Often set in barren wastelands littered with machine wreckage and crumbled buildings, post-apocalyptic films are nothing new, and will probably be around until the apocalypse itself arrives. Some, however, do manage to breathe new life into the dusty genre.

“I Am Legend”

As the pompous title suggests, “I Am Legend” is a film all about one man, Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith, “The Pursuit of Happyness”). Unfortunately, the movie’s successes are similarly singular in scope.

Set in 2012, three years after a massive virus has spread across the planet, Neville remains in New York City, convinced he is the only remaining survivor. Yet the plight is soon revealed to be much more terrifying than a virus that simply kills people — it mutates them into crazed zombie-vampire-esque monsters. For the rest of the flick Neville combats the creatures and his growing insanity, stemming from a lack of human contact, all while attempting to find a cure to reverse the virus. This one-man, one-act show regresses to tedium about halfway through.

Starting off with promise, “Legend” portrays a stunning depiction of the abandoned metropolis — weeds cracking through the streets, empty cars scattered about and an eerie, deathly silence that pervades the city that never used to sleep. This, combined with the tension of Neville’s teetering sanity and threat of zombies once the sun sets makes for a relatively absorbing, albeit unoriginal sci-fi flick. However, after we’ve seen the monsters, which are really just bald, gray-skinned cannibals, any curiosity or further interest in Neville’s actions vanishes. Almost sensing the faltering plot, “Legend” takes an abrupt allegorical turn, the silliness and triteness of which only hurts the film further. By the end, a botched script with gems like “Light up the darkness” and “You can hear God’s plan!” make the rest of the film seem entirely conceived for this exact, heavy-handed purpose.

While not a total disaster, “Legend” fails to get much right except the tension of the first half and the eerie presentation of the desolate city, and even that loses its allure after being overly relied upon. Not really effective as a zombie-scare flick since the scares are so few, nor as a psychological piece considering Smith only delivers two emotions (angry and confused), “Legend” is at serious odds with itself. In the last 30 minutes, when it painfully tries to be serious, it only comes off as silly and simple.

Although it’s hard to hate “I Am Legend,” it is a disappointment. For a similar flavor with more refined taste, try “28 Days Later” or “Escape from New York.”

2 1/2 stars out of 5

“Casshern” (2004)

Similarly futuristic, “Casshern” takes a much more artistic approach, ultimately making the themes more potent and the film more memorable. Released in 2004 in Japan, it was one of the first films, along with “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” and “Immortal” — which both happen to be futuristic as well — to be shot entirely on green screens with all sets being digitally crafted and imposed.

Beginning shortly after the victory of the Asian super-continent over Europe in the (apparently second) Fifty Years’ War, “Casshern” focuses on the scientific developments of Dr. Azuma to cure the people of the many diseases they’ve incurred from decades of bio-warfare. However, the neo-cells he creates go haywire and result in a race of mutant human beings (“neo-sapiens”) that vow revenge on mankind for mercilessly trying to eradicate them without reason or compassion.

That, however, is but a fraction of the complicated depths of the entire plot. As the synopsis suggests, the movie is replete with anti-war sentiments as well as cautionary messages of the ethical limits of science, especially when combined with the inherently selfish nature of man. Overall, it presents a very cynical image of the human condition, contrasted poignantly through astounding, beautiful stylization. The main theme of coexistence is a bit heavy handed towards the end but seems so pure and true that the bluntness doesn’t detract much.

A strange blend of sci-fi, action, romance and drama, “Casshern” does it all with an intense, high-contrast art style, with few colors to any one particular scene and even less lighting. Mixed with a score of original pieces and classical tunes (“Casshern” is one of the few movies to use Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” in a way that didn’t make me want to vomit in cliched disgust), the effect is potent and appropriate for the critical subject matter. Imagine the tone of “Children of Men” mixed with the style of “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the postmodernism of “Kill Bill.”

In all fairness, though, “Casshern” suffers from its convoluted plot, heavy-handedness, and somewhat slow pacing. And by today’s standards the CGI of 2004 seems slightly dated, though it’s still much more impressive than it was in “Sky Captain.” Unfortunately and indefensibly, the U.S. release of the film is 24 minutes shorter than the original, with inferior subtitles that oversimplify the dialogue, resulting in the already confusing plot becoming even harder to follow. Not surprisingly, many of the removed scenes were ones especially relatable to America’s imperialist foreign policy. Yet “Casshern” remains a very beautiful, powerful film even in the inferior American version, but I highly recommend the full-length version if you can find it.

4 stars out of 5

So there you have it: the two tales of mutant humans in a world on the brink of self-destruction. Uplifting, isn’t it?

Thought I’d open with lyrics from R.E.M.? So did I: [email protected].