What a shame (Worst ending of all time?)

Rating: 2/10 (27 November 2000)

Never before have I been so let down by a movie. I loved The Sixth Sense in spite of myself recognizing that, while not a particularly monumental work, it succeeded admirably in what it tried to do. It was fun, it was scary, it was surprising, if not particularly ambitious. Well, whatever sense was put into the crafting of that film was completely lacking in the making of Unbreakable. It is rather tragic really: great actors, great atmosphere, wonderful direction, more potential than you can shake a stick at...but with one flaw: it takes itself way too seriously. The opening scene sets a wonderful, haunting mood (the director, I believe, can safely be regarded as a master at setting a mood) but the rest is downhill from there. There are so many holes in the script I can hardly believe it got past editing and there are so many times throughout the movie where there is absolutely nothing happening or no point to what IS happening that the audience is left wondering if they missed something. But the sad part is, they didn't. The ending, while lauded as a clever twist, proves to be the single worst ending in the history of cinema. Throughout the movie, we are allowed to watch Bruce Willis bench press paint cans for 30 minutes, so why the quick, tacked on ending? Why the amateurish dialogue, the very predictable catch phrases, the horribly unsatisfying dangler? When the theatre lights turned on, I was hiding behind my coat, embarrassed for everyone involved in the making of this stinker. What a shame--great mood, great performances, great potential, all wasted in a meandering, pointless script hardly worthy of a high school production. Avoid at all costs.