Intriguing Premise But Utlimately A Hollow Shell

Rating: 7/10 (5 February 2005)

The premise behind 'Unbreakable' is intriguing and competently executed. But ultimately the film feels like watching a one trick pony over and over again. As original as others seem to find this film, it is just another exploration of the mythic hero's journey. And the journey is dull.
The acting is as strong as we would come to expect from Willis, Jackson, and Wright. The plot has an interesting premise that attempts to bring the supernatural into a context of concrete reality. And there are a few nicely conceived plot twists including the ending (no real surprise in the end though). But the movie takes so long to get where it's going that it ultimately felt hollow. Ever bite into a chocolate Easter bunny only to find that it's merely a shell? If you are a relatively sophisticated movie consumer M. Shyamalan provides you with the entire content of the movie in the first 30 minutes and then takes nearly another hour-and-a-half revealing a conclusion we already understand. 'Unbreakable' is suffocatingly tedious. We understand Bruce Willis' character is special and Shyamalan uses some effective plot devices to highlight the point such as inferring that Willis has never been ill. Great, but it felt like Shyamlan took another 20 minutes to support it.
I read a review that stated, 'Every scene in this movie is darkly silent and eerie.' The movie has the seem feel as 'The Sixth Sense.' Yet I don't feel that the technique was used to good effect here. It attempts to add weight to Willis' growing acceptance the he maybe an extraordinary human but does nothing to further the plot development. All it really does is slow the film down, attempting to milk emotion from the viewer. Every bit of dialog hangs like the breath of a dying man.
Watching 'Unbreakable' is akin to slowly peeling back the layers of an onion until you reach the core. Unfortunately it's a tedious process, every layer is the same (as well as the core,) and you can't help but crying even without a lack of emotion. If you enjoyed 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Signs' you may enjoy this movie as well. But I'm increasingly finding M. Shyamalan's efforts nothing more than polished emptiness.