Not If You Were The Last Man On Earth
Article by Bindi Lavelle

Richard Matheson's iconic novel, I Am Legend has been adopted not once, but three times. This gives us 3 leading men to compare, Vincent Price in The Last Man On Earth, Charlton Heston in Omega Man and the fresh prince, Will Smith in I am Legend.

But despite Vincent Price's presence and Will Smith's goofy ears, they cannot posses the character of Robert Neville in the same powerful manner of Charlton Heston.

For those who came late, Omega Man follows the day to day life of Robert Neville; the last surviving human following a viral epidemic which turns humans into vampires.

The critical difference between The Last Man On Earth and Omega Man are: The portrayal of the vampire plague varies differently as well as the portrayal of Robert Neville. The essence of their differences can be summerised that The Last Man On Planet Earth highlighted the more dramatic, psychological aspects of Mtheson's novel, while Omega Man uses science-fiction in its common function as social commentator.

It is of course largely thanks to a juicy performance from Heston that pulls the film together, making Omega Man, not only a good remake but a great stand alone film.