The Village is Tired

Rating: 4/10 (30 July 2004)

While the premise for "The Village" is familiar, yet captivating...tried, but true...the twists and turns not only fail to deliver...they utterly undermine everything that could have made this a wonderful film. Fans looking for a suspenseful tale about monsters in the woods and a small town dealing with the color red are likely to be disappointed by M. Night Shyamalan's direction and writing. The story will satisfy until about a half hour into the film, when most viewers will begin to predict where M. Night's "mind-twists" are going to go, after being subjected to only a few very obvious clues. While Phoenix shines in his sadly small role (and Bryce Howard likewise turns in a performance that promises more good things to come), no amount of good acting can survive drowning in the sound of collective audiences slapping themselves on the forehead as the disappointments land home and then just keep on coming. M. Night...your gift is bringing magic back into theaters again (Signs and 6th Sense). Why oh why would you pull the magic from what could have been a very enchanting fairy tale?