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 Unbreakable 

What grade would you give this film?
A 46%  46%  [ 11 ]
B 38%  38%  [ 9 ]
C 8%  8%  [ 2 ]
D 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
F 8%  8%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 24

 Unbreakable 
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College Boy Z

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Post Unbreakable
Unbreakable

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Unbreakable is a 2000 superhero drama film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robin Wright Penn. Unbreakable tells the story of Philadelphia security guard, David Dunn, who slowly discovers that he is a superhero. The film is a study on the dimensions of comic books; it explores the analogies between the real world and the mythology of superheroes.

Shyamalan conceived the idea for Unbreakable to parallel a comic book's traditional three-part story structure. After he decided to settle on the origin story aspect of his outline, Shyamalan began to write the screenplay as a spec script with Bruce Willis already set to star in the film and Samuel L. Jackson in mind to portray Elijah Price. Filming for Unbreakable began in April 2000 and finished that following July. Unbreakable received generally positive reviews with critics noting its weaker ending compared with Shyamalan's previous film, The Sixth Sense. The film has grossed approximately $250 million.


Second best film from M. Night Shyamalan. Bruce Willis is excellent.

B+


Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:47 pm
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A-

Awesome.

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Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:28 am
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Shyamalan's best. Moody, dark, artistic, and cerebral with a fantastic plot and a great twist. Brilliant direction, cinematography, screenplay, and acting.

A


Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:20 am
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B-


Well, it used to be Shyamalan's worst by far, to me, until The Village came out. Unbreakable is actually an above-average film, it is just that it was so disappointing after the great The Sixth Sense. It did improve on repeat viewings to me, but still doesn't completely click with me. It is a slow movie. I don't mind slow movies if that choice of pace is needed for some reason and is not boring. In the case of this film, it is just boring. The film has a lot of potential and frankly, I would have liked to see the rumored sequel to it, but as it stands, I could not get much out of it. The twist at the end was good, but by far not as shocking and unpredictable to me as Shymalan's previous film's twist. The whole idea of Jackson being the "bad guy" is interesting, but when you think about it, it is also rather stupid of him to commit mass murders searching for a superhero. The movie tries to portray him as some kind of a mastermind or someone really smart, but in act, I can't help but think of him as anything else than an insane person.

Now the acting in the film is great, by Jackson as well as by Willis and the final 20-30 minutes are great too. Willis' first moment of realization that he actually does possess superpowers is very well-crafted.

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Sat Mar 25, 2006 6:08 am
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I'm rewatching all of Shyamalan's films in order, and this one really stood out and held up well. I've always liked it, but watching it now, it just seemed so much better. The story is simply superb, perhaps slow moving but definitely not boring, and the twist, while not as shocking as Sixth Sense, is perfect for the story. Definitely an original concept that is executed perfectly. The acting, too, is superb, with Willis impressing with his subtle, layered performance and Jackson excelling as a crazed villain that's not over-the-top but as realistic as the film's setting. Shyamalan's direction is simply outstanding, his use of themes and motifs is like no other modern director, and it's only heightened by the fantastic cinematography. The score is one of my personal favourites of all-time, it works perfectly in the film and makes the scene in the train station - the highlight of the film - that much better. One of my all-time favourite films now.

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Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:55 pm
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a great idea poorly executed. they shoulda crammed it up into an hour n added an extra hour with willis saving the day from sam jacksons next big plot, i.e. blowing up a monorail or somethign ya know

b-

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Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:01 pm
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Excel: Special Edition wrote:
a great idea poorly executed. they shoulda crammed it up into an hour n added an extra hour with willis saving the day from sam jacksons next big plot, i.e. blowing up a monorail or somethign ya know

b-

That is a terrible idea.

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zwackerm wrote:
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:36 pm
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May need another viewing since the first one was so long ago, but remembered I felt the twist-ending was terrible (comparable to his later effort The Village) and ruined the whole experience big time. In the C range.

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Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:58 pm
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After The Village and Lady in the Water, this starts seeming fairly good in comparison, heh.

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Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:00 pm
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It's been a bit since I've seen this one, but I remember being incredibily disappointed and largely bored. I remember thinking it was unbelievable that Bruce Willis's character never knew that he was never sick to work or that he had super strength, and in the end he really didn't do much with any of it, except solve one crime (if memory serves me correctly).

Also, the twist ending was rather 'bleh'. C- for me.

However, I only saw it once in the theater, so perhaps I should rewatch it sometime to make sure I just wasn't having a bad day.

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Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:24 am
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*** This comment may contain spoilers ***


Warning: does contain spoilers.

As we all sat in theater and we saw the haunting image of Bruce Willis being told in an eerie and confused voice by a doctor that he was the sole survivor of a train wreck, and that he wasn't scarred or broken in any way, we were intrigued. Then those magic words flash across the screen....FROM THE WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF SIXTH SENSE. Now we are hooked. Toss in Samuel L. Jackson playing the prophet, and now we have perhaps the most anticipated film of the year. And yet the funniest thing about the whole thing is that no one really had a clue what the film was about. All we knew is that Bruce had a secret. So going into the film, we were really all just conformists hoping that this film was going to capture us the way Sixth Sense did. Now I don't think that this film is for everyone, which seemss to be the general consensus from other reviewers in here, but for those that understand the film and for those that can appreciate it, you are in for a treat.

From here on out, if you don't want to know what the film is about, then stop reading.

Bruce Willis plays David Dunne, who, as the film opens is riding on that doomed train destined to crash. We all know this from the trailers. But as he is riding on that train, a pretty young woman asks if the seat is taken next to him and he says no. As she sits down, he takes off his wedding ring and begins to flirt with her. As we already know, somewhere along the way in the film, we are going to see that Willis may have some sort of gift that prevents him from injury, but that doesn't mean he is unbreakable in other facets of his life. Somewhere along the way, he has lost contact with his family and he and his wife don't even hold hands as he is being released from the hospital.

Upon leaving the funeral for the passengers of the train wreck that he survived, he finds a note on his car from a place called LIMITED EDITION, and on it, it asks him how many days he has ever been sick in his life. This question intrigues him and since he can't remember himself, he goes to the one source that knows him better than he knows himself, his wife. She can't ever remember him being sick.

"Doesn't that strike you as odd?" he asks her.

When David finally meets Elijah Price, we learn that Elijah has sought him out because Elijah is one of the most breakable men in the world. His bones are easily broken and his cells react very poorly to disease and have a hard time fighting off even the common cold. It seems that these two are the complete opposite. Elijah tells David that he believes he is "unbreakable" simply because Elijah is not. If a man like Elijah exists, then there must be a man out there that is on the other side of the spectrum.

The rest of the film moves along slowly, not in a bad way but slowly enough so that we have time to understand everyone involved. Shyamalan cares about his characters and he does take them seriously. He wants us to know them and understand them, so that when the big secret is unveiled to us, not only do we understand why the secret is the way it is, but we also understand how the movie was filmed and why it was done so in the way it was. Get it? Well don't worry if you don't. See it again and you will.

I read a review about Unbreakable by the venerable Roger Ebert, and he praised the film but then criticized the ending saying that it felt like it was rushed, that more care was needed, so instead of giving it four stars he gave it three. My response to that is this:

I am not a lover or a connoisseur of the thing that Shyamalan is. I will not reveal what that is, but saffice it to say that if you at least understand them, then you will see what the direction the film is heading in. There are many hints and subtleties that you can begin to guess about half way through the film what is happening. That is not to say that the secret is not shocking, because it is. It's just that this time you can see it coming from a far. And that is done through actions, camera shots, camera angles, the colouring of the film, the dialogue, and the costumes. This is a brilliant film that wants to emulate a passion that one man has for one particular thing in this world. And when you open your film by telling your audience that the world of COMICS is bigger than any of us imagined, well that should give us a clue right there. Make no mistake about it, this film is calculated from beginning to end.

Unbreakable is one of the best films to come out this year and the great thing about is that it is simple but effective and Shyamalan may have just created a franchise for himself and Willis and Jackson. Touchstone is probably counting the dollars as we speak.

I do recommend that this film be viewed twice, not because the secret is as good as Sixth Sense was, but because it is a film worth viewing several times. And yes, when you do give it a second viewing, you will understand it more and praise it more, and crave the next one.

10 out of 10- Sheer brilliance.

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Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:14 pm
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great film. Almost on the same level as The Sixth Sense

A-.


Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:18 pm
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Post Re: Unbreakable
Got to rewatch this over Thanksgiving. Still an amazing movie. The slow pace makes up its brilliance. The camera work is very interesting, particularly the shot of Bruce Willis in the hospital talking to the doctor. I love the twist ending, hopefully some day they do make a full-fledged sequel to this.

Grade: A


Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:49 pm
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makeshift wrote:
Shyamalan's best. Moody, dark, artistic, and cerebral with a fantastic plot and a great twist. Brilliant direction, cinematography, screenplay, and acting.

A


This short and sweet paragraph sums up my thoughts quite nicely.

In every Shyamalan film, there are some aspects that I find superbly executed, even if the movie as a whole doesn't quite work (score, acting, cinematography, etc.). For me, this is the only one that's firing on all cylinders -- every aspect is orchestrated beautifully.

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Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:33 pm
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Post Re: Unbreakable
MNS best film. Doesnt look like he can come close to this good again.

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Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:33 pm
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Post Re:
Steve wrote:
makeshift wrote:
Shyamalan's best. Moody, dark, artistic, and cerebral with a fantastic plot and a great twist. Brilliant direction, cinematography, screenplay, and acting.

A


This short and sweet paragraph sums up my thoughts quite nicely.

In every Shyamalan film, there are some aspects that I find superbly executed, even if the movie as a whole doesn't quite work (score, acting, cinematography, etc.). For me, this is the only one that's firing on all cylinders -- every aspect is orchestrated beautifully.


Yeah, I "wrote" that over two years ago. Ever since The Happening, I've been seriously questioning my allegiance to Shyamalan. I need to re-watch all of his movies.


Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:22 pm
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Post Re: Re:
makeshift wrote:
Steve wrote:
makeshift wrote:
Shyamalan's best. Moody, dark, artistic, and cerebral with a fantastic plot and a great twist. Brilliant direction, cinematography, screenplay, and acting.

A


This short and sweet paragraph sums up my thoughts quite nicely.

In every Shyamalan film, there are some aspects that I find superbly executed, even if the movie as a whole doesn't quite work (score, acting, cinematography, etc.). For me, this is the only one that's firing on all cylinders -- every aspect is orchestrated beautifully.


Yeah, I "wrote" that over two years ago. Ever since The Happening, I've been seriously questioning my allegiance to Shyamalan. I need to re-watch all of his movies.



Ditto

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Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:27 pm
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Post Re: Re:
Dr. Lecter wrote:
makeshift wrote:
Yeah, I "wrote" that over two years ago. Ever since The Happening, I've been seriously questioning my allegiance to Shyamalan. I need to re-watch all of his movies.



Ditto

No, Signs, Sixth Sense, and this are still just as great. He just jumped on his ego crazy train after the box office and his perceived "power" to push any story he felt like onto audiences, instead working to create something that was valuable, interesting, and not retarded.


Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:20 pm
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Post Re: Re:
MG Casey wrote:
Dr. Lecter wrote:
makeshift wrote:
Yeah, I "wrote" that over two years ago. Ever since The Happening, I've been seriously questioning my allegiance to Shyamalan. I need to re-watch all of his movies.



Ditto

No, Signs, Sixth Sense, and this are still just as great. He just jumped on his ego crazy train after the box office and his perceived "power" to push any story he felt like onto audiences, instead working to create something that was valuable, interesting, and not retarded.


I think the height of Shyamalan's "crazy ego train" actually produced his most interesting work - Lady in the Water.

But again, I desperately need to re-watch them all.


Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:24 pm
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Post Re: Unbreakable
makeshift wrote:
Ever since The Happening, I've been seriously questioning my allegiance to Shyamalan. I need to re-watch all of his movies.


Is that fair?

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Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:00 am
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Post Re: Unbreakable
Worse than 'Signs': 2/10.


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Post Re: Unbreakable
I found it largely dull and laborious. I suppose there's some atmospheric work that builds the mood and tension, but that only really works if it is released effective. I quite like the twist on paper, but I found myself surprisingly frustrated that it just ended. In fact i would have been far more content if those couple of lines written at the end never existed, if Willis just walked out and we didn't know what happened. But they're building Jackson as a villian towards the end, which was pretty predictable, and then... nothing. He's crazy and gets arrested, the end. It just felt so anticlimactic for a movie that was constantly burning for a way to release its slow, meticulous build up. I guess I just really don't see whatever trixster does in Shamalyn, I found his work here to be rather awkward. Some showy camera work and tension build up but the plodding pace and extremely uncomfortable conversations between characters just aren't great directing or writing to me.

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Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:31 pm
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Post Re: Unbreakable
Unbreakable is a film that is totally made by its twist at the end. I thought it was much more effective than that of The Sixth Sense, and overall I liked this film better. Never did I once suspect Jackson to be behind it all. It was slow moving, and it didn't have the really creepy imagery that The Sixth Sense did, but overall, I thought the twist just really worked goddamn well. I do wish Bruce Willis wasn't in both of them, because with both movies being set around Philly, it often ends up looking like a Sixth Sense sequel of sorts.

A-


Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:25 am
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Post Re: Unbreakable
Just rewatched this, holds up very well. Some of the acting kind of feels off but for the most part it's a very interesting film that comes together in a big way with that ending. I have to say that text at the very end felt kinda tacky though.

Excited for Glass!


Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:40 am
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Post Re: Unbreakable
Re-watched this and Split tonight in preparation for Glass and while I ended up liking the movie more I see now why I could never get through it when I was younger. It's a really slow film with solid performances from Willis and Jackson, but they are so low key and honestly not the most interesting or engaging characters IMO.

I think Shyamalan brought his A game in terms of the direction though because its a very well made movie and that score by James Newton Howard is pretty fantastic and very memorable.

B-


Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:19 am
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