Good idea broken. Scattered shards pretty.

Rating: Null/10 (10 December 2000)

5/10. Shyamalan's second movie is still promising, but not up to the standard of the 'Sixth Sense'. He will certainly become a great producer/director but is perhaps overrating himself a little at the moment (cf. the Hitchcockian cameo).
The camerawork and lighting are still as imaginative (maybe over-selfconsciously) and the mood of brooding unease builds up as strongly as in the predecessor film. However, the overall pace is glacially slow with important lines of dialogue mumbled. Then, when the viewer least expects it, some plot developments gratuitously appear with all the subtlety of a brontosaurus in a china shop. This includes the "shock ending". An editor might have been useful.
A potentially interesting premise has been badly treated, and not given the film it deserves, particularly from this director. Beautiful looks-and-mood piece despite all that. Better appreciated if you DON'T compare it with 'Sixth Sense' but dwell more on the comics/ superheroes element.