The Asylum, with its string of knock-off films such as Transmorphers, Snakes on a Train and Da Vinci Treasure, has garnered many a negative review over the past few years, but these guys seem to have stepped in something pretty good with I am Omega. While Will Smith's I am Legend is more of a new adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic horror novel I am Legend, let's consider I am Omega a remake of The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston (which was in turn a remake of The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price, which was itself based on Matheson's novel).

I have heard that this low-budget film was shot in less than two weeks, a fact which doesn't inspire much confidence, and it definitely displays a number of flaws, but I'll be doggoned if I didn't enjoy this movie quite a bit.

Mark Dacascos plays Renchard, seemingly the sole survivor of a mysterious plague or virus that turned all of his friends and neighbors into mindless zombies. We don't know how long he has been living a life of solitude, but it has to have been a pretty good while because his hold on sanity has become pretty slippery. He talks to a dressed-up dummy, suffers from hallucinations and takes all sorts of unidentified pills to get by. It's perfectly understandable, especially since he doesn't have the luxury of monster-free days -- since this film populates the world with zombies instead of vampires, Renchard has to be on-guard constantly when he is out making his rounds. Things could be worse, though. For wholly unexplainable reasons, the power is still on and he still has access to the internet. He also has his house rigged up to alert him of any zombie intruders, but it's far from a fortified sanctuary for him. Of course, once all the bombs he has systematically placed all over Los Angeles explode, the resident zombie population should be drastically reduced. Of course, the best-laid plans of mice and men ... but to say more would be to give away too much of the story.

The most obvious weakness of I am Omega is character development. Aside from the loss of his wife and son, we really learn nothing about Renchard's life before the zombie apocalypse, and as such I had trouble forging any kind of strong emotional connection with the guy. In Matheson's original novel and most adaptations of it, the main character's background is a central part of the story. We are also left completely in the dark as to how the zombie apocalypse came about. I can't say I was all that impressed with the zombies populating Renchard's world, either -- oh, they look great (this film's special effects are really impressive given the limited budget), but they are just way too easy to kill. One shot (even if it's in an arm or a leg) and they're down for the count (sadly, there's only one satisfying head shot in the whole movie); our protagonist, however, can take multiple bullets and still man up and take care of business. And, as I've already mentioned, it's just ludicrous to think that the internet would still be operating normally this long after mankind has become all but extinct.

The negatives weren't enough to ruin my enjoyment of the film, however. Aside from the basic premise, the story differentiates itself nicely from The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth, forging its own identity somewhere between the two. Additionally, the zombie-killing action is enhanced by Dacascos's martial arts prowess -- it's not every day you see a dude take out a gang of zombies with numchuks and wheelhouse kicks.

I actually have quite a fondness for The Asylum and its growing number of horrible B-movies, but I am Omega deserves better than to be lumped together with the likes of Universal Soldiers and AVH: Alien vs. Hunter. I hope those who have given up on The Asylum will give this film a chance because it's actually pretty good.