 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Unbreakable
- Review Date: May 10, 2003
- PG-13
- Genre: Fantasy
- 2000
Common Sense Media says
Interesting premise, but ultimately disappointing.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie has a lot of violence. Although most of it is offscreen, its themes -- including sexual assault, murder of the parents of two children, and genocide -- may be especially disturbing. A child uses a gun. There's a brief vulgar reference and an implication of date rape.
What's the story?
UNBREAKABLE stars Bruce Willis as David Dunn, a security guard who seems disconnected from his own life, unable to remember very much about his past and unwilling to connect to his wife and child. When he is the only survivor of a train crash, walking away without a single injury, bruise, or scratch, he is contacted by Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a comic art dealer who has a congenital bone disease. Price has bones that break easily; Dunn has bones that never break. Price believes there must be a connection, and that he must help Dunn find his destiny. Themes of good and evil, hero and enemy, strength and vulnerability, thesis and antithesis, and destiny and choice appear throughout the movie. Several times, characters see something upside down at first, and then have to turn it around to see it clearly. Price helps Dunn realize that he is more than a security guard. He is a protector. When Dunn begins to use his gifts, he begins to lose the sadness that has always engulfed him. When he tells his wife he had a nightmare, he is not referring to the murderer he has just battled but to a past in which he was able to sense tragedy around him but was not aware that he had the ability to protect people from it.
Is it any good?
The big surprise ending of Unbreakable is what a disappointment it is. The writer/director of The Sixth Sense begins with many of the same elements -- Bruce Willis, a Philadelphia setting, a strained marriage, a child who is grappling with some big issues, elements of the supernatural, and a twist at the end. Once again, he creates a haunting and portentous mood with subdued performances, somber hues, and fluid camera movements. But unlike The Sixth Sense. in which a surprise at the end kicked the entire movie into a higher gear (and inspired audiences to go see it again to help them unravel it), this one has an ending that inspired hoots and boos at the screening I attended. In particular, the "what happens after the movie ends" description that appears onscreen just before the credits is the worst I have ever seen.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how we find our "place in the world," and the importance of recognizing our special gifts so that we can make the best use of them. If members of the family enjoy comic books, they may want to talk about the tradition of pictoral story-telling, the themes of hero and arch-villain and what makes them so enduring. We often think of good guys and bad guys as opposites, but we should also think about what they have in common.
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AGE
CSM Gave this movie 2 stars?!
This movie is just incredible. Not at all your average superhero movie. This a realistic take on what would happen if there really were people with special abilities, and it focuses on one man who has them. Great premise, and the ending was spectacular. I totally did not see the ending coming. Two thumbs way up. It does have some disturbing violent content, which is why I think it is appropriate for kids 14 and older. Mature 13 year olds should do fine, though. Mature viewers will get much more enjoyment out of this movie, because there is a LOT to think about.
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AGE
CSM Gave this movie 2 stars?!
This movie is just incredible. Not at all your average superhero movie. This a realistic take on what would happen if there really were people with special abilities, and it focuses on one man who has them. Great premise, and the ending was spectacular. I totally did not see the ending coming. Two thumbs way up. It does have some disturbing violent content, which is why I think it is appropriate for kids 14 and older. Mature 13 year olds should do fine, though. Mature viewers will get much more enjoyment out of this movie, because there is a LOT to think about.
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Adult
July 27, 2009
AGE
Brilliant Thriller!
This is one of teh best thrillers to date and it holds one of the best endings/twists ever. It blew me away!
What other families should know:
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Kid, 12 years old
September 10, 2009
AGE
good for teens.
This movie scared the pants off of me.It is a maybe for 13 and 14 and okay for 15 and up.
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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
"Ultimately disappointing"?
Yes, "Unbreakable" was not as good as "The Sixth Sense", but it was still an incredible film that deserves to be watched. Don't listen to CSM, the twist was good, but more subtle than in "The Sixth Sense", which in some ways, made it more impactful to the movie. The Content in the movie really wasn't a problem-- it was more of the themes and dark feel of the movie. OK, i didn't think "The Sixth Sense" or "The Ring" were strange or weird, so you can tell that "unbreakable" probably is when I say that I thought it was a little different, but not really that weird. (But still really good)
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Teen, 14 years old
March 1, 2010
AGE
This Was Our "Sign"
Did anyone else notice that this film was the one that marked Shyamalan's end in the way of any sort of credibility? First, it was this, an odd film that was something of a disappointment. Then, he unleashed "Lady in the Water" on us; we couldn't tell if that was disappointing or what (in fact, I still have no idea why that movie exists). And then, as his final goodbye wave, came the atrocious "The Happening". He should have stopped at "Signs".
This film is one which depends on its final five minutes for you to make your opinion of it. The beginning is intriguing. There's much ambiguous exposition, and you are left to piece together an interesting if not remarkably enthralling puzzle. The rest of the film basically hinges on a plot twist that comes in the third act, and meanders almost painfully. It takes a sharp left turn and turns into a superhero movie before devolving into downright absurd. That plot twist that should have been so important is ultimately squandered by the time we get there (oh, by the way...it sucks).
The film plays with all sorts of comic-book folklore and startlingly unsubtle symbolism, but, to be frank, none of it's very interesting. We get it. Bruce Willis is "Unbreakable", he's the hero. And there's Samuel L. Jackson, who's really fragile. They're counterparts. But Shyamalan seems to hammer this across, and it's just not enough to hold up for two hours. A disappointing misfire.
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Disturbing hostage scene
This movie had great depth in showing the good/bad choices we make, how we use our talents and how things were 'meant to be'. However, I found the misuse of Christ's name offensive and was very disturbed by the scene which showed a family that was kept hostage and killed/abused by their captor. Also, I was never really quite sure about the purpose behind including a scene where the main character decides to slip off his wedding band near the beginning of the film. As a mentor for a confirmation class (13-14 year-olds) at our church, I was surprized this movie was recommended in Focus on the Family's "Movie nights". This movie should be reserved for older teens only.
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Adult
August 14, 2010
AGE
Another M Night hit
As an M Night fan, I did enjoy this. Bruce Willis did an amazing job as a simple, but actually larger-than-life character. I loved the usual M Night twist at the end. I was disturbed with some of the scenes, including where a man has apparently killed the parents of two children who save Bruce Willis.
What other families should know:
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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
A good picture but not as good as the Sixth Sense but still good
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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Too predicatable
I totally saw the ending coming. Not that entertaining, really.
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| Studio: | Touchstone Pictures |
| Director: | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Cast: | Bruce Willis, Robin Wright Penn, Samuel L. Jackson |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Run time: | 106 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 22, 2000 |
| DVD release date: | June 26, 2001 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | mature thematic elements including some disturbing violent content, and for a crude sexual reference |
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