UNBREAKABLE
Rated PG-13 for some violence and language
Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn and Spenser Treat Clark

CineSight Rating ***

Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, a security guard at a Philadelphia university stadium. On his way home from a job interview in New York, his train crashes. Everyone involved in the accident is killed, except for Dunn. Somehow he walks away without even a scratch. His wife (Penn) and son (Clark) see this as a miraculous second chance to restore their crumbling family.

But it seems there is much more to the miracle. Out of the blue David is approached by Elijah Price (Jackson), an eccentric dealer in original comic book art. And Elijah has an outrageous theory for David's survival...

I know this synopsis sounds a little vague - not much more than the movie's trailer, but I don't want to spoil the fun of watching the plot unfold for yourself. All I'll say is that writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has taken a familiar movie theme and given it his own style and a fresh feel. Coming hard on the heels of Shyamalan's runaway success with THE SIXTH SENSE, it's all too easy to start comparing the two movies. After all, they do share the same location, the same star in a brooding and dramatic role and the similar dreary tone of the everyday-world. But to really enjoy UNBREAKABLE, it's better to put THE SIXTH SENSE aside and enjoy this new story on its own terms.

UNBREAKABLE is an enjoyable adventure, crafted with Shyamalan's usual attention to character, detailed story development and a sly sense of humor. It avoids the sensationalism of big action scenes in favor of a gritty, real-world personalization. While the premise of the movie is quite incredible, Shyamalan's ability to root it in this real world makes it believable. While UNBREAKABLE's answer stares us in the face from the very beginning, Shyamalan once again makes his audience work a little to piece together the clues and fragments scattered throughout the story. The performances are all quite solid, although Robin Wright Penn is somewhat underused. Willis gets to flex his acting muscles a little and you can tell Jackson had fun with his quirky Elijah role. Yes, the story does unfold slowly, at a very relaxed pace, but the combination of performances, details and style make it an absorbing experience. In my book, the sign of a good movie is that it gives you something to talk about after you leave the theater, and UNBREAKABLE did just that.

If you can avoid the comparisons and you don't mind using your brain a little, then UNBREAKABLE is a good yarn, and one that may continue. Willis has hinted that this is the first part of a trilogy which I, for one, hope the studio decides to complete. Just one warning - there are a couple of quite intense scenes which may be too much for children and 'those of a nervous disposition'.