Shyamalan brilliantly crafts another hit

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2004)

In The Village, we see the quaint, simple town of 1897 Covington, Pennsylvania. As anybody who has seen the previews knows, the woods around the town contain a horrifying danger...creatures who will kill anyone who enters the woods or who displays the "forbidden color." Yet, as we have come to expect with Shyamalan's films, there is a twist.
Very little can be said about the plot without giving away the twist, so I will give far more valuable - albeit vague - information. The movie is about the power of fear, love, and the desire to protect innocence.
The pacing is perfect, the cinematography is beautiful, the performances (not surprising, considering the cast) are impeccable.
This is what summer blockbusters can be. They don't have to be loaded with cheap special effects to mask thin characters and plots. The Village's characters are complex, sympathetic. The plot contains just the right amount of moments that make the audience silently say, "what a minute..." and then ignore their suspicions just as quickly.
A word of advice to anyone considering seeing this film - go to the theater, enjoy the acting, directing, writing, photography, and beautiful subject, and marvel at how Shyamalan has done it once again.