"David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is homeward bound on a train to Philadelphia when his train derails. When he awakens in a hospital, he discovers he was the sole survivor of the crash. What’s more, he walked away from the wreck without a single injury. As he ponders, he is contacted by the mysterious Elijah Price (Samuel L Jackson), who offers his own reason why Dunn survived the train wreck. "With Unbreakable, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, the man behind The Sixth Sense, offers up another mystery with a shocking conclusion. But where The Sixth Sense keeps you creeped out until a truly astounding ending, Unbreakable merely soldiers along in a somber fashion for much of the movie. "Unbreakable is dark in both look and tone, and it’s almost totally without humor. The story moves along very slowly (which is perhaps why the troglodyte behind me took a call on his cell phone during the movie). While the climactic scene is indeed thrilling, it lacks the emotional payoff that The Sixth Sense had. There is little for which to commend this movie beyond its original story, one exciting scene, and a slick plot twist at the end. I’d wait for it on video if I were you." -- Woodge

"I saw Unbreakable over the holiday weekend, and I loved it. I was also a big Sixth Sense fan, but I did not guess the endings to either of these movies beforehand. Like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable draws you in with its characters and, for me, that means getting so caught up in their lives that I’m not trying to guess what’s going to happen next. "M. Night Shyamalan is the best storyteller in Hollywood. How do I know this? Because all the way home from the theater, my husband, two kids, and I were saying, ‘Oh My God! I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming!’ Most other movies I leave saying, ‘I saw that ending coming from a mile away.’ Also, I have spent the last three days replaying scenes from the movie in my mind, constantly deepening my understanding of why a certain character said something or why a character’s mannerisms were depicted in a particular way. "In Unbreakable, the overarching plot is captivating in that it is composed of so many layers. What do you really want to do in life? Why are you struggling in your relationships? Is what we hope for always good? I just can’t say enough good things about this movie. However, I do agree that it was not perfect. My two biggest problems with the movie were the "gun at the kitchen table" scene, and the "whatever happened to these characters" ending. I especially didn’t understand why we needed to know what happened to these characters after the film’s end -- the ending would have been totally satisfying without it, and it didn’t fit the mood of the film. "Unbreakable is the best movie I have seen this year." -- Patty Eugene, Oregon

 

"Unbreakable is already the most overrated movie of the year. I was amazed at how terrible it is and then equally amazed to see all the good reviews it’s getting from critics and audiences alike. I couldn’t even keep track of all the plot holes. Bruce Willis is playing exactly the same character he played in The Sixth Sense. He just whispers and looks sad a lot. Real stretch. Jackson’s character is underdeveloped and not given enough screen time. The entire plot is preposterous. How could you not know that you have never been sick in your entire life? That isn’t possible. And when his kid pulls his gun on him! That is the most unintentionally funny moment in a movie this year. Awful stuff. The postscript ending is horrible, too. I’m sure M. Night Shyamalan thinks he is very clever and has made a great film, but I was not impressed. I think it is being praised just because everyone liked The Sixth Sense so much. Now people want to love Unbreakable too. It’s hip to like Shyamalan’s films, and no one wants to dis them. Sorry, but Unbreakable is not a good movie." -- Paul Doro

 

"I absolutely loved Unbreakable. I think it is probably the best live-action representation of what comic books are all about (no offense to Bryan Singer; I still love X-Men). And for all those who hate the ending: it may help to know that this could be the first installment in a series of films. I for one would definitely line up to see Bruce and Sam square off again. "As for your comments on Tara Reid...yes, she’s nothing special, but for all of us who love the Big Lebowski, she has uttered one of films’ all-time great lines." -- J.N.

 

"I saw it and agree with you. It’s not a perfect movie, but it was engrossing, and Shyamalan knows how to take his time telling a story. Until the end. Mr. Shyamalan, please, please remove the epilogue in title cards explaining what happened to the characters. That absolutely ruined it for me. It was as if the director did not trust the audience to use its imagination. However, it’s been stated by Willis that this is a trilogy, so perhaps the epilogue is the setup for the sequel; in any event, the title cards were not needed." -- L Wright

Have you seen Unbreakable? Care to share your thoughts on the film? You can be as specific as you like, because I’m going to run the comments on a separate page. You can fill your review with spoilers if you want. Anyone want to defend the title cards at the end of the film? If there were a sequel, what do you think it would be about?

However, I don’t want Civilian Voices to become an M. Night Shyamalan chat room. Write to me about other movie topics that have you ranting or raving. Send me an e-mail, won’t you?

 

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