Night's decline continues

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2004)

Tension, building drama, and a great story...all things one would expect from an M. Night Shyamalan film. Actually, just one film, The Sixth Sense. Since then, with Unbreakable, Signs, and now The Village, he has been on a downward trajectory that is inexplicable for someone of talent. Is it laziness, or is it the fact that just because a film has a twist (The Village has a few), it's worth seeing?
The Village is a monumental disappointment. Not because I expected much, but rather because the story is incredibly flat, minus any real suspense or tension. Once the hidden elements or "twists" were revealed (I had already guessed them correctly, like any 12 year old might), I wondered why I had forked over $8 to have my intelligence insulted. This is the stuff of junior high short-story contests, not feature film material at all.
The score and cinematography are excellent, but in this case they are wasted, as is Howard's performance, which is a stand out. For someone who fancies himself as the next Hitchcock, Shyamalan apparently still has a lot to learn about suspense. The Village has none, probably because Night mailed this one in...
2 out of 10