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I Am Legend
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Intense, thoughtful thriller has some big scares.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–15
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of I Am Legend was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Parents need to know that although this cerebral action thriller is quite clean when it comes to language and sexual content, it deals with intense subjects like the fall of mankind and the fight for survival. It's not for kids who get scared, since it gets pretty terrifying, especially when the mutants take their turn onscreen. They jump out of nowhere, and the movie makes the most of that suspense to heighten the audience's response. Overall, the movie is very sobering -- and, unlike many Will Smith thrillers, it's light on the fun. Still, teens will want to see it and will be intrigued by the special effects and the edge-of-your-seat action.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about Hollywood's fascination with disaster movies and post-apocalyptic stories. What's the hook? How is this one different? Which aspect of the movie is more interesting to you: its thoughtful side or the fighting-off-mutants side? How is this movie different from other Will Smith sci-fi films? Families can also discuss what they'd do in Robert's place. Would you be able to keep your wits about you, as he seems to have (barely)? Would you be able to make the selfless decisions he seems to make?
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More on I Am Legend
What’s the Story?
If anyone had any doubts left that Will Smith could carry a movie, I AM LEGEND will banish them forever. He's virtually alone in this sci-fi thriller, with a dog -- albeit a talented one -- as his only foil. There are stretches when he literally talks to himself, and he's able to hold the audience's gaze throughout. Frightened and on edge, determined to survive, Robert Neville (Smith) is the last man standing in all five New York City boroughs after a virus thought to have cured cancer mutates and becomes a worldwide plague. Almost everyone on the planet dies; those who survive are turned into rabid creatures who only come out at night to hunt for food. But Robert decides to stay in the new ghost town of Manhattan. "This is Ground Zero," he declares. "I can still fix this."
Three years later, he's still there, spending his days hunting for deer with his dog, Samantha, by his side. He's hoping to find an antidote to turn the mutants back into humans. In the meantime, he has to fend his enemies off -- which is no mean feat, considering how violent they are.
Is It Any Good?
Director Francis Lawrence has a way with suspense; jumping out of your seat is almost a requirement here. Onscreen, Manhattan transforms into a true island, isolated, removed, and falling apart. Weeds grow on the streets, Times Square is deserted, the Flatiron Building sits neglected, and an eerie hush has fallen. Bravo to the special effects crew, who have created a New York never seen before (except, perhaps, in Escape to New York). The results are nothing short of amazing.
But the story ultimately disappoints. It starts out strong, hooking viewers in, but it sputters in the end. It's as if the screenwriters (or director, or producer) ran out of ways to wrap it up. Or perhaps the film simply doesn't have the same nuances as the Richard Matheson book on which it's based. Still, you can't fault I Am Legend for trying to be different from the typical action thriller. Taking on such themes as mankind's need for companionship, the fight for survival, and the existence of God, it at least succeeds in making us think.
Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros., Director: Francis Lawrence
Run time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/13/2007, DVD release: 3/17/2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.
Run time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/13/2007, DVD release: 3/17/2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.
Our Members Say
See all 139 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A great movie thats not too scary. I wouldn't recommend it for any little ones, but ok for kids 11+.
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Great Movie! OFF for 11 and under, IFFY for ages 12-13, and ON for ages 14 up. Content Warning: Contains intense violence, scary images, mild language, and emotionally disturbing content.
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Mixed reviews in my house.
Well, my oldest two oldest children and I viewed this movie together and my oldest loved it. He thought the special effects were well done and was very interested in the plot. However my second oldest was pretty scared by the whole 'mutant-take-over.' She didn't like when the dog became rabid and had to be exterminated. Overall I didn't particularly enjoy the movie as much as ohter Will Smith movies, but I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
An awesome movie!!!
A good movie, not too violent, a little scary. The infected people are a little freaky, but not a completely gorey. Watch it with it your 11+ yearolds, they should be fine!!!
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
i am legendary at reviwing
the movie was ok a bit of a cliffhanger
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
i am legendary at reviwing
the movie was ok a bit of a cliffhanger
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I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
very epic and great movie
LOVED THIS MOVIE! The best ever! A great thriller! It was very sad but epic. My 7 year old cousin wached it with me and he loved it! I was more scared than he was! But he also liked my bloody valentine in 3D so... that I would not see.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
Great movie-Not for kids under 10
I loved this movie!Since thrillers are my thing! but kids 10 years old or under should not watch this movie! Other than that it makes u jump,cry and get exsited Enjoy!
This review...
Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind -
I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Good movie
Well i loved this movie cant wait to share with my kids! Yes it was violent but it was good movie
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
Action and Sci-fi suspense for parents but think twice, maybe three times, before allowing children to watch
Parents: If you like action and sci-fi suspense this movie is for you but think twice before you let children under 13 watch this movie. Some scenes will be too scary for younger viewers.
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
Great movie, but not for impressionable kids.
A great movie. The zombies can be scary at points, don't let easily impressionable kids see this. A little bit of cursing, not anything too bad. Can also be violent.
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
A Stellar Thriller With a Thoughtful Side...
I AM LEGEND could have been a bad movie. The people making it could have messed up in many ways. However, they turn the flaws of the story into advantages. Its biggest asset is Will Smith's powerhouse performance. The script is very well-written also. The people making this movie took a big risk. Instead of making it an all-out action thriller with mindless, constant violence, they took the story line and made it, primarily, a tragedy about one man left alone in the world (with some great action pieces on the side). Parents need to know that this movie is very intense. Even when the action lets up, the emotion doesn't, and several scenes are emotionally draining, whether by fright or sadness. I don't like to include SPOILERS! in my reviews, but for the sake of a well-informed review, I will now. SPOILER! About 50 minutes into the movie, Neville's dog, Sam, becomes infected with the virus. He must strangle her before she becomes a zombie like the rest, and, since the dog is his only companion through the movie, this scene will be too overpowering for kids under 12 at least. END OF SPOILERS. In addition to that emotional scene, there are several others detailing the death of Neville's wife and daughter (helicopter crash). There's no more violence in the movie than there is in, say, a SPIDER-MAN film, but many scenes featuring the zombies will be frightening for kids. The film has a constant feel of desperation and despair, and while I wouldn't call it disturbing, it makes the film NOT for kids.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
Best first horror/ thriller film! *SPOILERS*
this movis had a few scares as well as a operation/injection on a mutant which jumps up which scared me. the sad oart is when...***SPOILER*** the dog, sam dies. it is also weird when a manniquen named fred is standing in front of a building and you see it's head move! good first scary film! :-)
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
sad. but good
prettty good. might startle kids 8 and under. very sad. not even scary. it was probably only rated PG-13 for the sadness. because *SPOILER******** dog, sam, gets bitten and will smith has to kill her to survive. its funny because hes like "hey fred what the heck you doin" meanwhile fred is a maniquinn. not scary just makes you jump becasue most of the movie is just him trying to stay alive. then when theres action, its loud and startles you. like when sammy gets lost in the building he goes into look for her and sees the mutants feeing. then they start screeching and run towards him and you jump because you dont expect it.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
spooooooooooooooooooooooky
verry good the book is good 2
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
my favorite movie. not much language, no sex, any violence is necessary for the plot and there is just enough. scary too :-)
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Good quality. Some startling scenes.
This movie is excellent and has emotion flowing from it. You really feel what Robert Nivelle is feeling. Not a happy ender though. And lots of scenes were zombies jump out. My 20 year old brother and I both jumped considerably. I would see it just for the emotion, the music and the acting. There is something full of love behind it, besides the bad ending.
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
not scary really... only part that gave me the creeps is when he went searching for his dog in a dark building
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Ratings at a Glance
| 63% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 38% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
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