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.

M. Night Shyamalan's follow-up to THE SIXTH SENSE is a remarkable one; remarkable in the sense that it's very nearly as good as the film that made Shyamalan's name famous, and that it proves that he wasn't just a one-hit wonder. UNBREAKABLE offers up the same kind of intense spooky atmosphere as his first film, and yet isn't a horror movie at all. Instead, it's a gripping thriller that draws you into the lives of a diverse bunch of characters and doesn't let you go until the very end.

Every element is just right in UNBREAKABLE, from the superb acting to the music. The deliberately slow pacing of the movie may be off-putting to some (and, I admit, I did find some moments in the middle hard going) but works in creating realism and building up tension. There is little in the way of action in the film, but when it happens, it's extremely suspenseful and absolutely riveting (two set pieces, one involving some subway steps and the other a janitor with a dark secret, are phenomenal, and the latter actually had me moved and in tears at the cinema). Criticism has also been levelled at this film's "silliness" in places, in that it concerns a man who may be a superhero and the comic-book link is always strong. This just isn't so, as these elements help to make the movie fantastic in both senses of the word. It's probably the best comic book film I've seen as, unlike over-the-top others, the subtlety of the film and the fact that its set in the real world - unlike Tim Burton's fare - give it an extra involving edge. Forget Batman and his rubber suit; this is the real thing.

Bruce Willis is, once again, a revelation, and a mile away from the two-dimensional wisecracking characters he was playing ten years ago. His moving, subtle performance really draws us into his character, creating a real man with real emotions and experiences whom we care about very much. Acting honours also go to Samuel L. Jackson, who plays perhaps the oddest character of his career, an sufferer of a brittle bone disease which sees him walking with a stick or in a wheelchair for the entire film. Jackson's presence is an intense and commanding one. The supporting cast is also great, from Robin Wright Penn as the haggard, tired wife to Spencer Treat Clark as Willis' son, who, while not being as endearing as Haley Joel Osment, is still pretty good.

Of course, with it being a Shyamalan film, there has to be a twist ending. At first I considered the ending here to be trite in nature, but it's grown on me since I watched it last night and I now think it was a very good one after all. It may not match the jaw-dropping final moments of THE SIXTH SENSE but it provides a fitting conclusion to the film. With masterful direction, and intelligent, literate script, oodles of tension and fine acting, UNBREAKABLE is definitely one of THE films of 2000. Addendum: I recently reappraised this movie and found myself enjoying it even MORE than the first viewing. The twist ending now seems to be so obvious yet so brilliant. Congrats to all involved with the making of this masterpiece.

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