I Am Legend's Original Ending

[Nitrof1]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/05/must-watch-i-am-legends-original-ending-this-is-amazing/

contains spoiler (obviously)
I like that end better

 

[TopHat]

Wow.

 

[McLaren]

That was much better. It made the creatures feel like they actually had a sense of emotion & caring which is how the book portrayed them.

 

[UnoMOTO]

The alternate ending is too hollywood feelgood happy ending for me.

 

[F1GTR]

Made of even more cheese than the theatrical release.

 

[Danoff]

This ending is far better. It actually makes sense with the rest of the movie.

 

[UnoMOTO]

This ending is far better. It actually makes sense with the rest of the movie.

How so? The whole movie depicts them as man eating deranged heathens. Now with in the last 10 minutes of the movie they suddenly become compassionate? I don't follow with how that makes sense.

I didn’t like how at the last minute you should feel sorry for them because they are human after all. I did like how the main character died and you don’t have the happy ending that you were hoping for. I thought it was a nice change of pace.

 

[Danoff]

How so? The whole movie depicts them as man eating deranged heathens. Now with in the last 10 minutes of the movie they suddenly become compassionate? I don't follow with how that makes sense.

Edit: Spoilers - bigtime. But you knew that because you went into a thread about the end of a movie.


It was clear from the first time you saw the dude that he was pissed about who was captured. Coming out into the sun to go after her made it clear.

Then, he sets a trap using someone that he knew Will Smith's character considered important - Fred. The trap indicates intelligence, and that he's still out for revenge.

But it doesn't stop with that trap. The leader of the infected humans seems to have a personal vendetta against Will Smith's character - willing to risk the lives of the rest of his group to get to him. It definitely seemed personal all the way through the movie, and the fact that it was a girl who was captured made for an obvious reason why. After finishing the movie the first time, I remember wondering why the hell the zombie people cared so much about Will Smith. Afterall, he didn't represent all that much meat or blood - so he certainly wasn't about food. People don't leap through fire and commit suicide by throwing themselves onto spotlights for a single meal - and since we know they think and are somewhat organized (think dogs and trap), we know that there has to be a reason for that behavior.

Also note that the behavior starts immediately after he captures the woman. It actually occurred to me in the very first scene where the girl is captured that the guy who came after might have cared for her. Also, of course, it apparently fits much better with the book.

The theatrical ending was cheesy Hollywood crap. Lots of violence and someone escapes to the happy place. Ta-da! The original ending was a nice twist. The recognition that these "monsters" might not need or want to be cured.

 

[Famine]

*Famine examines "spoiler" tags with curiousity*

I wonder what they do...

 

[UnoMOTO]

I'll agree with everything you said about the revenge and intelligence. I also picked up on that, but I feel that they still would have killed willie boy even if they just wanted to get the girl back. It's not like they made a deal stating that I'll let you live if you cure the rest of us.

If they truly had no beef before the kidnapping there wouldn't have been a reason to lock himself up each night.

 

[Danoff]

I'll agree with everything you said about the revenge and intelligence. I also picked up on that, but I feel that they still would have killed willie boy even if they just wanted to get the girl back. It's not like they made a deal stating that I'll let you live if you cure the rest of us.

The revelation there is that they don't WANT to be cured. They're happy how they are. In fact, Willie boy puts her back to her infected self before he sets her free (in the altered ending). The deal was, give us the girl back alive and we'll let you live (oh, and by the way, quit capturing us).

If they truly had no beef before the kidnapping there wouldn't have been a reason to lock himself up each night.

Well, he had captured many others. And it had been some time since the original infection - indications were that they were beginning to regain intelligence.

 

[Slick Rick]

How so? The whole movie depicts them as man eating deranged heathens. Now with in the last 10 minutes of the movie they suddenly become compassionate? I don't follow with how that makes sense.

+1

I think the first ending is better than this but they should have stretched it on a bit. The theatrical ending finished too quickly.

 

[UnoMOTO]

The revelation there is that they don't WANT to be cured. They're happy how they are.

Open to interpretation and discussion I say.

Here is how I think that the break down goes.

Theatrical ending

Main character dies. Original for Hollywood 👍

Main character is a dead hero instead of a live one. 👍

Killer Zombies stay mean and ugly just like they should in a Killer zombie movie 👍

Happy ending of finding a colony of survivors. Same for both endings


Alternate/original ending.

Main character lives to bask in the glow of his cure. Not original 👎

Killer zombies turn into just misunderstood killer zombies. 👎

Still happy ending of finding a colony of survivors. 👎

 

[Der Alta]

I have had this DVD sitting at home since it came out, and haven't had the time to watch it. I've read the spoiler for it, and know pretty much what happens. From that read, plus the video above, I really think that the original ending (shown in the link) was the right one.

 

[Danoff]

Theatrical ending
Main character dies. Original for Hollywood 👍
Main character is a dead hero instead of a live one. 👍
Killer Zombies stay mean and ugly just like they should in a Killer zombie movie 👍
Happy ending of finding a colony of survivors. Same for both endings

Alternate/original ending.
Main character lives to bask in the glow of his cure. Not original 👎
Killer zombies turn into just misunderstood killer zombies. 👎
Still happy ending of finding a colony of survivors. 👎

My turn my turn!

Theatrical Ending
- Doesn't address why the zombies have a personal vendetta against will smith 👎
- Doesn't do anything unusual for a zombie movie 👎

Alternate Ending
- Throws away 3 years of research in the face of recognition that the zombies prefer their existence 👍
- Totally original for a zombie movie 👍


Honestly, I didn't care whether smith or the chick lived or died.

 

[V1P3R]

I don't like either... this just seems like a War of the Worlds type of movie where it's the actor playing himself not a character and the "thing" randomly tries to kill the actor which is more of a show casing of the actor than a movie. Too many whys and not enough answers.