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Unbreakable (Vista Series)

Unbreakable (Vista Series)

List Price: $19.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This was so deep! Like the well in an outhouse!
Review: Everything about this movie was fantastic, except for the plot, script, characterization, and acting. I was so touched when Bruce Willis showed that he really is a superhero by untying a couple of knots, beating up a fat, drunken janitor and falling into a pool. It showed me that there's a superhero inside everybody--by lowering my standards for superheros so far that nobody could possibly fail to meet them. Had Yoda seen this movie, he would certainly have kicked Shaft off the Jedi Council!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Disapointment
Review: If you are expecting another 6th Sense like I was you'll be very disapointed. It starts off slow and stays slow. The moments of silence are overwhelming, you might as well bring a pillow. When the ending came all I could think is "I hope this isn't the ending". By all means go see the 6th Day.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Supernatural thriller with plot twists and surprising end
Review: I thought that this latest M. Night Shyamalan film was much better than his last, The Sixth Sense. First off I think the story is much better. It tells the tale of Bruce Willis' character who basically cannot be hurt, or can't get sick. I don't want to give any of the movie away, so I won't get into it in specifics. All I can say that I was on the edge of my seat in numerous scenes, with my heart just pounding away. There were some very creative angles in which some scenes were shot in the picture. An example of this would be the opening sequence on the train where Bruce is talking to another woman. Its like you are looking between the seats in the section in front of them watching the action. Little sutlties like that give this film a look of its own. An actor which impressed me was the young boy who plays Bruce Willis' son. I wish I knew his name, but I think he had a great performance. I had read some critics reviews and many had said they thought the ending was terrible. Well honestly, I don't know what they are smoking, but I thought it was shocking and unexpected, at least in my point of view. Definetly what I was hoping for in this movie, I'm surely going to see it again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Don't walk... run.
Review: Skeptical? So was I... but not anymore. The Sixth Sense is one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. I thought about it for weeks afterward... and while Unbreakable is not the Sixth Sense, it will be the object of my pondering for quite some time. Shymalan's sophomore project as just as impressive as his first, if not more so. He deserves high praise for this work of art. It is a masterpiece... and a breath of fresh air in the stuffy, formulaic Hollywood sweat-shop. I could go on and on about the gorgeous cinematography, the more-than-adequate acting, and the skillful plot development, but I won't. Just go see the movie. (Oh, and ignore all those less-than-literate film viewers who are trashing it. They are the very same people who were impressed with Charlie's Angels' intricate plot and surprise ending!)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: a comic book on film
Review: Before I go on, I'll say this: this is a movie you'll either love or hate. I saw it last night, and the crowd--mostly younger people--complained about the movie fiercely as they crowded out of the theater. "They had a lot of room for a sequel [to the Sixth Sense] and they made that!" one guy complained loudly. This is a point well taken--those looking for a copy of the Sixth Sense will be disappointed. While the movie does share some of the elements of this earlier film, including another solidly unspectacular and destined-to-be-underappreciated performance by Bruce Willis, the core story of a family in crisis over the unique gift of one family members, and a number of Shyamalan's stylistic devices in the screenplay and direction, this is a far different film. Jackson's rather bizarre character ultimately steals the film. I very much enjoyed this movie, but it is best to go into it without the Sixth Sense set up in your mind as a comparison. While this is another somewhat dark story of the supernatural, this one is more of a filmed comic book than a ghost story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: just saw it in theater
Review: I just saw this movie in the theater and I loved it. The premise is fascinating -- a comic book hero in the real world, his life depicted in realistic detail. The look of the movie is appropriately bleak -- the whole thing is sort of blue-gray. The tension between the real world and the comic book world plays out beautifully, although I don't want to say too much and give it away. I saw this movie because I loved the Sixth Sense, and like that movie this one does have a surprise ending. It caught me off guard because I wasn't trying to figure it out, but it is less astonishing than the Sixth Sense. But I think this movie relied less on the ending than the Sixth Sense did. In some ways, the ending of the Sixth Sense made the movie. That's not the case here -- it is absorbing throughout and would have been fascinating even if it did not end as it did. Like the Sixth Sense this movie is on some level about perceptions and how they are shaped by what we want to believe about ourselves. The performances are all strong. I'm not sure how great Bruce Willis's range as an actor is, but the quiet, brooding type he seems to have nailed. Samuel L. Jackson manages to convey a combination of hurt, desperation, and intelligence, all under a cover of confidence. Robin Wright Penn also gives her smaller part a lot of depth. She's not just a throwaway character -- the sort of obligatory thriller wife. This is a good part and she plays it well. The kid is good too, and manages to convey desperation as well, and is an interesting compliment to the Jackson character. At the theater, I was sitting in front of rude moviegoers who were chatting during the movie. About half way through though they shut up and on the way out I heard them talking about what had happened, so apparently this movie can get other people's attention as well.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as good as Sixth Sense . . .
Review: Why? Cos you immediately compare the two! I've seen Sixth Sense a few times before this, and I knew there was going to be a twist to the film, just like Sixth Sense. So you're constantly looking out for the twist coming, and trying to second guess what is going to happen, or what could happen to the character. I found this ruined the movie slightly, I probably would have liked it more if I could have seen it from a fresh perspective.

It's such a shame that Unbreakable didn't do as well as Sixth Sense at the box office, cos it's an amazing movie to watch. It's fascinating to watch how it quickly reels the viewer - and how much you get annoyed when someone phones at the crucial moment! However, I did find it a lot slower than Sixth Sense, and I hated how it was rated a 12 - so much more could have been done, for example they could have actually shown the train derail, with a higher rating.

Bruce Willis seems to be a favourite of M. Night Shyamalan's, and quite right too! He's been terrific in both Sixth Sense and this, and once again, shows he's great with kids, since he's so great with the little guy who plays his son. He also has a lot less hair in this movie - which results in him NOT needing a hairstylist! Sorry, I found that really funny!

Samuel L Jackson just didn't look like his usual self in this movie. I dunno whether it was the weird, big hair or what. But his character was cool. What annoyed me at first, is when you see the baby/young Elijah, he's very much often reflected in glass. Stupid me, I didn't make the connection, cos his "name" is Mr Glass - as in "the kids call me Mr Glass". Purely cos he breaks easily. As a newborn, he's reflected in the mirror; as a young child, he's seen reflected in a blank TV screen; he leaves his calling card on the windshield of David's (Bruce) car; he's often seen reflected in the glass frames in his art gallery, and what I found strangest of all, his walking stick is made of glass! (Although it provides a pretty spectacular scene when he falls and it shatters). As I said I didn't make the connection, but instead, I thought it was to do with him not wanting to see himself, because of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta? Just the (strange) way I see things!

Unbreakable focuses heavily on comic books, including a funny scene, where Elijah brings them down around him, and then picks the one he wants! There's also a lot about colour in the movie, particularly, what I noticed, all the 'bad' guys are very often wearing bright colours, so look out for that if you can. (Oh, kinda giving the game away there!)

What I found annoying to start with, but then began to like, was the amount of 'important' stuff that was introduced upside down. It gets tedious trying to twist your head to see what the hell you're looking at! These included: the TV train wreck footage; Elijah's first comic book; the "Keep Out" sign guarding the train's wreckage; the silver gun with the black grip, which Elijah sees in the belt of the man with the camouflage jacket while lying on his back; Audrey in the car crash flashback and Elijah's face after he falls down the stairs.

This was a terrific movie, so don't believe all the bad reviews you see. If you get a chance to see it on DVD, go for it! I think certain scenes would have been much more effective on the big screen, particularly the train station scene.

Oh, and watch out for M. Night Shyamalan doing a trademark - appearing in the movie! He appears twice in this, as two separate characters. (He also appears in Sixth Sense, as one of the doctors tending to Cole)

Oh, and I did NOT get the twist! I never do.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Interesting Premise But
Review: It's just too slow and lugubrious. All the scenes are dark and depressing. I felt like asking someone to turn on the lights! Fine acting, cinematography and all that, but I'm really not a big fan of comic books, and especially not of movies made about comic books. If I had known that this movie was a comic book story I would have never rented it. If you like comic books, you'll probably love it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliance! Shyamalan continues to shine!
Review: M. Night Shyamalan struck a gold mine when his film "The Sixth Sense" was released in 1999, bringing in overwhelming audiences and garnering Oscar nominations including a nod for Best Picture. It is one of the films that will go down in history, not so much as a movie like, for instance, "Titanic," but still will be remembered.

"Unbreakable," his follow-up feature to that success, didn't do as good as its predecessor, and upon watching it for the first time, I can't understand why. There are elements at work throughout its discourse that, under Shyamalan's brilliant direction, fit together in an intricate puzzle that comes to an earth-shattering halt with the film's ending. It's a brilliant and complex piece of filmmaking.

Like "Sense," this film contains a mystery surrounding a central character, though this one isn't haunted by ghosts who need favors. "Unbreakable" begins with a horrific train accident, seen only through television footage and through the gauze of the last dying passenger as the sole survivor, David Dunn (Bruce Willis), looks on in a dazed silence. There is no scene of gory bloodshed, no sequence of special effects or derailing train cars... Shyamalan is able to prove that, through visceral images of victims' relatives and their expressions, the devastation of such an event can be just as effective without the use of a special effect.

As the story continues, more pieces of David's life come into play: his marriage is suffering, he goes into deep depression, and that, added to questions he has about the fact that he suffered no injuries, not even so much as a single scratch, plague him each day. His work as a security guard seems like any other job to him, until he meets a man named Elijah (Samuel L. Jackson), who believes that comic book heroes walk the Earth.

Elijah's life also has many complications: he suffers from a disease which causes his bones to break easily, ever since childbirth. His belief stems from his illness, that just as he is someone who is completely weak, there must be someone on the opposite end of the spectrum who is equally as strong. As he guides David through to the realization of his place in the world, a bigger revelation is at work, someone even as strong as David cannot withstand.

In a slow, emotional process, Shyamalan brings out the best and worst of his characters. In taking his time with the story, he is able to allow David to evolve from a hardened, unbelieving survivor into someone forever changed by the realization that the he possesses can be put to good use. I'm not going to reveal just how he comes to that realization: that's for you to find out. But I will say this: it's sheer brilliance.

The story structure for this film bears striking resemblance to "The Sixth Sense," but does not fail in keeping us intrigued. It begins by introducing the characters, and developing them in the midst of a very involving mystery. It then evolves into a story of realization and revelation, and just as in the previous film, there's a surprise twist ending, one that is more shocking and unexpected.

Shyamalan made the right choice in bringing Bruce Willis back for this project; one could even go so far as to say that the part was written especially for him. Once again, Willis is able to define himself as a true actor, one that can go from the guns and bombs of "Die Hard" to the sentimentality of a man whose belief in everything is shaken in this film. Cast opposite him is Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah, who also proves he is just as effective in a wheelchair as he is on his feet.

So why would this film not be as great a success as its predecessor? The answer may lie with the audience. "The Sixth Sense" drew many crowds of various types of people, the kind of people who generally don't see movies of this sort. "Unbreakable" is a much darker film, and I guess that was a turnoff for some people.

But who cares? "Unbreakable" is everything you'd expect out of a movie and more. There's the same subtle suspense and rising intensity you'd expect from its director, the same magic, the same awe-inspiring brilliance. Everything fits together, it's dynamic, it's intriguing. There's not enough praise for a movie like this, one of the best films of 2000.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of those DVD's where the extras make the movie better
Review: Expectations for the follow-up to the surprise smash "The Sixth Sense" all but doomed this underrated film to become maligned and misunderstood. To his credit, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan did his best to find the perfect middle ground between casting the same hypnotic spell of "The Sixth Sense" and exploring new territory in his work. In my opinion, he finds it: "Unbreakable" is another astonishing work in which the extraordinary and the supernatural is made real.

Once again, Bruce Willis is at the center of the story and this time around he plays security guard David Dunn. The only survivor of a train wreck, David gets a strange note from Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) which asks him how many days of his life he has been sick. As it turns out, he has never been sick, nor has he ever broken a bone. On the other hand, Elijah suffers from a disorder which makes his bones brittle and he has spent a third of his life in a hospital bed as a result. Being bed-ridden most of his life allows him time to read; during this time, he develops an obsession with comic books.

Drawing from what he has learned from the comic books he has read all his life (I promise, it's not as hokey as it sounds), Elijah believes that he and David are at opposite ends of the evolutionary spectrum and that David is a kind of superman. At first, David is skeptical. After a series of encounters which reveal strengths and abilities that have no explanation, he then starts to believe that there may be some truth to what Elijah says.

Unlike the ending of "The Sixth Sense", which had people rewinding the movie in their heads and returning for repeat viewings to catch what they had missed the first time around, "Unbreakable's" finale ended up splitting audiences. This is Shyamalan's only mistake--trying to surprise his viewers twice in a row. "The Sixth Sense" conditioned us to look for clues in his work; "Unbreakable" merely confirms that the clues to a story within the story are still there.

Still, taken on its own merits, "Unbreakable" is an enjoyable and sound piece of storytelling. Willis and Jackson work well together (just as they did in "Die Hard With A Vengeance") and there are good supporting performances from Spencer Treat Clark and Robin Wright Penn (David's son and wife, respectively). Shyamalan uses the power of suggestion to create suspense better than any director currently working and although his movies are somewhat slowly paced, they deliver the goods.

Amazingly, the DVD's goods make the movie seem richer. While many other discs are primarily good for their digital quality (I for one think that many directors are using the DVD format as an exercise in ego-inflating self aggrandizement), the deleted scenes and Shyamalan's explanations for their exclusion add another dimension to the film. I applaud him for his discretion, but I think many of them should have made the final cut. Luckily, their inclusion on the DVD allows us to do what the film was only able to attempt: they force us to piece together a good mystery.


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