This is a tough movie to review because it has a big secret. Actually, there are TWO big secrets. One is revealed slowly, and you figure out about halfway through. The other secret is revealed suddenly at the end. Since this movie is written and directed by the same guy who made "The Sixth Sense," a big twist at the end is pretty much expected. Some are gonna guess it early on. Some, like me, will be totally surprised by it. Some critics have hinted at what this movie is about, giving obvious clues as to what the other secret is. I won't make that same mistake. It's best if you walk into this movie knowing nothing.
In the next paragraph, it's gonna seem like I'm going off on a tangent, but I'm not.
I love movie trailers. One of the biggest reasons I hate being late to the movies is because I don't wanna miss the trailers. The way I see it, the price of admission includes the trailers, and sometimes, the trailers are better than the movie I paid to see. The problem is that trailers tend to show you TOO much of a movie. I hate that. For example, I recently saw the new trailer for "Cast Away," a highly anticipated movie that reunites "Forrest Gump" star Tom Hanks with "Forrest Gump" director Robert Zemeckis. The trailer is very good, but it reveals what I consider to be a huge spoiler. Yeah, I want a trailer to be entertaining, and it's gotta make people wanna see the movie, but isn't there a way to do it without giving away the whole story? The reason I bring this up is because the trailers to "Unbreakable" did a beautiful job of making the movie seem interesting without giving away any important details. As a matter of fact, anyone who sees "Unbreakable" knowing nothing but what was in the trailer is in for a big surprise. Well, make that two surprises. The movie is NOT what anyone expects. It's very different.
Bruce Willis stars in this movie, and like in "The Sixth Sense," he plays his role very low-key. Bruce Willis is perfect in this role, though he may be a little too old. Then there's Samuel L. Jackson (his third time in a movie with Bruce Willis... the first two times were in "Pulp Fiction" and "Die Hard with a Vengeance"). As usual, he's amazing. Samuel L. Jackson is so many characters rolled into one here. I can't tell you more than that, though. It's something you have to see to comprehend. Just understand that his performance in "Unbreakable" is brilliant. Robin Wright Penn is also in this movie, and I like her a lot. From seeing her as "Buttercup" in "The Princess Bride" to seeing her as "Jenny" in "Forrest Gump," she does a great job playing unforgettable characters. Unfortunately, in "Unbreakable," she slips into something more conventional, the sad housewife. She does it well, though. Finally, like in "The Sixth Sense," there's a cameo by the writer/director, M. Night Shyamalan. See if you can spot him.
M. Night Shyamalan gets lotsa credit for his writing, but he doesn't seem to get as much credit for his directing. Well, he should. He's very good, and his shots seem to be very carefully orchestrated. The guy knows what he's doing. You'll notice that some of his shots are very long. Like Paul Thomas Anderson, the phenomenal writer/director of "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia," M. Night Shyamalan likes to take long shots without cutting away. When done well, it can be very cool, and Shyamalan does it well.
Despite some slow parts, I like "Unbreakable" a lot. I think most people are gonna be disappointed by it, though. Some are gonna absolutely hate it. Unfortunately, I can't say why because it gives away too much. I liked it a lot, that's all I'm gonna say. There are slow parts, and it has cheesy moments, but I liked it a lot.
Scale of 1-10: 8