Even with his most recent films...I just can't place M Night into the same realm that Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay exist for me. I guess in my mind, the guy just doesn't have enough credits to his name to really say he 'assaulted my senses' (I will never forget what Bruckheimer and Bay did to me with Armageddon and Pearl Harbor).
Almost none of M Night's films have ever really amazed me. Even when everyone was going nuts over '6th Sense,' I just thought it was an okay film. I remember only snippets of parts from 'Unbreakable,' and 'Signs' was marginally better.
The only M Night film I own is 'The Village.' I mainly bought it because it reminded me of an extended Twilight Zone episode. But I swear it could have been better as a stage play than as a film. Though thinking of the scene where Ivy stares straight into the camera with a blank stare, and seeing Zooey in 'Happening' do the same, I think we've found an M Night trademark.
The Village I think suffered from 'false advertising.' It seemed more like a period-drama, but they sold it like a horror film. Red marks on the door (could it be blood *woooooaahhh*), glimpses of growling creatures. My idea is that some thought this was gonna be a film where the creatures chase the villagers into the woods and kill them one-by-one.Standard 'paint by numbers.'
I was slightly mystified by the first teaser for Lady in the Water. But I just didn't seem to feel the need to see the film. The same feeling I had with The Happening-it caught my eye, but I just didn't feel it warranted $10.50 on a Friday night. Not even really a matinee.
Of course, 'M' is doing 'The Last Airbender' next. At this point, I think he's slowly reaching the point of 'unforgivable' in the Hollywood regions because he hasn't been producing Box-Office Gold. 'Airbender' seems to be his 'last chance.'
And, I leave you with these parting words- (whispering)'hot dogs.'