History Film / IAmLegend

* TechnicallyLivingVampire / TechnicallyLivingZombie: The Darkseekers are infected victims of the SyntheticPlague who didn't die but instead mutated into bald, albino cannibals who are reduced to a largely primal mindset. A news report before the start of the apocalypse compares TheVirus[='=] symptoms to rabies, and they're still alive three years after the outbreak. Their superhuman feats are somewhat {{justified}} because one of the symptoms of the virus are that the Darkseekers' adrenal glands are pumping constantly.

Virologist Robert Neville (Smith) is the last human left in the city, and maybe the world. As he is immune to the virus, he works to create a remedy while defending himself against the Darkseekers, with [[CanineCompanion his German Shepherd dog Sam being his sole companion]].

The film notably has two endings: one which was intended to be included by the film that was closer in spirit to the original novel that left the door open for a sequel, and a more action-driven FocusGroupEnding that was shot for the theatrical release and made the film a standalone. The latter was eventually released on home video formats with an alternate cut of the movie, which hyped up the different resolution as a "controversial ending".

In 2023, it was revealed that a sequel, following the events of this version of the film, was in development. Smith is set to return as an older version of Robert Neville and co-produce alongside Creator/MichaelBJordan, who is set to co-star, with Goldsman returning to write the script.

* CoolGun: Neville's rifle; a Colt Law Enforcement Carbine with an [=ACOG=] scope and [=PentagonLight=] [=MD3R=] flashlight.

* DramaticSitDown: Robert Neville has a moment like this after his dog is infected by the vampire disease and he puts it down. The dog was his only companion for three years during the [[ZombieApocalypse vampire apocalypse]]. The following shot is of Neville sitting in his car after burying the dog's body and blankly staring at the now empty passenger seat. He almost commits suicide when two unaffected survivors show up and help him.

''I Am Legend'' is a 2007 post-apocalyptic action thriller film directed by Creator/FrancisLawrence, written by Akiva Goldsman, and starring Creator/WillSmith. It is a loose film adaptation (and only one to bear the name) of Creator/RichardMatheson's novel [[Literature/IAmLegend of the same name]].

Virologist Robert Neville (Smith) is the last human left in the city, and maybe the world. As he is immune to the virus, he works to create a remedy while defending himself against the Darkseekers and seeking companionship from his German Shepherd dog Sam.

The 2007 loose film adaptation (and only one to bear the name) of Creator/RichardMatheson's novel ''Literature/IAmLegend''. It is directed by Creator/FrancisLawrence and written by Akiva Goldsman.

Creator/WillSmith plays virologist Robert Neville, who is immune to a man-made virus originally created to cure cancer but ended up wiping out humanity. He works to create a remedy while defending himself against the virus' victims, who turn into [[ZombieApocalypse hostile mutants]].

The film notably has two endings: one which was intended to be included by the film that was closer in spirit to the original novel that left the door open for a sequel, and a more action-driven FocusGroupEnding that was shot for the theatrical release and made the film a standalone. The latter was eventually released on home video formats with an alternate cut of the movie, which hyped up the different resolution as a "controversial ending". In 2023, it was learned that a sequel, following the events of this version of the film, was in development. Smith is set to return as an older version of Robert Neville and Creator/MichaelBJordan co-starring, with Goldsman returning to write the script.

Four short animated movies which tell unrelated side stories about the rest of the world were also released to tie in with the movie.

* AfterTheEnd: Three years into the future, the Krippin Virus has long since killed 90% of all humans while 9.8% became Darkseekers and 0.2% are immune, with the struggle for survival against the Darkseekers only further decimating the immune's numbers. On what could be considered a silver lining, the low number of survivors means Neville seemingly doesn't have to worry about running foul of bandits or scavengers. There's lots of SceneryGorn with the overgrown ruins of New York City where Neville has lived on his own except for Sam. At the end, [[spoiler:it turns out there's more immune survivors than initially thought, with Neville's treatment providing hope that humanity can retake the world]].

* AllThereInTheScript: The recurring Darkseeker with a grudge against Robert Neville in the film is called the "Alpha Male".

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: The DVD short "Shelter", wherein [[spoiler:an infected girl begins seeing her family as the monsters, while she believes herself to be uninfected.]]

* FocusGroupEnding: Infamously so, ruining most of the {{Foreshadowing}} and creating a few {{Plot Hole}}s. Originally, the ending was much closer to the novel it was based on, with [[spoiler:Neville realizing that the infected are intelligent, and just want to take back the flock member he has in his captivity in order to test his cure. A shocked Neville allows them to do this, after which the infected leave without causing further trouble. The event leads Neville to ponder the implications of how he has been carrying out his research into finding a cure, and realizes that in the eyes of the infected, ''he'' [[HeelRealization is the monster]], as to them he is some strange creature who is abducting and killing them for seemingly no reason at all]]. In the final version of the ending [[spoiler:the intelligence of the infected is just implied, but ultimately ignored, and Neville makes a HeroicSacrifice to help the others escape with his cure]]. The original ending was eventually included as bonus material on the DVD, where it was named the "controversial" ending.

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Done more subtly than in the novel, [[spoiler:the camera pans to the dozens of infected that Neville killed doing experimentations on when he does the same to the one he's currently working on. Anna even looks on with [[WhatTheHellHero horror]] when she sees the failed experiments.]]

* LivingProp: Ethan. He has no lines and never does anything other than not die. Only thing that he's used for is Neville showing how much time he's had on his hands when reciting ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' by heart.

* OhCrap: Anna and Neville when they realise the Darkseekers managed to track them home.

* SceneryGorn: Much of the movie dwells on the spectacle of New York returning to nature and the traces of the desperate last days e.g. the blown bridges. The portrayal of the vegetation, contrary to popular belief, is actually quite conservative. In reality it's likely that the speed of New York's reclamation by nature would be much ''more'' thorough by three years later. As one example, if such an extinction were to occur there would be no one to man the water pipes underneath the city, the subways would flood within a week and almost all of the surface streets would cave in from the erosion. As a rich pool of nature right in the middle of Manhattan, Central Park would also increase the rate of reclamation.

-->'''Neville:''' "FRED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE, FRED?"

The film notably has two endings: one which was intended to be included by the film that was closer in spirit to the original novel that left the door open for a sequel, and a more action-driven FocusGroupEnding that was shot for the theatrical release and made the film a standalone. The latter was eventually released on home video formats with an alternate cut of the movie, which hyped up the different resolution as a "controversial ending". In 2023, it was learned that a sequel, following the events of this version of the film was in development, with Smith returning as an older version of Robert Neville and Creator/MichaelBJordan co-starring, with Goldsman returning to write the script.

The 2007 loose film adaptation (and only one to bear the name) of Creator/RichardMatheson's novel ''Literature/IAmLegend''. It is directed by Creator/FrancisLawrence and written by Creator/AkivaGoldsman.

The 2007 loose film adaptation (and only one to bear the name) of Creator/RichardMatheson's novel ''Literature/IAmLegend''.

With its release came four short animated movies which tell unrelated side stories about the rest of the world.

* WhamShot: In the opening, after Dr Krippin proudly states that her experimental viral treatment has cured cancer, the film cuts forward three years to reveal a desolate, deserted Manhattan, showing that something obviously went very wrong.

* CureForCancer: The start of the zombie apocalypse, as it was a viral injection that would kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, it kills living cells, too. And then brings them back...

* TheVirus: The Krippin Virus is a HatePlague which causes infected humans and animals to physically suffer baldness and albinism and turns them into {{Technically Living Vampire}}s who are especially deadly due to their adrenal glands being constantly open.

* FeralVampires: The Darkseekers are essentially this as well as {{Technically Living Zombie}}s: they feed on meat (such as blood), and they're severely burned by UV rays such as those present in sunlight, which forces them to shelter in dark ruins throughout the day and only come out at night.

* TechnicallyLivingZombie: The Darkseekers are infected victims of the SyntheticPlague who didn't die but instead mutated into bald, albino cannibals who are reduced to a largely primal mindset. A news report before the start of the apocalypse compares TheVirus[='=] symptoms to rabies, and they're still alive three years after the outbreak. Their superhuman feats are somewhat {{justified}} because one of the symptoms of the virus are that the Darkseekers' adrenal glands are pumping constantly.

* TheVirus: The Krippin Virus is a HatePlague which causes infected humans and animals to physically suffer baldness and albinism and turns them into {{Technically Living Zombie}}s who are especially deadly due to their adrenal glands being constantly open.

--> '''Neville:''' [[spoiler:Samantha...]]

* AMFMCharacterization: Neville is a fan of Music/BobMarley and shares his love of ''Music/ExodusAlbum'' with Anna. His daughter is even named Marley.

* ChewingTheScenery:
-->"FRED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE, FRED?"

* {{Flashback}}s: Tells how [[spoiler:his family died and why he's stuck in New York]].

* SanitySlippage: Mostly happens before the "current" time of the movie, though it gets really slidy after [[spoiler:Neville is forced to [[DespairEventHorizon mercy-kill his only companion, the dog]].]] Talking to your pet? That's fairly normal even now. Talking to a mannequin? A little odd. Expecting, nay, ''begging'' it to talk back? (See Manly Tears) Yeah, you're pretty far gone. Spending three years as the only uninfected human in New York City, hell the entire world, [[spoiler:or so he thinks,]] will probably make you a little unstable. There's also the fact that [[spoiler:even when reunited with other humans]] he still seems a little broken. Among which being the refusal to think that other humans even ''could'' be out there or that the infected aren't the mindless beasts he thinks, despite ever-growing mountains of evidence otherwise, and going blank as he spoke along with the movie ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' in a way that would make Pavlov proud.

* StakingTheLovedOne: [[spoiler:Sam]]

* DramaticSitDown: Robert Neville has a moment like this after his dog is infected by the vampire disease and he puts it down. The dog was only companion for three years during the [[ZombieApocalypse vampire apocalypse]]. The following shot is of Neville sitting in his car after burying the dog's body and blankly staring at the now empty passenger seat. He almost commits suicide when two unaffected survivors show up and help him.

Creator/WillSmith plays virologist Robert Neville, who is immune to a man-made virus originally created to cure cancer. He works to create a remedy while defending himself against the virus' victims, who turn into hostile mutants.

[[caption-width-right:350:They aren't talking about the dog.]]

* FamousLastWords:
** [[spoiler: Robert's wife Zoe]]: "I love you".
** [[spoiler: Robert's daughter Marley: "Look Daddy, a butterfly"]].