I Am Legend [WS] [Special Edition] [2 Discs]

"Director Francis Lawrence's I Am Legend arrives on DVD in a handsomely packaged yet curiously lacking two-disc special edition courtesy of Warner Home Video . Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the picture is near flawless and the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack makes excellent use of the film's inventive sound scheme -- the sound of the encroaching vampires (courtesy of vocalist Mike Patton) shifting from speaker to speaker in a manner that's genuinely unsettling. Four visually striking animated shorts originally released to promote the film offer variations on the themes that drive I Am Legend, are decidedly downbeat yet undeniably beautiful to behold. Unfortunately, viewers seeking to learn anything at all about the production will have to have a computer in able to do so, as the ""Intense Bonus Material Databank"" is only viewable via a DVD-ROM PC Weblink. A director's commentary track would have been a welcome addition given that the filmmakers were forced to re-shoot the ending of the film, but sadly the only additional features other than the animated shorts are trailers for Lost Boys: The Tribe, The Dark Knight, Speed Racer, and a promotional spot for Blu-Ray. The inclusion of an alternate theatrical version is indeed something to be celebrated as the original cut more faithfully conveys the tone and ideas of Richard Matheson's original novella, yet the decision to include it on an extra disc rather than simply branching the original film is a curious one give that there's only a four-minute difference in running time. One can only suspect that a more feature-intensive special edition is being prepared for future release."