Unbreakable

December 12, 2004

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 103 min Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

DVD QuickTake

Unbreakable

I really enjoyed watching this movie on DVD. Once you know the ending it’s a lot of fun to watch certain segments of the movie again as you’ll gain new insight into the film. Some people dismissed this movie as a second rate effort, I completely disagree. The performances on the whole were excellent and make this a DVD worth owning.

Movies For Guys Original Theatrical Review

M. Night Shyamalan is a fantastic storyteller and has proven his talent with the wonderful film, href=”http://www.moviesforguys.com/movie.php?review=387″>The Sixth Sense. Unfortunately for him, everything he does from here on out will be compared to that masterpiece, and its hard to meet those expectations. That’s not gonna keep him from trying though, and that’s the good news.

Unbreakable follows in the same mold as The Sixth Sense in that it is a movie that you do not want to know anything about before you see it. Letting the story unravel on screen is a much better way to experience it than to have someone ruin it for you. Would you have enjoyed Sixth Sense nearly as much if you knew the ending?

Unfortunately while Mr. Shyamalan is a wonderful storyteller, he still needs a little training in the directing areas. The nice way to say this is that Unbreakable unfolds in a very deliberate and methodological manner. What that means is that its extremely slow. So slow in fact that not one, but two couples left before the end of the movie. It’s a shame too, because the ending is very much worth the wait…

I can’t say much about the story other than to rehash what’s already known from the previews. Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, a man who survives a tragic train wreck without a scratch. After the accident he is approached by Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) who has a genetic disorder that leaves him with easily breakable bones. Elijah has a rather unusual explanation for David’s survival, one that is very hard for David to believe.

When you go see this movie (and you will go see it), pay attention. Think about how much you enjoyed The Sixth Sense because of its subtle mystery, and how much you enjoyed seeing it the second time once you knew its secret. Remember that, and enjoy masterful writing. Is it as good as Sixth Sense? No, if it had been it would have received a full 5 stars. However, this movie was slow enough to lose at least 2 stars due to its perceived length, but the story was strong enough to bring it back to 4. Go see it soon, and protect yourself… don’t read any other reviews.

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Posted by John | Filed Under 4 Stars, Bruce Willis, Charlayne Woodard, DVD, Drama, PG-13, Robin Wright Penn, Samuel L Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark