The breakable Elijah Price.

Every childs fantasy is to be their favorite comic book superhero. When Superman debuted on the silver screen we really did believe a man could fly and then Batman gaves us a Gotham City much less campy that it's television predecessor. What if some average Joe were a superhero and didn't know it?

It seems David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is leading a normal life, simple job and a disjoint family, until a train crash leaves him as the sole survivor, an unscathed survivor amongst a disastrous wreck. Whilst coincidence can dictate such fate, which is what David takes onboard, it is not until he receives a note from an anonymous person that he soon starts to question the course of his life and ponder just when was the last time he was ever sick or injured. Never.

In searching for the man with the knowledge of his ability, David comes across Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) a comic book freak who it seems is on the opposite ends of the spectrum, a man whos bones crumble like chalk. Elijah has been looking for a real life comic book hero and believes he has found him in David Dunn but convincing him is a different story and that is where the story really begins.

M. Night Shyamalans' first effort after his hugely succesful Sixth Sense doesn't reach that wow factor come the time of the twist. Even the buildup seems a little long in the tooth so as a stand-alone movie it doesn't fair too well. BUT, given the knowledge that this is the first movie in a possible three part trilogy, it serves as an excellent introduction for what is to come.

Dunn and son. The dynamic duo?

There is many a DVD out there that has an exceptional transfer but nothing could have prepared this reviewer for what he was about to experience. The image here is truly of a calibre not yet seen on DVD. A bold statement indeed but the key feature here is that it has upgradeability in a sense that as you increase your viewing screen size, or even go to something like a projector, the image on this DVD seems to look better and better. The main drawcard is the intense detail afforded on the DVD, the excellent sharpness, the rich color, the deep blacks, beautiful hues and a compression that looks anything but.

On the audio side we can't expect much other than some directionality from some of the opening scenes to subtlety in the surrounds througout the rest of the movie. Dialogue was fine, if a little soft at times given Willis' tendancy to whisper. Extras wise would be anything else you picked up at the counter when borrowing this 'rental' version and as such bereft of any real content to even consider commenting on.