Good Times

These reviews are cracking me up.

What I love most about M. Night Shyamalan is his knack for creating real, likeable characters, and creating mood. This movie wasn't his greatest---we all know that---but it's still a great one. I loved the story line and the way he threw normal, everyday people into a unique situation, very much the way Stephen King does. One of the reviews described this as a hastily written Stephen King story, and I must say that's an accurate statement. I don't know why it got such bad reviews. I think it was a very good story, in it's element. (Yes, some of the camera angles were awkward, and the names were weird, being from another language, but that didn't ruin the story.) My only personal qualm was that I was actually expecting a scary story, and it started out like it would be---(someone's swimming in the pool at night, who could it be?)---and it gave just enough jump scares to make me think I was in for a good thriller, but then it really went more for fantasy. This was my fault of course, for not knowing enough about the movie. Warning: If you come expecting something scary, you will be disappointed. Be prepared instead for a deep, realistic fantasy---a bedtime story come alive. In all, it was a good movie. Yes it has its flaws, as do many of Shyamalan's others, but I will remain a fan, and continue to watch them, because his skills override them by a long shot. There's something very distinct about his movies, something that you would recognize immediately. He doesn't go for big, or flamboyant. Watching his movies is very much like reading a book---quiet, immersive---it draws you in and tells you a story.