Brucie Bonuses! (Unbreakable (DVD))

Member Name: buttonman

Product:	Unbreakable (DVD)
Date:	12/12/01 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Atmospheric.good ending,top notch extras

Disadvantages: I like a commentary!

I latched onto 'Unbreakable' late in the day, but I'm glad I did. I actually only bought it due to a bargain price on Aussie DVD emporium www.ezydvd.com.au as it came in at £11 and this is for a two disc set. Result!

The film reunites 'The Sixth Sense' writer director M. Night Shyamalan and star Bruce Willis in a similar tale of suspense and the paranormal. Bruce plays David Dunn a security guard and dysfunctional dad/husband. The film opens with him chatting up a lady when his train crashes - let that be a lesson to you lads - and he is the only survivor. Escaping without a scratch he attracts the attentions of Comic art seller Elijah Price (Samuel L Jackson in a funny wig) who thinks Bruce may be a bona fide super hero. Although his evidence is at first flimsy "Why else would you choose to be a security guard?" events soon begin to reinforce his theory.

Jackson's character is the most interesting as he has brittle bone disease as well as a cool shop! With the help of his snotty son Bruce starts to tap into his potential and soon is lifting all the weights he can find and having flashes, calm down girls, mental ones. After several flashbacks into the lives of the two main characters Bruce goes amongst the people to use his gifts and to find the nemesis who must exist to be the antithesis of his heroic potential.

The film

I've always read comics but wasn't attracted to this film on release, as it sounded a bit daft. I thought Bruce was going to be saving the day in his pants, but the film has a more grounded and believable feel. Bruce is a baldy middle aged security man with problems at home. Although his gifts had always been present in a promising football career he hid them to be with his annoying wife (Robin Wright Penn) and it is only due to Price's harassment that he realizes part of his potential.

Even when Bruce sets off to do his hero bit his costume is only a raincoa
t and the villain a kidnapping nutter. All sorts of lenses and camera moves are used and the cinematographer states in the 'Making of' this was intended to give it a comic book feel as were the colour schemes. On reflection the twist at the end seems obvious but that's how the good ones should feel! The film is a tight ninety minutes and although some have said it slow it flew by for me. In the features the director said this whole movie was the origin and the first of three parts. I don't think he'll make the rest but it'd be interesting to see how it develops. First rate entertainment and a superior production.

Extras

My DVD is a Region 4 (Australian) but checking play247.com show it to be very similar to the UK release.

DELETED FOOTAGE

My review states the film is a tight ninety minutes but this clearly wasn't a money saving scheme. The DVD contains many scenes shot for the film that didn't make the final cut. The director Night (as they call him in the featurette) introduces each scene explaining where in the film it fits and why it didn't make it. Most were dropped for reasons of pace but each adds to the characters and are well worth a peek.

FEATURETTE 'Comic Books and Superheroes' hosted by Samuel L. Jackson

This is a twenty-minute specially produced film giving an overview of the comic genre. Participants included Will Eisner and my favourite Frank 'Born Again' Miller. Maybe not something you'll watch over and over but interesting and well put together.

BEHIND THE SCENES

A DVD staple but this one was pretty good. Running to 13.5 minutes it was mostly interviews with the cast and crew. Some of the technical and costume stuff was interesting with Jackson claiming credit for 'Mr. Glass's' glass cane!

STORYBOARDS: Train Station Sequence: Multi-Angle Feature

This was an original feature but probably only of
interest to film school students. Using your remote control you can shift between the film and the original storyboards. Not a great feature but hey - they bothered!

EARLY FILM

Last and least a short excerpt from an early Night film featuring three youths clubbing one another with bats!

All in all a great film well packaged and a worthy addition to any DVD collection

Summary: