There are two huge openings this week in Thai cinemas: I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, and The Warlords, starring a triple threat of Hong Kong cinema, Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

I Am Legend is yet another adaptation of the 1954 novel by Richard Matheson. Previous incarnations include 1964's The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Prince and 1971's The Omega Man with Charlton Heston.

Smith portrays Robert Neville, who appears to be the sole survivor of an infection that has wiped out all of humanity. He is forelorn, with no one but his German shepherd dog to keep him company. But, he is not alone - there is a race of "night seekers" that feed on human flesh.

The Bangkok press preview for I Am Legend was on Wednesday night, but I was unable to make it because Wednesday is deadline day for The Nation's Weekend.

Judging from the early buzz about the film on Rotten Tomatoes, where it has a 72% (fresh) rating, the reception so far seems to be pretty positive.

The Warlords is covered in a separate review here. I saw it on Sunday at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld, where stars Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro and director Peter Chan were present for a crushing mob. The event was, I believe, the biggest movie premiere ever staged in Thailand.

The Warlords is a display of the strongest dramatic acting by Jet Li to date. I believe that if Jet Li is surrounded by strong actors, like Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and actress Xu Jinglei, he rises to the occasion. If he's surrounded by not-as-good actors, it's tougher going. The Warlords is a bloody battle epic, as well as a drama about a blood oath by three men, and the inevitable betrayals that follow.

The Chinese-language version with English and Thai subtitles is playing at the Siam, and maybe at other cinemas as well. If you can't stand Thai dubbing, then check beforehand.

Also opening

• The Jane Austen Book Club - It's hard not to be dismissive about this, but it is obviously a chick flick. If that's what you're into, then go see it. It has a 65% (fresh) rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Simon - This 2004 Dutch comedy-drama is about a strange friendship between two men who are very different. Camiel is a gay Amsterdam dentist, while Simon is a free-spirited hedonist with two Thai children and brain cancer. At House with English and Thai subtitles. Reviews at Metacritic.
• Golden Cup: The Legacy - There will be two limited screenings of this Bhutanese film at SF World Cinema. See this post for details.