an original film that lacks substance

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2001)

Unbreakable has fresh and interesting ideas, too bad there isn't enough story for it to be worth its length. I liked the slow pace in the beginning, but then the film never picked up speed.
The problem seems to be that Shyamalan focuses too hard on creating his own style (colours and surprising ending). (IMHO) Unbreakable would have been better off getting rid of all the filler scenes, shove the "surprise ending" to the middle of the story-telling, and begin the climax/action from there. (There's certainly enough time to fit in a sequel or two!)

******Spoilers!!***************
The hero and villain relationship in Unbreakable is certainly original. Elijah wouldn't have been a villain if he wasn't looking for the superhero, and Dave wouldn't have been a superhero if Elijah hadn't given him pointers and derailed the train. Also Dave's marriage would have fallen apart if it wasn't for the train accident. Basically, no hero, no villain, and vice versa.