The Omega Man DVD > Reviews > WHAT WOULD YOU DO, IF YOU WERE YOUR OWN???

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Good Story, novel idea
Disadvantages:	Over the top on costumes .  .  .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This film from the seventies, was the writers attempt at trying to show mankind what could happen if the cold war didn't stop in time. This film is about germ warfare and not nuclear war as one would imagine when you talk about the cold war. Based on the book by Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend", this adaptation, is not as good as I feel it could have been, but never the less Charlton Heston plays a very good part. Directed by Boris Sagal (Mosquito Squadron)

The Story....

Robert Neville (Charlton Heston) is the only person who is not infected by the biological germ used in the Worlds briefest of Wars. Within days of the use of the weapon, millions die. Neville survives by scavenging in the day and returning to his penthouse flat which is barricaded and heavily protected from the 'Family' at sun down.
The 'Family' led by zealot named Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), are the citizens at different stages of the biological disease left behind after the attack. Sending those infected in to a state of madness, eager to hunt down those who are not 'one with the family', and destroying anything that represents civilisation.
Neville comes across Lisa (Rosalind Cash) another human out in the daytime, and his world changes as she would appear to be the only healthy living female in existence.

The story continues and Neville is faced with a constant attacks and eventually helps to manufacture a possible cure, as he was a scientist before the attack and had a possible cure which he injected in to himself when he believed he was being infected - a bit too far fetched????

I won't go into the rest of the story which has a twist or two along the way, but it is safe to say that the world is left hanging by a thread of humanity, will it survive or will it cease, leaving only infected human like creatures that will eventually die?

A delightful tale and lot's of things to make you think about along the way. Obviously the cold war was around at the time and directors and writers were in there element. The acting by Charlton Heston and Anthony Zerbe, are very good and help you to believe in the story itself.

There are places in the film that are not very convincing. Such as the fact that the 'family' wear hooded robes and have extremely white skin wearing mirrored sunglasses. I feel this is a little over the top on the part of the costume department, and reminds me a little of the Ku Klux Clan wearing Black robes instead of the infamous White robes !!!!.
On the whole the story is believable and the idea of possibly being the only healthy human alive is an intriguing one, what would you do?. The effects as mentioned above are a little too heavy and the cinematography is nothing special, but are average for the time. It would be worth buying if you wanted a laugh, or if you collected Science Fiction.

Stars:-
Charlton Heston ; Anthony Zerbe ; Rosalind Cash ; Paul Koslo

Disc Features:- (Very good)
All new -introduction by co-stars Eric Laneuville and Paul Koslo and Screenwriter Joyce H Corrington
Trailer
Vintage Documentary The Last Man Alive - The Omega Man
3 languages

Format:-

Colour
Cert PG
Running Time 94mins

Price £5 - 10