Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis; Samuel L. Jackson
Unbreakable attempts to apply a mature spin to comic books by introducing a modern day superhero named David Dunn a full four years before Batman began. David Dunn’s bones are discovered to be, well, unbreakable after he survives a hideous train crash off-camera. He is intercepted by his karmic opposite, a man whose bones break far too easily due to having a rare medical condition, who prompts him to consider becoming a real life crime fighter. David refuses to believe in destiny; all he wants is to return to his normal life to rebuild his failing marriage by quietly and vaguely spouting expository dialogue to his wife.
This film is not very good for exactly one reason: Bruce Willis does not crawl out of a hideous train wreck unscathed as expected. Rather, it skips that whole interesting part and goes straight to the waiting room of the hospital where he takes a lone walk to embrace his child in a droll robotic way. This crucial event permanently sets the tone of a movie where every other scene is void of any energy or heart, and overflowing with contempt. Sets are drab and everyone looks tired; dialogue between characters is plodding and quiet and stilted and lacking in agency. Yes people, you’re in a movie. Why not look alive a little?
Excitement is lacking in a film where excitement should be everywhere. Take the most iconic scene of the movie for example: Bruce Willis is in the basement with his son and a weight bench; they discover together that he can keep adding more and more weight to the bar and he can still heft it like it’s nothing. A discovery like that should be thrilling, should bring them closer together. But all of the energy is subdued for some reason; the son hangs out in the closet because he’s afraid but I don’t know what he’s supposed to be afraid of. It’s quietly revealed that Bruce can lift over 300 pounds. Probably more. But the son admires his father. What??
Something worse: Bruce Willis doesn’t make use of this newfangled superhero power! He actually has another one where he senses the crimes people have done simply by touching them. I guess he’s unbreakable in the sense that he probably won’t get killed whilst dispensing some vigilante justice, but ultimately with a film that touts its character as being Unbreakable you want to see him save the day by lifting a stadium like Magneto. How about a swell of excitement as he punches people in the skulls in a bout of self-destructive behavior? How about he joins a sideshow and goes on little adventures around the country being a Strong Man? What is this movie about, anyway? … Other than boring people in boring scenes? Man, Samuel L. Jackson looks so bored trying to convince bored Bruce Willis to do whatever. Everyone looks bored, actually. I’m bored! You’re bored. This whole review is bored! Even the twist is bored! I can’t stand it!
Unbreakable is a film that takes an awesome idea and sweeps it under the rug. It evokes feelings of boredom and contempt in its audience by presenting a muddled message as some vague call to action. It’s quiet, it’s dull, and its confused about what it should be: thriller, drama, crime, or other? I guess I just don’t get it, like, it’s supposed to be deeper or something. Some commentary about heroes and villains being binary and opposite forces. Uh, are there people out there that don’t know that? Ugh, whatever. Skip it.
ThomFiles 