Worth the wait, as always a fun journey!

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2004)

The Village trailers gave me two sets of expectations, first be ready to have some scary fun, second see some excellent performances. It hit on both, at the same time did not slam-dunk either. The performance of new arrival Bryce Howard was a very pleasant surprise, with a strong hold on her character and few slips. William Hurt delivers yet again another great performance along with Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver and a very exciting surprise performance by Adrien Brody. Giving Credit where it is due, the story that Shyamalan spins is exciting and very alluring. The scar factor of this film is OK with some screams throughout the theatre and people jumping. Unfortunately, for the veteran movie viewer, The Village is somewhat predictable and towards the middle of the film, I caught myself anticipating the next turn. Overall, the film delivers for the most part on it advertising but is clearly the next step for Shyamalan.