Unbreakable, written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, is a unique and very clever superhero movie. I didn't even realize it was a superhero movie until it was more than halfway over. The superhero, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) isn't just reluctant, he has no clue at all that he's not an ordinary man until Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) makes his acquaintance. It doesn't seem to occur to him that he's never been sick or injured until Elijah points it out. David has to ask his wife Audrey (Robin Wright) if she ever remembers him getting sick.
David is depressed and withdrawn, his marriage failing, and doesn't want to be bothered with this stranger, Elijah, trying to convince him that he has the ability to mentally pick criminals and dangerous people out of a crowd, even though he does so every day as a security guard. David's son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark) believes Elijah's theory and pressures David to test his superpowers. After Joseph helps him test his strength on the weight bench and lifts the barbell loaded with every weight in the house plus a few gallons of paint David begins to believe it might be true.
David takes Elijah's advice and goes to a crowded public place and finds that when people brush up against him he can psychically see misdeeds and evil acts that the people have performed. He follows one evil doer and makes a heroic rescue, ceasing his reign of terror on an innocent family, unfortunately too late to save the lives of the parents.
This superhero story is unique because the character who enlightens the superhero to his powers is a villain who only became a villain to draw out anyone possessing the characteristics of a superhero.
I like the Unbreakable David Dunn because he's an average working class guy who slowly and quietly awakens to his superpowers and once he masters them, remains the same low-key family man. His change of identity didn't change his priorities or his perspective at all, only making him happier by giving his life more meaning.
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