I Still Like M. NIght Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and Lady in the Water)

I wrote this review up months ago and forgot about it. I don't know if that means anything, but I guess you could read into it a little. Everyone thinks M. Night sucks now and have wrote him off (kinda like me forgetting this review.) The man has cranked out some hits and I'm about to revisit them.

The Sixth Sense
(1999) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A doctor starts seeing a child with a secret... he likes jam bands.

1999 was an insane year for movies. There were a tone of rad titles that dropped that year and among all of them, The Sixth Sense was one of my favorites. I think everyone has seen this film, but what I don't know is if everyone has rewatched it. It has a really different vibe once you've seen it and know what to expect. The performances, especially from Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette are great. The story has a Hitchcockian vibe but is still feels original and unfolds at a perfect pace... and there's even a few horror notes in there which work fantastically. Bravo M. Night... bravo!

Unbreakable
(2000) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A lone survivor of a cataclysmic train wreck learns there might be more to his escape than he thought after he meets a local comic book nerd.

I recall checking this film out in the theaters and loving every minute of it. I honestly couldn't remember a lot of it before this rewatch and was unsure if it would hold up. It's still pretty good, not great, but a lot of fun. I like the concept behind this film and it still feels extremely original and fresh 13 years later. Unbreakable is a unique twist on a super hero flick and one I think would have been cool to see a sequel for. I wasn't a huge fan of how quickly the ending unfolds, I think Shyamalan could have took it in a better direction, but ultimately this film is a winner in my book.

Signs
(2002) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: Are mysterious signs being formed out of corn crops a hoax or a message from aliens? Signs takes a deeper look into this phenomenon.

Signs was pretty thrilling when I first saw it, I remember my arm hairs standing up when they first showed that Alien crossing the street in Central America. After this sitting, it still holds up for the most part I suppose. The cast were great and pulled off the material given to them with ease, but the story seemed a little weak to me. The crop circles are a small part of a grand idea, but I think that idea could have been more localized and contained, instead of trying to make Signs into a full scale invasion movie. I also felt like the ending was extremely abrupt and crisis resolves itself in an really unsatisfying way. I still like the film, I just think M. Night could have produced something better.

Lady in the Water
(2006) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A modern day fairytale unfolds as the residences of a Philly apartment deal with a mysterious visitor from their swimming pool.

I think this was the film that really started the ball rolling on the M. Night hate express. I know a lot of people loathed it but I still think it's a good film and after my recent viewing I still stand firm on that. It definitely has its flaws but I really appreciate the idea Shyamalan had with it and the execution of that concept is unique. I think the framing device in the intro and the old Korean lady were quasi lazy attempts to move the story along and it seems like there could have been a better way to handle it. Regardless, the story is fun, the characters were interesting, and the setting was incredible.

After Earth

After Earth
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

M. Night has been getting a lot of hate recently, but I still like the dude. I haven't seen Airbender (I'm scared) but I have sat through every one of his other films and I like them all... except The Happening. When I saw the trailer for After Earth, I thought there was potential there, let's see if Mr. Shyamalan has got his groove back.

Synopsis: Humans left earth thousands of years ago and have settled else where in the galaxy. Will Smith and his son Jaden are traveling through space and crash land on earth, but it's not the same awesome planet any more... we should have listened to all the environmentalist hippys.

After telling my wife I went to see this today, she said "Oh, I would have told you but it has been getting terrible reviews." I looked online, she was right, it has shit reviews everywhere... and this is going to be another one.

I'm playing, it's not as awful as it sounds, but it isn't great either. I felt the storyline was insanely predictable and it heads right where you think it will, which is odd for a Shyamalan film. In the beginning of the film we get this quick, lazily voiced over narration to help give us the set up for why and how the humans have exited the planet.... I think that could have been handled more creatively. Will Smith's kid just isn't there yet. He is pretty bad at times and other times he is serviceable. The special effects were OK, but there were a few scenes where you could obviously tell they were acting in front of a green screen.

The idea behind the film is a boy stepping into manhood and overcoming his fears. I thought After Earth conveyed that idea fairly well without being too offensive to my movie senses. Again, this isn't a great film, but I also didn't feel it was a total waste either.

The Happening

The Happening
(2008) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan (IMDB)

I decided to throw this on last night when I saw it was available for free in movies on demand. I think M Night is okay and have enjoyed most of the films I've seen from him... until tonight.

The Happening is an outbreak flick starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel. People basically start losing their minds and killing themselves in Central Park one day. Immediately it's believed to be terrorist related and that there is some sort of airborne particle causing the madness... until it starts to spread. No one is sure what to do so they run for the country but it follows them.

God this movie is a piece of shit. It's so sloppy and unbelievable, especially the way everyone reacts to what's 'happening' (see how I threw that in there.) The acting is really awful across the board. I normally like Wahlberg, but he is brutal in this and I felt like everyone else was so dry and emotionless. The worst though, is the story. I could have crapped out this script in a few weeks. There's no real answer to what is going, just that it's nature and can't be explained. It could possibly be because man is evil, or the bees disappearing, or the trees are mad at us. Who knows, who cares. LAME.

Devil

Devil
(2010) [Trailer]
Director: John Erick Dowdle (IMDB)

M. Night Shyamalan (writer) is a man people love to hate. Seems recently every one of his movies are slammed hard by critics. It almost makes me want to like his movies just for spite. So did I take that direction with Devil? Read on and find out.

Devil is about five people who picked the wrong elevator to ride. The elevator resides in a building in which someone decided to jump to their death from. According to the story, when someone kills themselves, the Devil comes and kills more people...I think...I'm not sure...shit it's kinda confusing. Anyways, he comes and locks up the people in the elevator and starts to fuck them up. Now the twist is...who in the elevator is the devil? I won't spoil it for you. It's the little boy! Just kidding, there's no little boy in the movie.

I have mixed feelings on this movie, I guess my overall opinion is it's a decent flick. There's some good, not so good, and bad. The opening credits, the score, cinematography are all excellent. When the devil is finally exposed, it's definitely pretty creepy. On the other hand, some of the acting isn't the best but it's serviceable. The super religious guy is definitely a little too over the top. If he's so freaked out, why wouldn't he just peace out that place as soon as he saw the devil? There's this scene with him, involving dropping toast on the floor, it almost turns the movie into a comedy. In the end, I found it to be entertaining. Maybe if it's a option for you on a lazy Sunday afternoon give it a spin.