Hollywood got it wrong... again!

Years ago, in a land where the Nissan Hut was king and Saturday nights were about being confined to campus, my school put on films. Not videos or DVDs but real films through a cranky projector that was amongst the audience. When Reel One ended, the room remained dark and you could hear the projectionists curse audibly but silently as they fumbled to change the reels as quickly as possible.

In the back half of the long Nissan hut, much snogging took place and a quick fumble betwixt girl and boy whilst those at the front waited for Reel Two.

We watched Doomwatch and others, the choice having been make by the teacher in charge of the Film Society months before. Most of the time he got it right though sometimes there was the odd turkey, about one per term!

One film that grabbed me was 'The Omega Man' starring Charlton Heston. Loved it. Great film and, for me, along with 'Soylent Green' one of the films that I could watch again and again.

OK call me a nerd, I do not care.

Therefore, I eagerly awaited the remake of 'The Omega Man' starring Will Smith which is, as you know, is called 'I Am Legend'. I went to see it. The providence was good. Great actor whom I admire and great story whose premise is unreal but believable as if it could happen. What could go wrong?

Having paid my £7.10, I sat with the Maltesers and the Fanta (which cost me almost as much as the film itself) I reposed in the cinema for my amusement and entertainment.

Well everything! It was crap! At one point you are expected to believe that the antagonist is rescued by a young slight woman and her son in the middle of the night by the 'undead' who are are deadly as pride of lions. You see roaming deer killed by rogue lions (presumably escaped from New York Zoo) and then the threat of these wild animals never appear again. You see Mr Smith's character live on the ground floor where he lives undetected until he comes back in the dark. It's too unreal with no human element. In 'The Omega Man' there was a dialog between the survivor (Heston) and the 'undead' which made the film more real.

Forget that, made the film real!

Will Smith is a great actor but he cant hold a movie on his own which this movie script essentially asks him to do. He needs a repartee between him and others to make him believable. Indeed, his dog Samantha is more convincing as an actor.

Disappointed? I sure was. Now I must look for 'The Omega Man' on DVD. Anyone got it?