This was a tough one...

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2001)

Unbreakable was a rare breed of movie. After viewing this film, I walked out of the theatre and had absolutely no idea what I thought of it. I didn't LOVE it, I didn't HATE it. So I waited for several weeks, carefully forming an opinion, before I decided to comment on it.

If you take this film on its own merits, it is a very good film. If you compare it to its predecessor, The Sixth Sense, it comes up short. The characters and story line in Sixth Sense were far more rich and developed than what we see here in Shyamalan's latest effort. While the ending of the Sixth Sense completely made the entire film, and totally blew me out of the theatre, I saw the ending of Unbreakable coming from a mile away. It tried TOO hard to be shocking and it didn't do the film justice.

The rest of the movie, however, was beautifully filmed and had a very powerful underlying message. The most moving scenes are when Willis' character realizes who he is, what his powers are and what his role in society is meant to be. This is a very "character driven" movie. For those movie watchers who thrive on eye candy and action sequences, you will be sadly disappointed. For those movie watchers who balk at the idea of a plot that could not possibly happen in real life, you too should avoid this film. This movie requires you to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself entirely in a fantasy world where the impossible is possible.
That being said, the film is worthy of a viewing. It leaves you with something to think about and may give you a new outlook on the concept of a real life "hero".
I'm still not 100 percent sure what I thought of this movie, but I am 99 percent sure that I thought highly enough of it to comment favourably and give it a recommendation.
A unique addition to Shyamalan's resume.