A movie better than anticipated,

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2005)

I have read several of the reviews of this film. Some stating that the film copies some very well known films. While I agree that there are some areas of the film which are not exactly original ideas, I was not disappointed at all with the film. I felt the acting was superb, actually some of the best acting I have seen in a long time. Gibson was magnificent, Phoenix was very convincing, and the two kids were very believable. There were a few scenes in the movie which were slow, but I think this is mainly because there were some other areas that really made me jump out of my chair. I also feel that M. Night uses music or the lack thereof to increase tension for the viewer during the film which at times can make the film appear slower than expected. I was however left with a good feeling as I exited my seat after the movie was over. The final message of the film was upbeat and gave a sense of hope to those who have questioned their faith in a higher being.
One concept of note which was very evident to my mind watching this film is the underlying question of what would I do in the shoes of these characters. I have read a review stating how nice it was to see the lack of any weapons other than a baseball bat throughout the film. As obvious as this lack is, I believe it was an intentional part of the overall writing in this film I was interested to see how M. Night would tackle a subject that has seen lots of screen time over the years, an alien invasion. His previous films spend a great deal of time delving the human emotional psyche, and this film does not disappoint in this regard. I thought it was refreshing to see how the concept of an alien invasion was treated on a more personal and intimate level than other films of a similar type of subject matter. The characters and circumstances that start to unfold during the course of the film are believable and realistic. The reactions of the characters to events as they occur are also very real and leave little doubt of the fears and angst being experienced. I would not be surprised to see at least one if not more of the cast recognized next March during the Oscar night for the performances in this film.
Overall, I believe viewers expecting a Sci-fi thriller will be better prepared if they go into this film expecting a psychological thriller instead. Sometimes, what you don't see, is scarier than what you do. Ask the producers of The Blair Witch Project, they mastered that in their film, M. Night has already proved in his two previous films of note The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable that he is a master of this art as well. I give a standing ovation to M. Night for the work he and the cast did on this film, it will be a classic in time.