Throwback Thursday - Unbreakable (2000)
Hey guys, Chuck here. This week for Throwback Thursday, I decided to take a look at the 2000 film Unbreakable. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this movie is an example of advertising misrepresenting the final product of a film. Touchstone, whose then sister studio Hollywood Pictures (both were subsidiaries of Disney, but Hollywood Pictures is now defunct) released Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, advertised Unbreakable as a psychological thriller, when the film was actually a superhero thriller. Yes, this movie takes a more realistic approach to the existence of superheroes in our world. So, let's take a look at my personal favorite of Shyamalan's films: Unbreakable.
The movie opens with the birth of Elijah Price, who sadly is born with Type-1 Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a real-life condition that makes one's bones more prone to fractures and breaks. Elijah, who is nicknamed Mr. Glass, grows up fascinated by comic books and the idea that superheroes existed in our world, and the comics were a way to pass on their stories. Elijah also believes that there may be an individual who is on the opposite end of the spectrum from himself... someone who is "unbreakable."
It is here that we meet David Dunn, who is traveling by train, when the train he is on, Eastrail 177, tragically derails. Not only that, but everyone on the train tragically dies due to the accident... except for David, who doesn't have a scratch on him. Elijah, who hears of this miraculous ordeal, gets in touch with David and tells him about his theory. David's son, Joseph, becomes fascinated by the idea that his dad is a superhero.
David then spends a bit of time trying to disprove this theory, but quickly realized that, not only was an injury in college that ended his career in football non-existent, but he was never sick a day in his life. David also appears to have a form of precognition, as he can see visions of people and their actions by touching them. David finally accepts the notion of being a superhero, and uses his abilities for good. After experiencing a vision of a sadistic janitor in an orange jumpsuit, David realizes the janitor killed someone and has that person's family hostage. David goes to stop the janitor, and nearly drowns due to his aversion to water. David is rescued, however, and finishes off the janitor.
After his first action as a superhero, David goes to the Grand opening of Elijah's comic book art gallery. Elijah, who suffered a major fall earlier in the movie and is now in a wheelchair, is revealed through a vision to be the mastermind behind three tragedies, including the derailment of Eastrail 177. As David walks away, Elijah accepts his role as the supervillain, and takes the name Mr. Glass. The movie ends with a text that tells us that David provides the police with evidence of Elijah's actions, and Elijah is locked up.
Unbreakable is one of those movies that, while definitely unique and a must-see, won't appeal to everyone. I, myself, enjoyed the film for being a different take on the superhero genre. Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson were both terrific as David and Elijah, and I really enjoyed Spencer Treat Clark as Joseph. Robin Wright as David's wife Audrey was also great, and it's always great seeing Robin Wright, no matter what movie it is, whether it's Forrest Gump or Wonder Woman. Storyline wise, the movie is absolutely fascinating, and is definitely a unique one in the superhero genre. At a time when superhero films weren't taken seriously, this movie did so, and kept things very grounded in our world. Honestly, this is my favorite of Shyamalan's films, and I give it a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys next time. By the way, I do plan to review the other two movies in the Unbreakable trilogy: Split and Glass, but it'll most likely be sometime after Marvel May. So, keep an eye out for both of those reviews.
The movie opens with the birth of Elijah Price, who sadly is born with Type-1 Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a real-life condition that makes one's bones more prone to fractures and breaks. Elijah, who is nicknamed Mr. Glass, grows up fascinated by comic books and the idea that superheroes existed in our world, and the comics were a way to pass on their stories. Elijah also believes that there may be an individual who is on the opposite end of the spectrum from himself... someone who is "unbreakable."
It is here that we meet David Dunn, who is traveling by train, when the train he is on, Eastrail 177, tragically derails. Not only that, but everyone on the train tragically dies due to the accident... except for David, who doesn't have a scratch on him. Elijah, who hears of this miraculous ordeal, gets in touch with David and tells him about his theory. David's son, Joseph, becomes fascinated by the idea that his dad is a superhero.
David then spends a bit of time trying to disprove this theory, but quickly realized that, not only was an injury in college that ended his career in football non-existent, but he was never sick a day in his life. David also appears to have a form of precognition, as he can see visions of people and their actions by touching them. David finally accepts the notion of being a superhero, and uses his abilities for good. After experiencing a vision of a sadistic janitor in an orange jumpsuit, David realizes the janitor killed someone and has that person's family hostage. David goes to stop the janitor, and nearly drowns due to his aversion to water. David is rescued, however, and finishes off the janitor.
After his first action as a superhero, David goes to the Grand opening of Elijah's comic book art gallery. Elijah, who suffered a major fall earlier in the movie and is now in a wheelchair, is revealed through a vision to be the mastermind behind three tragedies, including the derailment of Eastrail 177. As David walks away, Elijah accepts his role as the supervillain, and takes the name Mr. Glass. The movie ends with a text that tells us that David provides the police with evidence of Elijah's actions, and Elijah is locked up.
Unbreakable is one of those movies that, while definitely unique and a must-see, won't appeal to everyone. I, myself, enjoyed the film for being a different take on the superhero genre. Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson were both terrific as David and Elijah, and I really enjoyed Spencer Treat Clark as Joseph. Robin Wright as David's wife Audrey was also great, and it's always great seeing Robin Wright, no matter what movie it is, whether it's Forrest Gump or Wonder Woman. Storyline wise, the movie is absolutely fascinating, and is definitely a unique one in the superhero genre. At a time when superhero films weren't taken seriously, this movie did so, and kept things very grounded in our world. Honestly, this is my favorite of Shyamalan's films, and I give it a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys next time. By the way, I do plan to review the other two movies in the Unbreakable trilogy: Split and Glass, but it'll most likely be sometime after Marvel May. So, keep an eye out for both of those reviews.
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