M.Night Shyamalan: "Village" idiot! - SPOILERS

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 2004)

THE VILLAGE (2004) *1/2 Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard, William Hurt, Adrien Brody, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson, Cherry Jones, Celia Weston, Jayne Atkinson, Judy Greer, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Pitt. Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan's latest attempt to prove he wasn't a one-hit wonder with 'The Sixth Sense' further sinks him in this ponderous, dull, boring and ultimately dishonest tale about a community of people living in an isolated bucolic land they share with mysterious 'creatures' who face a deadly threat of their truce to be broken with disastrous results foreshadowed. Shyamalan's story owes a great deal to The Brothers Grimm and 'The Twilight Zone's episode 'A Hundred Yards over the Rim' in his nervy twist and turn script that betrays the trust of the audience into expecting something altogether different and in the long run CHEATED! The equivalent of a three-card monte scam. One twist is plenty, two is down right greedy and gimmicky! The only saving grace is newcomer Howard (Ron's daughter) as (literally) the blind leading the blind in this 'cautionary' fable that falls flat on its pretentious face. A real disappointment that will leave you bewildered and angry.