as he dies that he ’s the boogeyman to the vampires or else of vampires being the bugbear to humans . This is starkly dissimilar to theI Am Legendmovie ending , in which Neville sacrifices himself to save two others - Anna and Ethan - by burn out up his laboratory with a grenade , presumptively kill every Darkseeker inside as well . It was certainly a more Hollywood type of ending , but one that was noticeably unlike from the novel . This is partly becauseI Am Legendportrayed the Darkseekers as reasonless , zombi - like creatures , a unmediated direct contrast to the novel ’s intelligent , human - like vampires .
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Changing I Am Legend ’s creatures - which were make by thevirus outbreakin the moving picture - made accommodate the book ’s ending unacceptable , as the Darkseekers showed almost no signs of intensify intelligence before in the movie . I Am Legendoriginally had an ending closer to the book ’s , but that was interchange after minus reactions from test consultation . In theoriginalI Am Legendending , Robert Neville discovers that he had seize the substantial other of one of the vampires ’ leaders . He then gain that his attempt to cure the monsters wait less like aesculapian research and more like torture . So , he releases the Darkseeker that he captured and escape with Anna and Ethan , faze by what he just discovered .
The thing is , I Am Legendisn’t supposed to touch to him being a fable for the remaining human race , as the final cut show , but rather to him being a legend to the Darkseeker , being the monster that haunts their nightmares . Had theI Am Legendmovie portrayed theDarkseekers more like the vampires of the book , this would have been a much easier idea for audiences to go along with . It would still be a sedative end , as Neville fall out to come across as a ogre , but that change would at least make it agree more logically in the picture .
This flaw is n’t unparalleled to 2007’sI Am Legendthough , as it ’s something that ’s also been done in the other two adjustment , The Last humankind on EarthandThe Omega Man . All three versions made the “ vampire ” into more mindless creatures and changed the original ending substantially . It most likely has to do with the desire to make lead character “ likable ” . If Neville is doing experiment on intelligent , human - like creatures , he becomes much more unsettling to see . The resolution ? Make them less human . It makes common sense but misses the point of the story .
By exchange “ vampires ” to the mindless “ Darkseekers”,I Am Legendbreaks the main twirl that makes the novel more than just another sci - fi news report . While a more close version of the original ending was filmed , it was rejected , not just because it was a sad finish , but also because it did n’t make sentience give how the Darkseekers were portrayed in the rest of the picture .
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