Smart, well-made, fantasy

Rating: 8/10 (11 September 2018)

M. Night Shyamalan's clever story postulates that superheroes (both of legend and in current culture) are exaggerated representations of individuals who actually exhibit extraordinary abilities, albeit to a lesser degree than the legendary characters. Comic book aficionado Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) believes that he has found one such person in David Dunn (Bruce Willis), the miraculous sole survivor of a horrendous train crash. The film plays with a number of 'superhero' tropes and hints are dropped along the way as it moves toward an effective 'twist' ending. Willis and Jackson are great in their respective roles, as is the script and cinematography. Although he has directed a few misfires since "Unbreakable", Shyamalan is a talented writer and director, and this film is well worth watching.