Shyamalan + Aliens = Brilliant

Rating: Null/10 (3 January 2003)

From the catchy score at the beginning to the showdown at the end, this film fails to disappoint. And rather than a boring 1 hour long development time in the beginning, we are thrown right into the story where it all takes place. There are plenty of jumpy bits and suspense filled moments in here to keep any horror fan happy, and the at times hilarious dialogue keep you on your toes. Gibson abandons his macho image for a more heart felt touching part, and he plays it beautifully. Another member of the Culkin clan which I had not previously had the pleasure of watching makes his amazing debut in this film, and he does it so well. Probably my most favourite character in this film was Joaquin Phoenix, playing Mel Gibson's brother. I had only ever seen him play the menacing role of Commodus in Gladiator, so it was both refreshing and a relief to see him in a more distinct, sensitive role. Phoenix steals the show with his hilarious performance, and gave the entire film just the right amount of humour that it needed. The part where Gibson walks into the room and he's sitting there wearing a tin-foil hat will never cease to amuse me...
To round it all up, I found this film thoroughly enjoyable to watch - Shyamalan proves that once again he can break all the boundaries of tension, suspense and clever twists to produce a fantastic film.