A Moving, Suspenseful Film

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2011)

I really don't understand why this movie got such mixed reviews. Upon watching again recently, I am still intrigued by it in many ways. The dialogue matches the tone that these characters would create in their conceived society- that of respect and honesty. The backstories of the "grandmasters" of the society is compelling and moving. I do not feel creating such a society from their traumatic experiences was outlandish at all.
As for the ending twist, I think Shyamalan did a superb job. For one, I felt it was believable. This, for me, made it all the more intriguing. I'm not sure what audiences or critics were expecting or wanting instead. A sci-fi, improbable ending? Or were audiences disappointed because the ending wasn't scary enough or the explanation was too simple and logical?
In the end, it's unfortunate that films such as this end up being underrated. Why is it that a director's follow-up film has to go above and beyond the previous hit, in this case, "The Sixth Sense"? And if it doesn't, the director has somehow let us down and hasn't done his/her job? The film should be strictly critiqued on it's own merits, and this film for one, was greatly misjudged.