Another disappointing let down

Rating: 1/10 (6 August 2004)

You did it again Shayamalan. I was hoping Signs was just a fluke in how bad it was, but you managed to almost just as bad with the Village.
I still love your cinematography. Very beautiful art direction, very much draws the viewer into the "period" world that you have created. Your direction and the actors also perform very well and are the last good things about this movie.
The fault with this movie, as it was with Signs, is in the screenplay/plot. Now maybe you could just blame high expectations because I would agree that with both movies (after loving both Sixth Sense and Unbreakable) I had very high expectations and couldn't wait to go and see them. But truthfully, in both cases I was expecting to get a Ferrari and all I got was a Tercel. You walk into the Village hoping for at least a scary movie, but I gotta say this movie isn't at all frightful! The creatures when you finally see them are such a major let down! All I will say is that I kept thinking of the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.
And the plot twist I saw coming a mile away! Almost from the beginning when William Hurt is telling the school children in class about "Those we do not speak of" I suspected it but I was like nah, Shaymalan can't be that silly with his plot lines. But about 20mins before it was finally revealed I knew for sure, how the rest of the movie was gonna play out and was begging God that I was wrong. But in the end I wasn't.
I can't say it any better than the guy behind me as the credits started to roll..."What the $%^$ was that #$^@?"
3/10