Preposterous, Contrived, Silly

Rating: 4/10 (13 August 2002)

I am baffled at the high rating of this film. Yes, I agree, M. Night Shyamalan is an extraordinarily talented director, the cinemetography and performances in this film were excellent. MNS creates some genuinely creepy sequences. But, please!!! The surprise ending to which this film builds is so hoaky, contrived, and inane that I felt my intelligence had been insulted. I have never seen so much talent (not only that of MNS, but also of Gibson, Phoenix, and the kids) thrown at such a lousy script. I admire MNS's efforts to create ambience and I appreciate a *good* surprise ending as much as anyone, but this was simply too forced and sophomoric to be swallowed. Any "surprise" ending which hinges on so many contingencies & coincidences and requires SO MANY expository asides and monologues to be established really should be scrapped. People seem to really enjoy this turkey, and in all fairness it is artfully done and worth a view, but I would definitely rate it a rental or wait to catch it on cable.