Unbreakable starts as the Eastrail Train #177 from New York to Philadelphia derails with the loss of 131 lives, the only survivor is security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) who has walked away from the crash without a single scratch on him. Shortly after the crash he receives a letter from Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) the owner of an an art gallery specialising in comic books & related artwork, Elijah suffers from a rare disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta which means he has very brittle bones which are easily broken. Elijah tells David that he feels there are people on the opposite side of the scale to him, people with very strong bones & great strength & him walking away from that train crash is proof that he is one of them. Elijah tries to convince David that he is a real life comic book superhero & that his unique powers should be used for good...

Written, co-produced & directed by M. Night Shyamalan Unbreakable was his follow up to the huge commercial success that was The Sixth Sense (1999) & both films have much in common, both are set in Philedelphia, both star Bruce Willis who again has a strong involvement with a young boy (no, not in that way...) & both have a genuinely effective & unexpected twist ending. I'll start straight away by saying that I think both The Sixth Sense & Unbreakable are really good films which I like & I find it hard to call one better than the other, if I'm honest I'd probably say The Sixth Sense is slightly better but it's a close run thing. The script which takes itself very seriously has an intriguing & fascinating premise, forget your overblown superhero flicks like Batman (1988), X-Men (2000), Spider-Man (2002) & Fantastic Four (2005) as this is very low key & tries to portray an ordinary man suddenly discovering that he has superhuman powers. Again though it's low key as he can't shoot lasers from his eyes or fly, in fact the whole film is very quiet & very ordinary which was obviously a deliberate thing on the filmmakers part. It's all here with his weakness, his arch enemy & using his powers for good but in a very subtle sort of way that I just liked. The dialogue is very sparse & not much is said, the character's are good & there are lots of little things they do or say that you may not pick up on the first time you watch it but suddenly fall into place as the story progresses. My only real problem is that it's a bit slow & the ending while having a nice twist feels unfinished & rushed.

Director Shyamalan does alright although the film is a bit dreary to watch as all the colours are muted, it's as if the film takes place in a world where there isn't a sun & it's overcast all the time. There are no big action scenes or anything like that so don't expect any as the film relies on strong storytelling & an interesting premise. At least Unbreakable is something just that bit different & for that alone it's worth a watch. I wouldn't say it's ever scary like The Sixth Sense but it has a certain atmosphere to it.

With a supposed budget of about $75,000,000 one has to ask where all the money went although the reported $20,000,000 Willis was paid accounts for a fair chunk of it. It's well made but not particularly stylish or memorable, I don't know it's just a bit drab looking if I'm honest although I'm sure that was intentional. The acting is pretty good although why does everyone whisper so often? I personally like Willis as an actor & Samuel L. Jackson so I don't have a problem with the cast except for the kid who is annoying but isn't in it enough to totally spoil it. According to the IMDb the usually terrible Julianne Moore was offered the part of Willis' wife & I'm throughly glad she turned it down/didn't get it.

Unbreakable is a strange & different sort of fantasy film, it's not for everyone that's for sure but I have to say I really liked it a lot & recommend it. Shyamalan went on to make the alien invasion flick Signs (2002) next with Mel Gibson which I also really liked.

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson)'s birth was a difficult one. He was born on 1961 in a Philadelphia department store with broken arms and legs. He is constantly getting hurt and loath to go outside. His mother bribes him with comic books. He would become an avid comic book collector and study. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is riding the train when it derails. He is the sole survivor without a scratch. He has a wife Audrey (Robin Wright) and a boy.

Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan is playing around with the traditional structure. He has extended the first act beyond any normal reason. Most of the movie is the first act of a 3 act story. It spends most of the movie in a ponderous slow moving introduction that finally reveals the truth. While the reveal is interesting and unforeseen, it isn't the Sixth Sense and lack the satisfaction.

This is a superhero movie that Shyamalan has drained most of the action and excitement from. It's deliberate and that creates a certain tone. There's a creepy tone that permeates throughout. The movie starts with a massive train wreck. It's an easy action scene but Shyamalan doesn't use it for a reason. He wants the slow creep. It's an unique movie but not necessarily a compelling movie.

For me, The Sixth Sense is M Night Shyamalan's best film, but Unbreakable comes very, very close. Maybe it is not a movie for everybody, due to some parts dragging and rambling on just a tad, but it is a thoughtful, moving and compelling film.

It is a very well made film with beautiful, brooding cinematography and striking scenery. Unbreakable also features my personal favourite James Newton Howard score for any of his collaborations with Shyamalan, it is so gorgeous and subtle. Even with the odd draggy moment, Unbreakable does have a very enthralling story that resonated with me a lot. Like The Sixth Sense, it deals with the supernatural genre but takes it to a thought-provoking and surreal level.

The pace is measured, and for the most part it works. The script is thoughtfully written as well, the characters are interesting(I don't think Willis has had a more involving character than the one he has here) and Shyamalan's confidence and assurance further adds to the many impressive things about Unbreakable. Bruce Willis and Samuel L.Jackson are both fantastic, and one wonders why they didn't do more together.

Some have been dismissive of the ending, I actually thought it was fine, though I was underwhelmed by it on my first viewing a few years back. I did say before that The Sixth Sense's ending was the only one of a Shyamalan film that worked, after re-watching Unbreakable I take that back. I still think though the others were either needlessly melodramatic(Signs), laughable(The Village) or both(The Happening). All in all, a great film and one of Shyamalan's better ones. 9/10 Bethany Cox