Interesteg What makes it different from others?

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Screen_Blitz What M. Night Shyalaman proved when he directed 'The Sixth Sense','Unbreakable', and 'Signs' is that he is the filmmaker with potential. For a while, it seems like Shyalaman was another promising filmmaker in the Hollywood roster. This makes it more disconcerting to see him descending so low with this plodding supernatural thriller. This fantasy spectacle following the story that echoes the works of classic fairy tales falls short of the magic that made Shyalaman's aforementioned hits. Worse, the director also manages to appear in front of the camera as a supporting character, a role that suggests he may not have as bright of a future in front of the camera as he does behind. If there are any redeeming values to be handed in its 110-minute runtime, they are all pretty much diminished by the Shyalaman's failure to bring is mythical world to life and establish it with a coherent story. The film, set in the director's hometown in Philadelphia like the rest of his entries, follows Cleveland Heep (played by Paul Giamatti), an apartment building superintendent who is alarmed by strange noises going on in the swimming pool. Splashing around in the pool is a mysterious red-head woman known as a "narf" named Story (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) who has emerged from a magical world known as "The Blue World". She reveals to be a character from a storybook. As she and Cleveland develop a platonic relationship of some sort, she is soon haunted by mysterious creatures who threaten to keep her returning home to her world. It is up to Cleveland and his apartment friends Dr. Dury (played by Jeffrey Wright), Vick (played by M. Night Shyalaman himself), Ann (played by Sarita Choudhury), and other nameless residents to protect her and get her home.M. Night Shyalaman has proved capable of generating palpable suspense when showcasing the tension of each moment. This film, however, does virtually nothing to show it, though you should definitely give him some points for imagination. Shyalaman establishes world in which reality and fantasy clash, with something push the imagination. But it is difficult to grow engaged in this fantastical world when the director fails to make things convincing. It is all just a series of botched attempts at providing solid thrills while moments of suspense that are even remotely effective run scarce. And when you are dealing with the story that is so incoherent it easy to find yourself lost more than once, it only adds insult to injury. Arguably the best attempt at scares is the scene where Cleveland is approached by a ferocious wolf-like creature. Sadly, that sequence only half works. There is one interesting element involving romantic tension between Cleveland and Story, even that feels dull. Their chemistry certainly doesn't sizzle. As for Paul Giamatti, he does a fair job in the role of the lead character, generating a little humor with his occasional stuttering. Bryce Dallas Howard is fine, but nothing that will leave a lasting impression. On the other hand, M. Night Shyalaman, who makes an appearance as an egotistical writer is a little wooden in his role. It is probably in his best interest if he is just sticks with directing, although he has made a few cameos in the past. Lady in The Water is a dull fantasy spectacle that fall shallow of the flair that M. Night Shyalaman's upheld in his previous efforts. It comes to show that even the most promising directors hit the low points. Although the film isn't exactly a deploring disaster, it most certainly shows the worst of the director.

swilliky M. Night Shyamalan went for a meta approach to his fantasy film. The movie strives to deliver twists from the previous film but it fails on several accounts and ends up being rather dull. Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) is the handyman around an apartment complex fixing broken sinks and killing pests. He has a tragic past that he doesn't like to tell the residents about. When a woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) appears in the pool, she tells Cleveland extraordinary things that lead to a fantastical adventure.Hunting the lady in the water is the Scrunt, a grass-covered wolf. There are lots of rules and mythology brought into the movie but none of it comes to very much and the characters are almost as confused as I was watching it. The movie takes its time to introduce each resident living in the apartment complex including crossword puzzle solver Mr. Dury (Jeffrey Wright), movie critic Harry Farber (Bob Balaban), and the young college student Young-Soon Choi (Cindy Cheung) whose mother knows of a fairy tale and serves as an expositional tool.Check out more of this review and others at swilliky.com

juliemouser-95380 I have always loved this movie---and all M Night movies---because I like that they are suspenseful, but not gory and bloody. Our 2 ten year olds and thirteen year old watched this for family movie night---and they were on the edge of their seats loving it. It made them think and guess at what was happening, without being overly violent. They were really intrigued about the idea of it being a bedtime story and were very interested to find out if it was a real story or not.I feel like all of his movies have such a great message just below the sruface---and this one was about faith, healing, and love. It reminded me of Signs at the end--it has a hopeful feel to it.

generationofswine I can honestly say that I've never seen a movie like this.And I mean that in a good way. Shyamalan has never made a movie that was really like any other movie. Because of this he gets a lot of flack from the critics and the people as a whole.It's a shame, he started making movies when Hollywood stopped making movies. He's not afraid to make something new, to add a twist that is unique, to not make a re-make and because of that...people hate him."Adorable" I think would be the word for Lady in the Water. I felt like a little kid when I was watching it. Like a bed time story for adults.At first it seems sort of strange, the characters, the weird people you would meet in a apartment complex that only Hollywood could create...but it quickly spirals into a deeper story, one that is certainly for adults but still maintains a beautiful innocence.You soon find out that the auxiliary characters are anything but....and in a middle finger to the critics, Shyamalan places himself in a role that is sure to grab their ire.As I've said many times before, I value new, I value original and Lady in the Water is nothing I have ever seen before, a brilliant example of why I love Mr. Shyamalan's work.