If you have not watched I Am Legend, then you may not want to read on.

I reviewed the new Will Smith movie back when it was still in theaters, and my chief complaint was with the ending: it showed no understanding for the theme of the book on which it was based, and seemed instead a sort of cookie-cutter Hollywood denouement. I also did not like that the vampire-like creatures never had their moment where we realize they are not just animals, despite the hints that were dropped earlier in the movie. (No, the questionable cgi-effects used to make the vampire-zombie-creatures did not particularly bother me.)

Well the DVD is only a few weeks from release, and on the special edition release is the original ending meant for the film. Comparatively, it is awesome, and makes a real effort to answer every issue I had with the movie. It’s still not the book (he is supposed to die, after all), but I have no problem with a movie making its own mark. It’s a shame that Warner Brothers decided that this ending was not the way to go — they missed the chance to make a really good movie.

There are many online who think this ending would have been too soft, but I like that it at least attempts to address the original theme, even if it is a “happy” ending. What do you think?

**Note: All the copies of the alternate ending that were leaked to YouTube have been swiftly removed. If the GameTrailers.com movie I’ve embedded above goes dead, then hopefully the link to FirstShowing.net (the “via” below — and it’s higher quality too!) will last long enough for you to see the clip! If not, you may need to rent or buy the DVD to catch this.**

Link : (via)