That Will Smith is a legend in his own time is not surprising; after all, he’s conquered music, television and film in his 40 years on Earth largely based on his winning smile. What’s surprising – and somewhat satisfying – is the success Smith has had in parlaying his celebrity into meatier roles. He finds balance between popcorn and pathos in I Am Legend, an apocalyptic thriller with plenty of soul.

Smith is Robert Neville, an Army doctor who has survived a biochemical disaster. The lone survivor in New York City, his only companion his son’s dog, Neville spends his nights locked in a townhouse-turned-armory and his days hunting wild animals and capturing infected zombies to test for potential cures. It sounds like fun and games – the true makings of a mindless summer blockbuster – but Neville also follows a rigid schedule, waiting at midday for responses to an SOS broadcast he runs on AM radio, simulating human interaction with mannequins, and rushing home before sundown, when the ultraviolet light goes away and the vampire zombies feel safe to come out.

As the presumed last human on Earth, Smith needs to command attention for long stretches by himself, and he does it remarkably well, no doubt aided by the gravitas of his struggle to keep his wits about him, both for the sake of mental and physical well-being. His performance is sure-footed, the thrills of monster hunting accented at times by moral dilemmas. The symmetry makes for a compelling watch, so much more of a film than the numbing fare of other films in the genre.

Rating: * * * * of 5

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