'Unbreakable' falls short 

By Alex Roman
Daily Forty Niner

Rarely can a movie sneak up on the public and have such a strong impact that people flock to see the director's next film without even knowing what it is about.

This is the case with M. Night Shyamalan's latest film "Unbreakable," his first film since the hugely successful sleeper-hit "The Sixth Sense."

With "The Sixth Sense," Shyamalan brought back good old-fashioned suspense. Relying on an unexpected ending, the film left viewers wondering on the way out if they had missed any signs that would have tipped them off.

In "Unbreakable," Shyamalan follows the adage "If it ain't broke ­ don't fix it." He teams up Bruce Willis with a child (again) and delivers a head-scratching ending (again).

Unfortunately, the story that leads up to it is not written as well as "Sixth Sense," and it is only the last five minutes of "Unbreakable" that saves it being a complete rip-off.

Willis stars as David Dunn, an everyday security guard who is the sole survivor of a devastating train wreck. Dunn emerges from the hospital stunned, into the arms of his adoring son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), and his apparently distant wife, Audrey (Robin Wright Penn).

Dunn receives a note from Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a fragile-boned comic book shop owner who tries to convince Dunn of his bizarre theory as to why he survived the train wreck unscathed.

Willis' character, on the outs with his wife while making an attempt to stay close to his son, is not very interesting. Likewise, Wright-Penn's character is not well written  ­ almost appearing as an afterthought in the thick of Shyamalan's plot. Jackson, however, turns in a solid performance as the intriguing Price.

Shyamalan's filmmaking seems to have solidified. The camera shots in "Unbreakable" also help keep the film from looking like a complete copy of his previous film. His techniques range from swooping circular shots to choppy vignettes providing background without wasting too much of the viewer's time.

As far as intelligent ideas go, Shyamalan's writing is equally impressive, but it is what happens in between the ingenious plot twists that are lacking.

Dunn and Price's relationship does not help carry this film along, nor does Dunn's relationships with his estranged wife and son. Price's relationship with his mother (Charlayne Woodard) provides the only truly interesting character interaction, but Woodard doesn't receive nearly enough screen time.

In all, the new film, while not as well written as "The Sixth Sense," still has its moments. Shyamalan's directing skills have improved and the intelligence with which he writes his script is inspiring. But this film falls short of expectations, leaving a product that is entertaining, but not nearly as amazing as it could be.

Touchstone Pictures