I finally saw The Village. I’d heard terrible things about it, but both the wife and I liked it, AND I knew the spoiler. I know that a lot of people really hated this movie (even though it did very well). Ebert thought it was one of the worst movies of the year.
However, the wife and I disagreed strongly on Signs, which I liked.
Anyway, I’d say I’m a fan of
Sixth Sense
Signs
The Village
And I didn’t like Unbreakable at all.
I guess those are his big 4. It seems as if he wrote and directed a movie called “Wide Awake” about a teacher with a good fastball. Throw it in if you want.
I’ve only seen two, and those are Sixth Sense (whose ending I predicted very early on, but that didn’t really make it unenjoyable,) and Unbreakable, which I loved.
A lot of people seem to hate Unbreakable, and say it was too boring, or went too slow, and other similar comments. I think that they heard ‘bruce Willis and Samual L Jackson’ and thought it would be another Die Hard 3.
Personally, I thought it had good characetrs (especially Sammy L’s,) and was a “realistic” superhero movie. I mean, think about it…if some wacko told you that you were a superhero just because you survived a train wreck, would you beleive him? Would you go put on some spandax and call yourself ‘The Felchinator’? No, of course not. You’d go on your merry way, but would still have that little bit of wonder…
Anyways, I pretty much refuse to see Signs, because I can’t for the life of me think for one second that crop circles are “real,” even in a movie where I am expected to suspend my disbelief.
I liked Sixth Sense, his breakthrough film. It was well-handled, with a twist that wasn’t trivial or obvious, like a good episode of the old Twilight Zone. I like movies with clever twists, and not merely for the cheap pyrotechnics of momentary surprise. A well-done movie of this sort forces you to re-examine your instincts and prejudices.
I’ve hated everything he’s done since, especially Signs. The stories are often well-told, but there are things in the film that seem pointless or silly or illogical, and the twist, when it comes, is itself trite, and in no way makes up for those defects. It feels like a con job.
I purposely didn’t see The Village because of this.
I recently watched “The Village,” too, and must say I was pleasantly surprised. I honestly wasn’t expecting much, because of all the bad things that have been said about it. I thought it was really good. I also loved “The Sixth Sense,” but wasn’t impressed with “Signs” or “Unbreakable.” “Signs” is my least favorite.
Same here, same here, and same here! (Er, part about the spoiler, not the wife.)
Though I’ve had minor issues with each post-Sixth Sense entry, I love them all. With the exception of maybe Alejandro Amenabar, no one’s making more intelligent creepers than this guy.
Think part of the reason for the backlash against Shyamalan has been his tendency to promise the traditional horror lover juvenile thrills, which soon morph into a denouement that abandons the shrieks and hits on a more “mature” level. So some people come away feeling cheated. Sixth Sense was the most effective of the bunch because it rocked on every level- as drama, mystery, and of course full-on spookfest.
I enjoyed “The Sixth Sense” because I wasn’t expecting a movie with a surprise ending; I just thought it was another ghost story, and so was happily surprised when the ending came.
I loved “Unbreakable” not because of the then-expected surprise ending, but for the journey that led us to it. I thought it was a great portrayal of what would happen to a “real” super-hero. The ending I could leave or take.
“The Village” and “Signs,” however, just flat out were terrible. I don’t think there was anything worthy in “Signs” (I think it would have been brave and original of Shyamalan to have:
… had Gibson go through all of his troubles with Tribbles and discover that he still had no faith, and that it was the right decision.Alas, that didn’t happen.)
The one thing I didn’t expect in “The Village,” but which redeemed it somewhat for me was when: the mentally disabled guy stabbed that Phoenix kid. The rest of the movie was predictable, but that scene was great because it was surprising.
I agree. Shyamalan’s talent (and possibly also the trap he’s fallen into) is placing characters into “B-Movie” situations (Ghosts, Aliens with an obvious weakness invade, Superheroes, fairy tales), but treating it deadly serious, and developing the character’s reactions to the situations much more than usual sci-fi and horror stuff does. This could annoy both those who just wanted a fun piece of spooky fluff, and those who look down their noses at aliens and monsters.
I’ve enjoyed all his major films so far. I love him as a director, but I think he could use some help on plotting (he’s too fond of the twist ending, we’re all looking for it coming, and are thus more easily disappointed when it comes). And for God’s sake, man, stop casting yourself in your movies! Walk-ons are fine, a single line, maybe, but more than that is just distracting. Tarantino resisted writing himself into Kill Bill, you can go without too. Alternately, learn to act. Geeze, the corn was more emotive than you in Signs.
I’ve liked all of his movies, although to varying degress. Part of my lurve for Sixth Sense was because at the time it came out, I had been managing a video store for years and every movie with a spoiler had been spoilered for me long before I got to see it. 7even, Crying Game, Usual Suspects - all of 'em. With Sixth Sense, I didn’t even know there WAS a twist, much less what it was.
*Unbreakable *was pretty good. There were some pretty specific reasons I wasn’t as thrilled with it, having to do with character motivations, but I don’t remember what they are now.
After that, he didn’t DO twists. So I have a whole lot of “Grrrrrr” for people who say his later two movies’ twists “sucked.” There weren’t twists! There were plot reveals, sure. There were unexpected things, sure. But there was no attempt at a “twist” in the Sixth Sense sense, which is a reveal that completely and utterly changes the whole meaning and context of the movie, including every previous scene of dialogue and action involving the main character!
Poor guy. One freaking fantastic movie, and the moviegoing public and critics decide for him what his “signature” is going to be, and then lambast him for not living up to it.
So, ranked in order, here’s my M. Night Shamaranking:
I’ve not seen The Village, but I enjoyed The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. I thought Signs was a big cheap pile-o-crap though. The schmaltzy contrived death of the wife, aliens allergic to water, the stupid plot device with the baby monitor, and the whole timing of the invasion didn’t make any senseIt all felt like someone just wasn’t trying very hard at all. Plus, the former road warrior playing some strongly religious guy, how believable is that?
My favorite by far is Unbreakable–the only one of his films that I’d willingly sit through again (though I’d characterize only The Village as out-and-out Bad).
He’s an extremely gifted film maker, possibly the best to come out in the last ten years. The problem is… he’s not such a great storyteller. Face it, sixth sense would’ve been a pretty pedestrian movie, were it not for the twist. His later outings have been enjoyable films, but not stories.
I really like the way he can build up tension, with very small means. The way he lights a scene, the way he let characters actually talk in more than staccato snippets, the way there’s time for reflection. He’s very good with rythm, picking angles, editing. It’s all almost flawless.
Now, if he’d just give up the notion that he has stories to tell and team up with a good screenwriter, we might get some movies that are not only enjoyable on a technical level, but on an artistic level too.
I hated Signs, though I’d be willing to see it again. I have a feeling that part of the problem was that it couldn’t possibly have lived up to my expectations when I saw it originally.
It took me a long time to see this, but I liked the idea of a “realistic” superhero, not to mentiion the modern “supervillian” motif.
The Village.
Well Made and solid, but didn’t really grab my attention like the above two.
Signs
There were so many things I disliked about this film I’ll not try to choke the hamsters repeating it all. And it’s really sad because it had a lot of potential.
Sixth Sense. IMHO, one of the best horror movies anybody ever made.
Signs. Really creepy and fun to watch.
The Village. Unfortunately, some movie review website posted the spoiler in the first sentence. Still enjoyed it, even though I went into the theater knowing the spoiler.
4.Unbreakable. Absolutely did not like this movie. I can’t place my finger on why; it just didn’t give me anything.
By the way, what’s the “twist” in Signs? It seems pretty straightforward to me.
An ex-priest lives on a farm with his brother (who, btw, is about 25 years younger than him; WTF?).
Crop circles appear. Everyone is incredulous.
We learn that the priest left the priesthood, losing his faith when his wife dies in a car accident.
We learn that the priest’s son has asthma.
We learn that the brother was a talentless minor-league baseball player back in The Day.
It seems obvious that aliens are going to invade.
Aliens invade.
The family waits it out in the basement.
8a. A couple of near misses.
8b. The boy has an asthma attack.
Just when we think we’re in the clear, an alien shows up.
Brother uses his baseball skill to kill the alien.
The father saves the son’s life.
The priest regains his faith because God spares the boy’s life.
I don’t think there was a twist, but just that he hung all these seemingly pointless threads out there and then they all coincidentally were needed for survival at the end, like “God works in mysterious ways” if that’s your bag.
The details are foggy, but Beyond the baseball bat, there was something about what his wife said, and there was the thing with the little girl and the water.
What I didn’t like about Unbreakable was this. . .
Sam Jack was convinced that since he was so fragile, there must be someone out there who was unbreakable.
WHAT? WHY? Since when? What’s the logic?
And, so, he found him but then what? He was just happy he found him?
That movie seemed to me to just be an exercise in creating a twist then shoehorning a plot into it.
Although, it’s hard to criticize Unbreakable for that and then say that I like Signs.
I thought The Village and Sixth Sense both had more of a “built from the ground up” feel instead of a top-down feel.
Sixth Sense was best of all, because I thought it stood on its own as a creepy movie, and one that went somewhere without the twist. All the rest just exist to serve the twist, kind of.
I’ve liked all his movies, but each one less than the previous. The Village was… well, it wasn’t easy to like. I’m feeling very hesitant about his next movie, what ever it turns out to be.
I agree, though, that Signs and The Village did not have twist endings.
