A real mixed bag

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2004)

Alright, for starters, I did not look at any spoilers or reviews before I went to go see the Village. I wanted to go see it with an open and unknowing mind.
And although I did not know the "big twist" at the end, I guessed about 3/4 of the way through, but when I said it to my friend, I just thought that it was weird and unlikely, and probably way off from what it really was. And when the twist came... boy was I kind of disappointed. Great concept, really, but I think that it wasn't as shocking just because of the fact that we were eased into it, not like BOOM! Shocker! There was only one part in this movie that really had me so shocked I couldn't speak, and if you've seen the movie, you probably know what part I'm speaking of, but if you haven't, I won't say which.
Aside from that, this movie is done pretty well. Good directing, great acting (especially on Bryce Dallas Howard's part, she's got talent) I also thought that Adrien Brody and Joaquin Phoenix were fantastic in their roles.
So, all in all, this movie's a real mixed bag. On one side, it was slow-paced, and not as shocking as anticipated, but on the other side, extremely good directing and acting. I honestly think that it depends on what you're expecting when you walk into the theater. It's not as big of a horror as is described in the trailer, its more of a mystery/thriller. So if you're expecting nailbiting horror, you'll most likely be disappointed. But if you're expecting an edge-of-your-seat "what in the world is going on.. tell me!" movie, you just may like this film.
I give it a 6/10