Unbreakable (2000)

David Dunn is an unassuming security guard whose marriage is on the rocks. Whilst returning to Philadelphia from a job interview in New York his train is involved in a horrific accident from which he is the only survivor. Waking up in hospital both he and the doctors are surprised that he didn't suffer from any injuries, not even a scratch.

After attending the memorial service for the crash victims he is approached by Elijah Price, a strange brittle-boned enthusiast of comic books who suggests that he is in fact a comic book superhero. Naturally he dismisses Elijah as a wacko but when challenged to check his past for any illnesses he realises that he has never suffered from even a cold.

David is continually encouraged by Elijah to explore his inner self and accept his theory that superheroes, and villains, really exist do and that he is indeed a superhero that possesses extraordinary powers. All he needs to do is discover what his powers are, what his weakness is and finally, who the enemy is.

The picture, although deliberately dark and gloomy, is still rather disappointing. Although the bit-rate is above average throughout the film the brighter scenes suffered from some outlining whilst the darker scenes were at times quite grainy. This really takes the shine off the film as M. Night Shyamalan really showed his enthusiasm for the DVD format with his comments on the Sixth Sense DVD. Perhaps he didn't have as much input with this title.

Both a Dolby Digital and DTS soundtrack are provided on the disc. However, there is very little to tell the two apart as they both handle the surround channels and dialogue well, although the channel separation does sound better on the DTS version. There's a reasonable amount of activity in the surround channels, with the sound of falling rain being the most impressive. Both formats come across well with the dialogue being clearly audible in the centre channel. After hearing the train crash in "The Fugitive" as was expecting something special from the film, unfortunately they took the cheap way out and just went straight to the after effects.

With the space required to accommodate the two sound formats the extras spill onto a second disc, and what a good set of extras they are to. The highlight of the disc must be the Multi-angle Film/Storyboard Sequence in the train station which can be viewed with the full audio mix, the haunting score or effects only. There's also a good Deleted Scenes section presented by M. Night Shyamalan who again shows his enthusiasm for the format, although I would have still preferred a branching version of the film so I could make up my own mind whether the scenes should have been deleted.

The gatefold paper sleeve beautifully designed with the two discs neatly packed away, although I do hate these paper boxes as they'll soon be falling apart after a few viewings. I don't know why "special edition" equates to "paper box". Never-the-less it is still impressive and adds to the overall value of the package.

The packaging also includes a "signed" postcard illustration by Alex Ross. I'm not sure why these mass produced items are added to these packages as they are only likely to become collectors items if all the boxes, apart from one, have a built in self destruction mechanism.

I was wondering just how Shyamalan was going to surpass "The Sixth Sense" and waited with baited breath for the wicked plot twist. Unfortunately, I had my wits about me this time and realised the twist a long time before the end of the film (unlike Sixth Sense) but never-the-less I enjoyed right up to its conclusion. If you saw the film at the cinema it would probably be hard to purchase the disc knowing the result. Mind you, you could say this about any film you see at the cinema but I still bought The Sixth Sense on DVD.