One of the best thrillers of 2000, Unbreakable is writer/director M. Knight Shyamalan's follow up production to the 1998 blockbuster The Sixth Sense. Although not as phenomenally successful as that film, Unbreakable is nonetheless a memorable and suspense ridden picture certain to entertain. Shyamalan uses a unique comic book format to weave a tale of a superhero who fails to realize his own powers. But audiences won't confuse Unbreakable with Spiderman or Superman. The film isn't as one-dimensional with its characters, and the employment of special effects is not a focal point of the film. Instead, Unbreakable remains more of a mystery, thriller combination, and one that works well Security Guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) makes headlines as the sole survivor of a massive train wreck which kills 130+ passengers. But not only does David survive the wreck, he emerges from the wreckage without a single scratch. Soon after, David is approached by Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), owner of a comic book art gallery and expert on the world of comics. Elijah suffers from a genetic disease which causes his bones to be extremely brittle. Confined in his home, Elijah's mother bought him comic books throughout his youth. Believing the comics to be a modern form of ancient storytelling describing the lives of real people of super-human abilities, Elijah postulates that David is one such person. The fanatical comic book lover produces evidence of David's survival of a car wreck twenty years earlier, his survival on the train, and his injury-free days as a star football player. As the polar-opposite of David, Elijah has been in search of such a person for his entire life. Now, he must convince David that he holds the aforementioned powers. As David comes to believe he holds the power of the 'unbreakable', he also develops an awareness of a special sense which gives him the ability to tell if someone has done, or is about to do, something sinister. As David comes to appreciate his special powers, the world around him crystallizes with a terrifying clarity Featuring one of the better surprise endings of the decade, Unbreakable is one of the reasons Shyamalan's reputation has risen to such a lofty position in the world of film. Well-written and well-directed, M. Knight Shyamalan creates a brilliant follow up to The Sixth Sense with the dark and mysterious Unbreakable. Samuel L. Jackson plays his part well, employing the use of his penetrating stare and authoritative voice for maximum effect. Bruce Willis stars again in a role he knows well - that of the hero. Although it lacked the commercial success and Academy Award speculation of its forerunner, Unbreakable is nevertheless an entertaining film. Weaving a strange and exotic tale of two men who lead opposite lives in the physical realm, it makes deft use of cinematography and dripping suspense to leave its audience perched on the edge of curiosity. As a result, Unbreakable made a place for itself among the best films of 2000, and it definitely ranks as a must-see film |
