Do superheroes exist? (Unbreakable (DVD))

Member Name: star500

Product:	Unbreakable (DVD)
Date:	08/01/02 (255 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very enjoyable, Good acting from Willis and Jackson

Disadvantages: Ending was a little rushed

I originally saw this film at the cinema when it was released last year and, if my memory serves me correctly, I wasn't too impressed with it. However, I recently got the chance to watch it again and found that I did indeed enjoy it.

Why I perhaps didn't like it the first time round was because it had been billed as the sequel to "The Sixth Sense", the first of M. Night Shyamalan's blockbuster films. Those of you who have seen The Sixth Sense will know that it is a very good film and because Unbreakable starred Bruce Willis and was directed by Shyamalan, many had thought that it would be the natural sequel.

When I watched Unbreakable at the cinema, I left feeling a little disappointed, not because the film was sub-standard, but because I was looking for another Sixth Sense-esque movie - I suspect this was the same for many. However, after seeing it again, I realised that my original judgement was a little too harsh as this is definitely a film worth watching.

As you have probably gathered by now, Unbreakable sees Bruce Willis in a starring role again as he tries to break the mould of his stereotypical, vest-wearing action hero. He plays David Dunn who, at the start of the film, is involved in a train crash which kills all crew and passengers except for him. In fact, he manages to escape with very little injuries indeed. This miraculous feat brings him to the attention of Elijah Price, played brilliantly by Samuel L. Jackson.

Price is a comic book dealer with a very rare brittle bone disease which causes his limbs to break very easily with the slightest knock or fall. He earned the nickname "Mr. Glass" at school due to his condition and, after seeing the news reports of the train crash, believes that Dunn is the opposite of him - his bones are unbreakable. Of course, Dunn thinks that he is a bit crazy and talking a load of nonsense and the film then focuses on Price's belief that Da
vid Dunn is some sort of unbreakable comic-book-type superhero. To say any more would spoil the rest of the storyline as there is a slight twist at the end of the tale that could very easily be ruined if I explain anything else in too much detail.

Character wise, Willis and Jackson suit their roles perfectly. I am not the biggest fan of Bruce Willis but I have to admit that he carried off the role of David Dunn very well and seems to be making the transition from action films to those with a little more substance. Samuel L. Jackson too was very good as Elijah Price and his crazy hair added to the eccentricity of the character.

Although I have heard the film described as a thriller, it isn't your typical edge-of-the-seat one. In fact, I found that the storyline actually moved at quite a slow, steady pace. Some may argue that it was perhaps too slow but this could be due to the emphasis in character development of both Dunn and Price. However, the ending actually seems to sneak up on you and, in my opinion, was somewhat abrupt. At the time of it's release in the cinema, this came under a lot of criticism as many were left feeling a little disappointed. I have to admit that the preceding 10-15 minutes were quite fast paced (a stark contrast to the rest of the film) and perhaps seemed a little rushed as if the director suddenly realised that there was a time limit or deadline that he had to meet.

In saying that, though, Shyamalan's direction was certainly innovative and clever throughout. One of obvious themes throughout the film was in relation to Elijah Price who was nicknamed Mr. Glass at school. His early life, birth and childhood are told by the use of flashbacks which are shown solely as reflections in glass objects; namely a television set, mirror and a framed picture.

In the same way, I found the camera work to be original, in particular when Price tumbled down a flight of stairs and also at the begi

nning of the film when a conversation between Dunn and a female train passenger was shown from the perspective of the eyes of a child peering between the seats in front of them.

Overall, Unbreakable is a good, entertaining film which, in my opinion, does not deserve the criticism and comparisons to The Sixth Sense that it gets. I do wonder, just how the critics would have perceived it, if Unbreakable had been released before The Sixth Sense as then there would not have been anything to compare it to.

It certainly was a film that I enjoyed and I would recommend that you catch it the next time it is on Sky Movies or rent it when you are at the video shop. Even if you do not like Bruce Willis or Samuel L. Jackson, the story will keep you entertained and as long as you are not expecting a sequel to The Sixth Sense, you should hopefully enjoy this film.

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