I Am Legend is a really good movie.  How Will Smith did not get nominated for his acting is beyond me.  The first hour of the film was pretty much just him and his dog.  Acting with an ensemble cast is tough, but acting by yourself, with only a German shepherd and some digital monsters as your co-stars, has got to be extremely difficult.  I know movies like this don’t typically get nominated for awards, especially this awards season being a “critics” season for Hollywood.  Kudos to Will Smith and the entire I Am Legend team: the story was good, the acting was superb, the visual effects were great, and the message behind the movie is great discussion fodder.

That being said, I recently purchased the special edition of I Am Legend on DVD, complete with an alternate version of the movie.  The first hour of both versions is the same.  However, the differences in the last half hour are vastly different.  The way I see it, the “Icy Inspiration” scene in the alternate version, which is an expansion of the “Marley’s namesake” scene in the theatrical version, and the different ending change the movie’s story and meaning dramatically.  I won’t spoil it for anyone, but it’s an interesting comparison, to say the least.  I’m disappointed that there isn’t a special feature explaining the director’s choice as to which version he decided upon for the theatrical release.  If anyone’s seen the movie and/or its alternate version, or knows anything regarding the alternate version, I’d be happy to discuss.  And if you’ve yet to see the film, I highly recommend it.  Even if the story doesn’t immdediately interest you, the acting (both human and canine…man I love German shepherds!) and the social commentary made by the film’s story is noteworthy.