Having seen I Am Legend, I've become an instant Will Smith fan, and ran out to rent his older works.
Though Will does a commendable, classy acting job in the role, the film itself just did not work. On the most basic level, the pacing was off...halfway through the film it just started to drag (you begin to wish they'd just get on with it...we know he's going to get the job, let's at least see him at Dean Witter a little more, watch him go through the training and the frustrations there as well.) And as for the problems Will's character faces along the way: 1) They started to get a little ridiculous after awhile. The scanners are stolen twice, he gets hit by a car (and no, these particular crisis didn't happen in the real life story, from what I understand. So it's just Hollywood embellishment.) 2) I couldn't help thinking - along with some other readers - that some of the problems were his own fault. He *should* have given his son to his wife...a man with no income should *not* be trying to raise a son. And--as pointed out in another post--he had known for some time that the scanner business wasn't panning out...yet he persists, forcing his wife to work double shifts, letting both rent and taxes fall dangerously behind. Dude, that's when you get ANY job that pays the bills and put the sales work aside. It never should have gotten to that point at all.
That's my five cents. Loved Will Smith, thought the movie just didn't work. Thank God there's I Am Legend...
Though Will does a commendable, classy acting job in the role, the film itself just did not work. On the most basic level, the pacing was off...halfway through the film it just started to drag (you begin to wish they'd just get on with it...we know he's going to get the job, let's at least see him at Dean Witter a little more, watch him go through the training and the frustrations there as well.) And as for the problems Will's character faces along the way: 1) They started to get a little ridiculous after awhile. The scanners are stolen twice, he gets hit by a car (and no, these particular crisis didn't happen in the real life story, from what I understand. So it's just Hollywood embellishment.) 2) I couldn't help thinking - along with some other readers - that some of the problems were his own fault. He *should* have given his son to his wife...a man with no income should *not* be trying to raise a son. And--as pointed out in another post--he had known for some time that the scanner business wasn't panning out...yet he persists, forcing his wife to work double shifts, letting both rent and taxes fall dangerously behind. Dude, that's when you get ANY job that pays the bills and put the sales work aside. It never should have gotten to that point at all.
That's my five cents. Loved Will Smith, thought the movie just didn't work. Thank God there's I Am Legend...