Lady In The Water

Wanted to plop a thread out on this one to see if anyone has seen it, what they think of it, how and where this movie went wrong, and even talk about how this movie will affect Shyamalan's future movies.

I've been a general fan of Shyamalan's movies. So far, everyone he has made I have enjoyed. I liked Sixth Sense when I saw it, but Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village are favorites of mine that I like to watch often. But I remember when I saw the first trailer for Lady in the Water... I kinda was embrassed to say I like Shyamalan movies after seeing that. I just knew that this movie would be butchered before it got out the door, and second its far-fetched nature/plot makes me kind of shun it.

I'm gonna go see it. At least in the dollar theater, and possibly even a full price. But I'm expecting to be let-down. Any other thoughts?

Oh and for reference... It has 21% on Rotten Tomatoes

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Lol.

I'm not about to debate or defend everything that the guy does. In fact, I really don't care that much for Shyamalan. He seems kinda egotistical and kinda self-important. I think that his "one-trick-pony" was actually the most boring movie he has made. It hit at a time when little kids were still creepy, and it did a good job of surprising the general populace. Ever since then, its like everyone expects his movies to have a twist. And the "twist" parts of his movies post-SixthSense, is not really the point of 'em, heck, its not really even there. (Unbreakable & Signs especially)

I like the underlying themes in his movies. Unbreakable is about following and changing your destiny. Signs is about holding onto faith. The Village is about love conquering fear. These are the "point" of his films, and therefore why I like them. That and the cinematography. He just gets great shots with great peak moments (like the end of Signs, the "hand grab" in Village, etc.).

But Lady in the Water? Lady in the Water? From a "fairyland" or something? In someones backyard pool? Seriously, you cant be serious. I mean, thats nearly as bad as something like the "wardrobe" in Narnia (though the fantasy world more than makes up for it). This seems to stretch over the limits of believability.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Eleo

The twist of "you're actually dead" wasn't and isn't new, and I don't think it was supposed to be. The thing about a twist is just that - it's a twist. It doesn't matter what it is so much as how/if you pull it off.

I also thought Unbreakable was an intriguing movie, even if it had some dumb stuff in it. If there's one thing I really like about these films is the overall atmosphere and pacing.

I haven't seen Signs or The Village or Lady in the Water, but let's stop with the haterism

The Village is an aquired taste, but its good if you arent looking to be scared or surprised. If you watch it as a drama, its good. So watch it if you want.

Signs is great though. I mean Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix are steller. Make sure to check this one out.

And you are right. Alot of the appeal of his movies is the atmosphere that comes with them.

@avanent
It's good to hear that the movie was pretty good from a real person . Now I'm a little more excited about going.

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Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I don't know why people never like his movies anymore. I absolutely loved The Village. (I STILL don't get why people didn't like it) I thought the filmography was fucking excellent.

Quoted for absolute truth. The Village is my favorite as well. Some people say I'm kinda obsessive about it. But most people watch it and just don't get it. And I've kinda given up trying to convert people to it *sigh*. But you are right, the acting is amazing, the camera work is soooo great. And the violin... oh the violin tears at my soul. Great work by James Newton Howard.

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And Signs I found to be whole-heartedly acceptable, since theres no better time to question where your faith lies when something so drastic and mind-fucking as aliens landing on your planet would be. ^_^

Sarcasm noted. The faith struggle part has more to do with his wife dying than the aliens. You can tell the whole story is about Mel's faith in God waning after his wife died because the movie flashes back to her dying at the climax of alien encounter. Aliens weren't the point. Mel's lost faith in God's care was.

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As far as Lady in the Water, I want to see it. I wanted to go tonight, but nooooo. Let's go see JACK SPARROW again.

I am unsure of the plotline for Lady in the Water, but I hear it's a bedtime story Shamylan (sp) tells his kids. I have a feeling it's a "don't believe everything you see" kind of story. I could be wrong, but I would bet money that the albino chick is the bad guy in this. I am only speculating, though~

I'd be laughing if you were right. We'd need to add spoiler tags :doh:

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Ahhh... sorry. I read sarcasm in your statement when I guess it wasn't there. I agree that it was clever and it worked very well.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Vampiro

The end obviously. That's the only thing to take issue with, really. But it can be a huge problem, depending on how you view the movie. But for most, you get sucked into these peoples' lives and time, only to find out right at the end that you were duped. In that sense, the audience feels what the villagers would feel... and that's not such a good thing...

It's funny that you mention that. I came in to that movie NOT thinking that it was a period piece. The whole time I was thinking they were like amish or something. So there was no "twist" for me, and the movie was better for it.

I really think that what hurts Shyamalan's flicks is people's expectations. They come in thinking "thriller, twisty turny movie that will surprise me", and they dont get what they are looking for because thats not his films. And then it's "Shyamalan teh sux0rz". When that expectation is taken away, then people can actually WATCH the movie and let it be the drama movie that it is.

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Excellent... Lets hope the good reviews keep flowing.

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