10 Awful Endings That Screwed Great Movies (And What Should Have Happened Instead)

2. I Am Legend

I'm all for grim endings; not all stories can have a happy conclusion, but the ending to I Am Legend is grim for no reason at all. Furthermore it completely deviates from the ending of the book on which the film is based, turning an interesting concept into standard zombie-lore. You've probably all heard this before, but let's reiterate for the uninitiated; vampires have infiltrated Robert Neville's (Will Smith's) hideout to rescue the vampire he captured earlier in the film. Only Robert's cure has worked and the vampire has been returned to human form. Desperate for that cure to reach the rest of humanity, he gives it to Anna and her son Ethan, letting them escape but pointlessly staying behind to confront the alpha vampire that has tracked him down, blowing both of them to kingdom come. Sure his cure, in Anna's hands, becomes the legend that might save humanity, but audiences were left with a sour taste in their mouth, not just because Robert could easily have gotten away, but because the original 'legend' was far more interesting. How It Should Have Ended: In the book (and original filmed version), Robert is the vampires' legend, their monster, which is by far a way cooler ending. They aren't just rampaging monsters but an intelligent race in their own right. The vampires return to take back their captured comrade and flee from Neville who in turn leaves with Anna and Ethan to continue his search for other human survivors.