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April 21, 2008
The Omega Man (1971)
Should I see it?
Only if you don't mind dated material.


Short Review: Charlton Heston shooting mind-numbed radical zombies looking to take over the world...ah, the good ol' days.



Based on Richard Matheson's novel, this movie tells the story of Robert Neville, a scientist who creates a superbug that nearly wipes out mankind. The survivors of the virus have been turned into violent, psychotic creatures that cannot stand the daylight. Neville (Charlton Heston) struggles to survive the onslaught of attacks from the zombies. If this all sounds familiar, this movie comes from the same source material as the Will Smith movie I Am Legend.

This piece is laughable in many areas, not necessarily for faulty film making but because it hasn't dated well. Heston's belligerent style does work well when he's shooting zombies. When things slow down, his bigger than life persona is mismatched and the scenes get clunky.

The "zombies" Neville is threatened by are merely people dressed in black robes and sunglasses. Instead of inciting fear, they are invite snickers, the dated look and their insipid dialog is distracting and pushes the film from being a classic to being kitsch. The zombies believe they have been cursed with their disease as punishment for mankind's reliance on technology. This leads them to see Neville as the final living symbol of the sinful modern civilization. Over and over they bemoan our need to use technology and speak with religious fervor of the coming time where "things of the wheel" will go away. It never dawns on them that they're all wearing sunglasses, a part of sinful modern technology.

Putting this up against Smith's version, I'd recommend watching I Am Legend instead of sitting through this dated movie. It may have been quite something in its day, but now its just...well, silly.


Related Reviews:
Zombie movies
28 Weeks Later (2007)
Dawn of the Dead (2004)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Roger Ebert
Sci-fi Movie Page

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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 11:50 AM




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