Lethargic Pace Drags Down This Film

Rating: 6/10 (22 July 2015)

"Unbreakable" stars Bruce Willis as David Dunn, a listless, pessimistic security guard whose marriage is on the skids. He is riding a train when it goes off the tracks and all passengers are killed except him. Soon after, he finds an anonymous note on his windshield asking him how often he is sick. This leads him to Elijah Price, a comic book art dealer who proposes an incredible hypothesis that changes David's life.
The film has a lethargic pace and a subdued, quiet tone. Just like the main character. I kept waiting for the film to break out of its somnambulistic pace, but that never happens. There are revelations and dramatic moments, but "Unbreakable" never breaks out of its contemplative tone.
It also never ties up numerous loose ends that were obviously written with the intention of linking characters and plot points. Notes in IMDb report that director M. Knight Shyamalan wrote a much longer script that might have been presented as a trilogy. The ending might as well have included the message "To be continued..."
The story has supernatural elements, as might be expected for Shyamalan and, in parts, feels like a graphic novel adapted to film. If sequels are not coming, perhaps someone might consider a television series. Otherwise, the film's ending is a disappointment. It would be difficult to match the quality of the acting in the film, however.