“Unbreakable”
"Unbreakable" (PG-13)Starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. 113 min.
DM: After a meager two major films,M.Night Shyamalan has proven that he can spin a good-old-fashioned yarn with the best of them.
"Unbreakable," his follow-up to last year's smash spook story "The Sixth Sense," has a storyline which is just as intricate and woven through the nearly two-hour time span.
I will say, that this movie won't appeal to as broad of an audience as what "The Sixth Sense" did, because it is slower and moviegoers will have to really stay focused on the plot. As a matter of fact, it is the basic storytelling ability of Shyamalan that makes this film a rich and entertaining movie.
DT: Indeed. It's not a film which relies on action or effects; it is instead primarily focused on the characters and the thoughts and ideas which motivate them. It's a mystery that is revealed up on the screen before your eyes.
DM: Think back to when you were a kid (or maybe you are a kid, in which case, ignore that previous comment), and your grandpa would take you on his knee and spin yarns about the good old days or about some creaky old barn or something like that.
The beauty of this film lies in the detail and meticulousness of the story.
DT: Maybe it would help to tell how it turns out?
WARNING: PLOT ENDING GIVE-AWAY! DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT THE END OF THE MOVIE TO BE A SURPRISE.
DM: No, not really, I just always wanted to use that line. Trachsel, if I ever give a plot away in this column, you have my permission to jam my ears full of honey and sick a bear on me.
DT: Good deal! I know where I can get two bears.
DM: We here at ATC try not to be total imbeciles and give away the entire plots and endings of movies, much like many critics and trailers do.
DT: However this might be a good idea for a column for people who would prefer to be told everything. There're bound to be some people who'd rather not have to get out of the house and sit in a theater for up to two hours just to see something they would enjoy more in written form. Cliff Notes for movies anyone?
DM: Now, where were we?
Oh, yes, "Unbreakable."
Give yourself a chance to see the movie through all the way. Don't try to figure it out. Just sit back, relax and enjoy a master storyteller as he unfolds an intricate tale before your eyes.
Score: DM 91, DT 81