Wasnt as good as it was hyped up to be...... (SPOILERS)

Rating: 1/10 (7 August 2002)

This film was disappointing. Firstly, the Americans hyped it up to be such a great film and absolutely scary, WHICH I KNEW FOR A FACT WAS RUBBISH seen as the Americans couldnt even make horror films if their lives depended on it...'scary' to them is like someone dropping a bottle on to the floor and the sound created is enough to send chills down their spine! I was amazed at how many of the audience in the cinema in New York (where i am on holiday) screamed every time they saw something remotely unusual..such as an alien hand suddenly grabbing someone..whereas in England, the audience would have remained quiet and said: "Ok....where is the scary bit??"
Secondly, the ending was much too short and a greater effect would have been to show more of the reflection of the alien being on the television screen and a view from behind it before showing a brief glimpse of it right at the very end rather than just to show its whole face and body for a few minutes and spoil it. Shamyalan had built up the suspense and made us aware of the beings' presence throughout the movie, so why spoil it all at the end?

Thirdly, the movie on the whole is very short and it seemed that the only good scenes were at the very end of the film. I read somewhere that you shouldnt go alone to watch this film..well thats right...you should bring all your friends with you to have GOOD laugh at how the Americans think a 'scary, alien' film should be.
I AM very sure that if this film was released in England with the same director and crew, it would have been an absolute flop because the Americans, as usual, think their movies are the best when in actual fact they are mainly rubbish and not even scary, i.e. Mothman Prophecies, Signs and the worst of all: Minority Report. A British director would have done a MUCH better job of it. But Shamylan does write his movies well, i have to admit. Shame he couldnt direct it well. i give it a not-so-scary 5/10.