UNBREAKABLE

2000

Chances are that if you knew that M. Night Shyamalan was going to follow up The Sixth Sense with a story about an aging, ignorant-of-his-own-powers superhero,you might think twice about spending your $8 to go see it. Been wondering why they kept the plot a secret? When Bruce Willis is the only survivor of a train wreck, he is sought out by Samuel L. Jackson, who helps him realize his "powers." Of course, everyone is going to be expecting a big plot twist at the end. There is one, but it is not nearly going to be up to audiences' expectations. As far as the look and feel of the film, its is utterly breathtaking. The acting is impeccable. Below all of that though, is just a very simple story that is basically a comic book without the carnival atmosphere of Batman or the X-Men. It's all very realistic, but it's also very slow. Not bad, but definitely not what you expected. I'm really torn on this one.

3 Stars

CDF

It's not surprising that expectations ran high for the second film of writer/producer/director, M. Night Shyalaman, and star, Bruce Willis, both of whom gave us last year's surprise hit, "The Sixth Sense." If you go expecting to "see dead people," and a shocker of an ending, you WILL be disappointed. However, if you go in hopes of seeing a fine psychological suspense/thriller in the style of Hitchcock and Welles, then you WONT be disappointed. Both the acting and the atmospheric direction are exceptional. Willis plays a timid blue-collar security guard, and was directed to underplay his role so dramatically, that most of the time he's actually whispering his lines. He's tapping into different levels of his acting ability and coming up with surprisingly good results as this opposite of the action figures that he used to portray (when he had hair!) Samuel L. Jackson does some good acting as well, even though he's saddled with a lop-sided afro, and a pimps wardrobe right out of the 1971 "Shaft" film! The film builds slowly in a low-key way, weaving its spell and wrapping its tentacles around you. Although the tension in some scenes is unbearable, there's virtually no large-scale action sequences... a clever directorial move. Give it time to create its mood and you'll enjoy this film immensely, as I did.

5 Stars

NJB