A fascinating homage

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2000)

Unbreakable is refreshingly different. I think I have an advantage in the fact that I've seen it, but not The Sixth Sense, so I am able to judge it on its own merits without comparing it to the director's previous endeavor.
I could tell from the audience's reaction that it went over their heads. The slightly surreal lighting has been criticized by some as making everything too "washed out." Sigh. These people do not get it. It's *supposed* to be that way, to emphasize and mythicize the ordinariness of the main character's life to comic book proportions. It's part of the homage, people!
Jackson's performance is especially subtle and compelling. His character is an excellent device that attempts to explain to the audience, many of whom aren't getting it anyway, what's going on in a way that doesn't dumb the information down or condescend too much to the peanut gallery. (It's done a bit here and there, particularly with one of the last lines of Price's mother's character, but not too often.) Instead, it generally fits in perfectly with the building of his character.
The movie is not without flaws. The crash flashback, I thought, could have been edited down a bit -- a bit slow in parts. But the slow pace also works to the film's advantage. It gradually unfolds in such a way that it makes you wonder what direction the plot will move in next. This is not the film I expected from the trailers, and I'm delighted to say it's far more interesting. I rather wonder what it might have been like had Terry Gilliam directed it -- probably even better. If I had to reduce it to a "star" rating, I'd probably give it 3.25 - 3.50 out of 4.
I plan to see it again, and that's a rare thing for me to do. If you like comic books, you'll like Unbreakable.