I saw this movie a couple weeks ago with some friends (we finally rented it) and I have to agree that I was dissapointed concidering how awesome it looked originally.
Will Smith, I thought, did an outstanding job with his character. I think that despite the (severely!) over-done storyline they had a nice solid basis for a good movie, but really I felt as though throughout the entire movie I was being "jipped out". I was expecting something more more action-packed, and definitely for a lot more to happen than what did. Watching the movie, it was almost like I watched the same day over and over and over until finally it ended. I was really hoping for there to be a lot more attention on other survivors, a more intricate storyline somehow. A really great idea, but I just felt bored watching it. Don't think I would sit through it again. 🙁
Have to emphasize again though how well I though Smith did with his role. And I did like the way they wrote his lifestyle (having all those TV's with old radio shows, raiding houses one by one for supplies, keeping in shape, in by dark, etc...), I thought it was more or less accurate to what I think what someone may rationally do. And they really did emphasize in the first part of the movie just how alone he was (even with his furry accomplice), which although I wish they had expanded on the "survivors" deal a lot more I thought that was a very smart move for the storyline that they chose. If they were going to have him alone, they were going all out to emphasize that. Which I do give the writers/director etc. props for.
All in all, I probably wouldn't watch it again. But I'd give it a "nice try" rating 🙂