Not an action movie

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2004)

There are going to be people who strongly like The Village, and people who strongly dislike it.
Any true fan of M. Night will probably appreciate it for it's wonderful direction and cinematography. Every shot is meaningful throughout the entire movie. One is easily placed inside the small village in the woods and easily convinced that the settings are real. The Score is also very good. It adds to the suspense and overall power of the movie.
It is not a teen horror flick. It is not gory, and not jump-out scary (at least, not really). I feel that the casual moviegoer who wants to eat popcorn and watch people get their heads chopped off will not enjoy this movie, they will likely find it boring. It is to be enjoyed as an experience, not as a way to kill 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon. People looking for an action movie will be better suited elsewhere.
The movie has the feel of a Twilight Zone or an Outer Limits. M. Night's writing style is distinctive once again. The beauty of his characters is that they are normal people. M. Night's characters are never super smart, or verbose. They are easy to identify with.
Ron Howard's daughter makes a strong debut. Joaquin Phoenix is good, as always. Brody steals the show, as an Oscar winner should. His talent is truly breathtaking and it adds light years to the movie.
Worth seeing for the true M. Night fan or anyone who appreciates direction, cinematography, score, or strong acting. Not worth the money if you need to see stuff blow up and want to be so scared that you're kept awake at night.