Unbreakable - Review
This review of Unbreakable is spoiler-free!
Back in the early 2000s, M. Night Shyamalan was considered one of the best directors in Hollywood. Often considered the next Spielberg, he had hit after hit during the 2000s and 90s, and this is arguably his best. Unbreakable features the stars Samuel L. Jackson, and a young Bruce Willis. The reality of Unbreakable is that it was a movie that set the tone for what would soon come. Sure as the decade came to pass this director fell into a slump many consider to be one of the worst any director has faced. Does anyone remember that Avatar movie? I hope that never happens again because I had nightmares. With Shyamalan's career back on the rise, let us return to when he was at his best and discuss the story of Unbreakable.
Unbreakable wasn't marketed as a superhero film in any matter, in fact, the trailer makes you believe you're going into a movie more focused on the life of the lone survivor of a train crash. While that still is the background premise of the film, it pales in comparison to what the movie is truly about. Bruce Willis' David Dunn has a broken life with his divorced wife and son. He works security guard in Philadelphia and his life is generally at a standstill. When Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), a man who has very fragile bone structure and has to worry about anything he does, approaches David about his health after the crash David is forced to confront a reality he could have never imagined. I know I say time after time that I love the stories of movies, but I absolutely LOVED Unbreakable's premise and story. The way that the film frames itself as barely a superhero film, but almost completely a superhero story is incredibly unique and helps to open it up to a larger audience.
Unbreakable is anchored by two absolute studs of film history in Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson and both of their characters are the central plot points for the film. Willis' David Dunn is one of my favorite characters in any film I have ever seen as he's a man who just wants to do the best he can. When he is posed with the possibility that maybe he can do more he initially refuses to believe its even a realistic thought like any normal person would. Eventually, he comes around to the idea that perhaps he is something more, and that opens him up to become more than he ever thought he could, but that also means uncovering the dark truth behind his abilities and this new world he finds himself in. Willis' performance is stellar and thinking back on this time period I don't know anyone else who I would have wanted for this role. Before becoming more of a man who worked as a mindless action star, Willis had a strong on-screen presence outside of his action.
Mr. Glass is a unique character all on his own that deserves as much analysis as David Dunn. Considering himself to be a man scarred by reality with this terrible illness, he becomes with the idea of comic books and what they could mean for the world. Mr. Glass is most definitely a mental character who is all about his mind and what he can do with it. He believes that being on one end of the spectrum (having weak bones) means that perhaps someone could be on the other end which leads to his curiosity about David's situation. Another actor who has passed the point where he was in the prime of his career, Jackson was stellar in this role. He portrays a man who may not seem like much at first but has such incredible depth that I think I need to watch the film again in order to fully understand him. Jackson really was just that excellent of an actor in this film and I can not think of two better leads for this movie than these two.
Finally, I really want to talk about the overall impact that Unbreakable has on superhero films as a whole. This is a film that I believe spawned the true superhero renaissance we see today, and it's funny because it's not even a real superhero film. Even more, I was reading more into the film, and I believe that this could be where superhero films end up going once viewers grow tired of the comic-book character style films. Stories that aren't necessarily focused on powers and tend to hide the idea that they are comic book films. They'll avoid naming the hero or the villain, and be more of a story of drama and not about saving the day. While I won't be upset by this, it does signal a possible future for the genre and I love that it has this kind of ability.
Unbreakable is more than just a unique film, it's a groundbreaking film for its time. At this time people weren't interested in superheroes on film screens, and Unbreakable managed to break this wall down in a way that others couldn't. The lasting impact this movie has makes it that much more valuable overall. If you're someone who is uninterested in comic book heroes in tights and saving the world, I think Unbreakable is the perfect film for you. All in all, though, this movie really has something for everyone to enjoy it, and coming in well under 2 hours makes it a quick watch as well. For those of you who want to check out the origins of the modern superhero story, or a possible glimpse into the far future of this genre, make sure you check out Unbreakable.
