"All right, be scientific, douchebag. Identify the... rules... design the experiment... careful observation, measurements, that's what I'm trying to do, interpret the experimental pattern....."
Alright, so I wanted to actually go and see this in the theaters, but the chance never presented itself to me (Meaning that I couldn't afford it, and I couldn't find a ride to go and see it. lolz.), but there were tons of reviews saying that they thought the movie was utter shit, and that Shyamalan needs to quit making movies because he doesn't know what he's doing. Doesn't know what he's doing? Did anyone SEE "The Village?" Did anyone SEE "The Sixth Sense?" Those're both movies that were great, and they both did respectably if you ask me. This movie has to be one of Shyamalan's best. It was one of the few movies that I've seen lately that has actually kind of spooked me a little. Yes, that's right, I was kind of creeped out by this movie. I wouldn't say SCARED, per se, but I was a little freaked. I mean, this movie DOES make you stop and think, "Now, this could possibly happen, you know? It seems real." Well, that's the vibe I got, even though SOME of the things were a bit off, I mean, I personally don't know WHAT...... never mind, that'll ruin this for you. That's what's going to be hard about writing this review. If I say TOO much, then the movie's main plot line is completely ruined, but then on the flip side, if I don't say ENOUGH, then it won't sound as good as it really is. So you'll definitely have to bare with me on this review, but know that when I say, VIS was right, he was right. This movie was an excellent one.
The director of this movie is, of course, M. Night Shyamalan (I can finally spell his damn name right now. lolz. Added it to my spell check thingy.) Despite what everyone else says, I think that M. Night Shyamalan is a great director, and deserves a lot more credit for what he comes up with. A lot of my favorite movies are actually from Shyamalan, and most are spooky movies, with hidden messages (Which is a fact later pointed out to me by Slysnide, so thank you Slysnide!!!!!), anyway, this one has a message, but I wouldn't say it had his usual twisted, "I didn't see THAT ONE coming," ending, which for some was kind of a reprieve from the norm, and that is alright, although personally, I missed that twisted, "I didn't see THAT ONE coming," ending. So what I'm TRYING to say, is that Shyamalan's vision for this movie was incredible, and I'm glad Dad bought THIS movie without renting it first, a prospect I was sort of iffy about, even if I'm a Shyamalan fan. Shyamalan is also the writer of the story, which is usually the case with most of his movies, and he definitely does a great job with it, delivering us an interesting, and even original storyline (But I'll get to that soon enough.). So I guess the point of THIS paragraph, is to inform you NOT to listen to the negative reviews because this is DEFINITELY a movie worth watching, and it is DEFINITELY a movie that'll make you stop and think, and kind of even creep you out. Those are some of my favorite kinds of movies, too. So if the directing of this movie is what worried you, or steered you away from seeing it, fear no more because Shyamalan delivers us a great movie.
Now, visuals aren't something huge for this movie since it's going for a realistic, and nothing out of the ordinary, except for the event, type of deal, but the way everything is set up, it seems as if you're watching a News program, or a History Channel Documentary from a person's point of view, as a disaster, that no once can define, is ocuring. It's a cool effect, and one that I really liked. Another thing that they did, that was also really cool, is the way they made the plants and trees and things feel ominous when the wind blew. It was an interesting effect, that I really enjoyed seeing. It was cool to see them look all nervous when a strange sound ocurred, or something like that, and then BAM! Cut to rippling grass, and the ominous, and fast forwarding clouds. A visual that I've always found to be fascinating, and at the same time vastly strange and creepy. You know what I mean? Anyway, there's also a lot of bloodshed in this movie, though not in the most normal way, and for what they're trying to create, the amount of blood used is the PERFECT amount. Not too much, but also not so little that you're like, "Did he get a scrape, or what?" They did a good job of making the bloodshed realistic, and I respect that! Definitely good with the visuals on this one, it added vastly to the creepy feeling of the movie, and made me, and will most likely make YOU, think about what's happening in the movie.
The storyline of this movie is one that I definitely find to be really, and incredibly, original. As well as, like I've stated quite a bit already in the review, very creepy, and one that makes you really think about things. I can't give too much away about the movie, though, like I also said, since if I tell you TOO much, then I ruin it, but then if I tell you TOO LITTLE, then it doesn't sound as good as it really is. Let me try to sum it up for you at least. It seems a normal time for everyone on the east coast of the United States. It's normal in Central Park as people meander, doing their daily routines, or just enjoying a nice day in the sun, when suddenly something goes amiss. People seem to freeze in place, then suddenly speaking in nonsense sentences, walking backwards, and then suddenly, and quite alarmingly, they kill themselves. At first everyone believes that this is a terrorist attack, with a toxin that triggers certain things in the human anatomy to react in such a manner. A suicide gas, you might say. This is where we meet the main character, a High School Science Teacher, who seems to know more than enough to keep those around him alive, even if it doesn't usually work. His wife is not as good as him, however, and has many difficulties. It chronicles their adventures through this event, or this..... Happening. The storyline starts up right from the start of the movie, and you definitely are absorbed into the utter creepiness, and weirdness of the movie. Creeped out, but at the same time unable to pull away. It really is a great, and original, and creepy story, that I recommend anyone watch.
As you all most likely know, Mark Wahlberg stars in this movie as the lead character, Elliot Moore. Elliot Moore is a High School Science teacher, seeming to be at the top of things in his life, and not really worried about anything at the moment. When we begin, he is teaching his class, and has brought up an interesting article in a local paper (Or was it a magazine? I can't remember, but it doesn't matter, lolz). This article is covering the fact that Bees are disappearing the world over. No bodies left, they're just disappearing. However, his class seems indifferent, and he seems to be one of those fun teachers, that tries to get everyone interested in his subject (Believe me, I know the type, owning to the fact that I have a few teachers that are like that, lolz.). That's when he's pulled out of his class, with all of the other teachers, and they are informed that there is a possible terrorist attack happening, and they are to evacuate the students, and send them home. What he finds strange, is that the terrorists decided to attack Central Park. At any rate, he heads home and meets his wife, Alma, where they get ready, and prepare to leave New York, as has been instructed to them. They head out, with his friend Julian, and his daughter Jess, and get a train ticket. There are some issues between Alma and Elliot, though, and Julian guesses them. However, when they arrive in a small, unknown town, and are told that the train is not going any further, since they have lost all contact, they begin to think that terrorism has absolutely nothing to do with this, but rather, it may be a natural event, caused by the very environment, and that proves to be even more of a problem, since there is no way to avoid nature. Then his friend Julian, who even taught with him at school leaves, and they never see him again, Elliot must watch over his daughter Jess. All of this is eating away at Elliot, and it drives him further into trying to survive the event. Mark Wahlberg, whom I DEFINITELY know, but have never seen in any other film before, does an excellent job at playing this character, who is one of those nervous all the time, people pleasing kind of guys, who can all at the last minute take charge and lead people to safety. He brings all of these qualities out in the character, as well as his worries, emotions, and fright at his situations, and does it all well, making his character one that is both believable and convincing, as well as one you can feel for, and even relate to (His relationship issues, that is.). He was definitely a great casting choice for this movie, as well as this role.
Starring in this movie, as Elliot Moore's wife, Alma Moore, is an actress, that believe it or not, I actually know from somewhere (By this, I mean that she's not that big of an actress), and her name is Zooey Deschanel. Alma Moore is a woman who doesn't like to show her emotions in public, or at all for that matter, as she points out in the movie. She has done something that has betrayed the trust of her husband, Elliot, and it's eating away at her. She had dessert with a man from work named Joey, and it became sort of a date, and she's felt terrible about it, but hasn't been able to work up the courage to tell Elliot about it, and come clean, even as Joey constantly calls. No matter what she tells him, Joey keeps calling, but these calls are soon cut off when the shit hits the fan, as I'd call this event. When everything starts to go wrong she watches television, and learns that the terrorists have created a weapon that can cause a person to kill themselves, and released it in the eastern part of The United States of America. She is so aghast at this prospect, that prospect being the fact that someone could create something so evil, that she can barely speak. However, she gets a call from Elliot, and packs her bags, and they head onto a train, where she finds out that Julian, a friend of HERS as well, knows about the fight she had with Elliot, and she is not too happy about it. When they stop in the small town and get off the train for good, she becomes even more worried. That's when Julian decides to leave, and they're left with his Daughter. She becomes a sort of mother to Jess, as all the events take place, and pick off people one by one. They begin to worry that they might not survive, and they also have a feeling that they're never going to see Julian again. This is when Alma decides to come clean about Joey to Elliot, who has taken charge of the group. He doesn't take it well, and she begins to feel even worse, but as the events occur, she realizes more and more that she loves Elliot, and only Elliot. Now, you're probably wondering where I know Zooey Deschanel from, and I'll answer that. She played D.G. (Dorothy Gale is what it stands for I believe) in the six hour Sci-Fi special called "Tinman." She did a great job in that, and I recommend it. Zooey Deschanel does an awesome job in this movie as well, playing a woman who is being eaten alive by an act of infidelity and adultery, as well as one thrust into a situation that she cannot comprehend. She brings out these emotions in her character very well, as well as bringing out the character's worries, love, emotion, and fright, and making it one convincing and believable character, as well as a character that you can feel for, or even relate to. She was definitely another great casting choice for this movie.
Starring in this movie as the little girl, Julian's daughter, Jess, is an actress who we can DEFINITELY expect great things from, and that is Ashlyn Sanchez (Who also starred in an episode of my all time favorite show, "Charmed," in an episode called "Chris-Crossed."). Jess is a little girl, about ten years old maybe, and she doesn't really do well without her mother, and when she is introduced into the story, she is only with her father, Julian, boarding a train, so that they can escape the city, which she has been told, is being attacked by terrorists using a strange and evil gas that causes suicide. She really is scared, and wishes for her mother. Her father, however, constantly tells her that they will be seeing her mother VERY soon, and she is content for quite a while. She is good friends, along with her father, Julian, with Elliot Moore and his wife Alma Moore, and so their presence is somewhat comforting to her. However, when the train is stopped in a small town, and they cannot go any further, she begins to be worried, but her father constantly promises she shall see her mother. That's when everyone in the town decides to abandon it, to get away from the gas, or whatever is causing this disaster. Her father decides to go with a separate car and couple to Princeton (Another town), so that he can get his wife, and her mother, and bring her back safely, but there is only room for one, so she is left in the care of Elliot and Alma. However, Jess soon realizes that she'll never see her parents again, and no matter how sad she is she pulls through, and she loves "Aunt" Alma and "Uncle" Elliot, and listens to them as they try to find a way to survive this Holocaustal event. Ashlyn Sanchez may be a very young actress, but she definitely does great in this movie. She plays a little girl, who misses her Mommy and Daddy, and just wants to be with them, and not be scared anymore, very well. She brings out these things in her character, along with her feelings of worry, love, and fear, and she portrays all of this into her character nearly perfectly, and makes this a character that you can definitely feel for, and even relate to, as well as making her a character that is both incredibly convincing, AND incredibly BELIEVABLE. It's always an awesome thing when you see a young actress pop out of somewhere, and one that can play her part perfectly, even if she is very young, and Ashlyn Sanchez is one of these kids. She was definitely YET ANOTHER great casting choice for this movie.
All in all, if you couldn't figure it out, this was an awesome movie, and everyone who disagreed is completely and utterly wrong. The directing of this movie was done by one of my favorite directors, as well as a director that definitely knows what it is that he is doing, and delivers us a powerhouse movie, that is incredibly spooky, creepy, and awesome all at the same time (Even if spooky and creepy mean the same thing!!!!! LOLZ!!!!!). The director of this movie, M. Night Shyamalan, is, as I've stated, also the Writer of the movie, and in this position he does wonderfully, delivering us an incredibly and creepy/spooky, as well as completely ORIGINAL, story, that we can all love. He definitely knows what he's doing in both respects. The visuals in this movie did a great job, and made the movie seem incredibly spooky/creepy, as well as keeping the reality of the movie, by making a realistic blood amount, and other things, as well as making nature's atmosphere just seem completely spooky/creepy. The story is one, as I've said many, many times, that is completely original, as well as really spooky/creepy, and it really grabs your attention right from the start, and holds you there, keeping you thinking, as well as on edge. Definitely a good story. All of this is added to by the wonderful acting, done by actors and actresses, young and old, who know exactly what they're doing, and how to do it, delivering us roles that are completely and utterly convincing, as well as completely and utterly believable. They're also roles that you can feel for, and even relate to (Depending on which character, and what kind of emotional and dramatic event that they are going through), which is always something that makes a great character, and if you've got great characters, then you've got a great movie, like this one. So you should DEFINITELY rent and see this movie the moment that you get the opportunity. This is definitely one of my new favorite M. Night Shyamalan movies of all time, as well as one of my new favorite edge-of-your-seat thriller movies of all time, and I can't wait until I can get my own copy of it!!!!!
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your welcome lol