La Calavera speaks about Soy Leyenda (I am Legend)

Though not a pelicula of the month per se (that title is held by NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN), it is a pelicula worthy of La Calavera’s attention.

I’m sure you all know de que se trata (what it is about) because of all the marketing/ buzz going on. Usually La Calavera hates the hype but with this movie, esta bien. Not only are there trailers shown on T.V. and in theaters, but you also have the I AM LEGEND website (beautifully made by the way), the I AM LEGEND Myspace, the I AM LEGEND free online-sim/game (where you can play as a mutant, civilian, or soldier running around the ruins of Nueva York), and a prequel graphic novel by Vertigo Comics that involves the stories of different characters before and after the epidemic (titled I AM LEGEND: AWAKENING). La Calavera loves it! This brings to mind how movie marketing has come a long way from its somewhat humble beginnings, but I will leave that whole topic for a later post.

There are 3 major things going for Soy Leyenda: Numero Uno is Will Smith (he’s been one of La Calavera’s favorite actors since he was a chiquito Nino watching The Fresh Prince of BelAir on channel 4), Numero Dos is the Post-Apocalyptic-there’s-no-hope-ravaging-zombies-person-trying-to-survive scenario and of course Numero 3: the great special effects.

SOY LEYENDA starts off like . . . like a post-apocalyptic Cast Away (remember that one pelicula starring Tom Hanks) only replace the deserted island with a deserted New York City, Wilson the volley ball with Samantha the faithful dog (Spoiler! Samantha has a similar fate as Wilson), and Tom Hanks with Will Smith. And just like Mr. Hanks kept the audiences interest in Cast Away, so will Mr.Smith. The movie of course escalates from there: a perfect routine that Dr. Neville (Smith) has set up for himself goes off track, pandemonium ensues with those zombies/mutants, and a survivor along with a little kid that end up finding Dr. Neville. That’s about all la Calavera will reveal.

The story does have a few “head-scratchers” though, two of them being: Why is Dr. Neville trying to find a cure if he believes that he is the only human left and how in diablo’s did the survivor reach Dr. Neville if all the bridges were blown up in trying to quarantine the area? (Perhaps it is because she is Latino. You know we can cross any kind of boarder thrown at us. We are resilient that way!)

Well that is where one of the many themes of a pelicula such as this comes in: that mixture of the primitive innate characteristic of survival of the species and that quality of the human soul which is hope. The need for companionship (we, as humans, are a social species and need some sort of interaction). And that spirit of going through great extremes to see if there is anything else out in the great beyond. This all goes with that human trait known as empathy.

So todo en todo, La Calavera recommends I AM LEGEND. Go grab your elote on a stick, put some mayonesa and chili on it and enjoy this good movie.

If you are interested, read the original 1954 novel (same title) written by Richard Matheson and watch the 2 movie incarnations that came from it (Smith's being the third): THE LAST MAN ON EARTH with La Calavera’s all time favorite star Vincent Price and THE OMEGA MAN with Charlton Heston.

Hasta la proxima ves,

La Calavera #42