The Sixth Sense (DVD)

Advantages: Fantastically shocking, great plot
Disadvantages: slow moving

...and particularly Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense is a cinematic masterpiece. The film begins with Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Willis) being shot by a patient (Donnie Wahlberg) he 'failed', after a night out with his wife. A year and a half later, now no longer speaking to his wife, he meets a new patient, a seemingly normal but intelligent boy named Cole Sear (Osment), who particularly reminds him of his former patient. However, Cole has an unusual gift ...
...throughout, it is not until the end you realize quite what all the fuss is about. Up until then, the film is alright, but would only deserve to be labelled average. It takes a genius to be able to turn around a whole film and change the audience's perspective at last gasp, but director Shyamalan somehow manages it here. After watching the film for the first time last week, it soon became obvious as to why Bruce Willis took a pay cut to make this ... Read review

Advantages: see op
Disadvantages: see op

...While most of us have the five main senses, young boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) possesses an extra sixth enabling him to view ghosts. These ghosts walk around like regular people, unaware of the fact that they are dead. Child psychologist, Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) arrives, determined to help Cole, after he failed to cure a young patient with a similar condition years before. With help from Crowe, we discover the reasons why the ghosts need ...
...involving the bonds and relationships made between characters, such as Cole and Crowe, and Cole and his mother, played by Toni Collette, who features as Muriel in ‘Muriel’s Wedding’. There is a great twist to the story towards the end of the film, which of course I shall not explain, as this may ruin the story for people who have not yet viewed the film, although, the film would still be great. After watching the film once, there ... Read review

Advantages: acting, twist
Disadvantages: none

If you haven't already seen the film go away now..... Right we've got rid of them, so when did you guess the plot twist? Was it the meal with his wife, the scene in the hospital or not until the very end? Or were you like me and guessed it when he got shot at the beginning after every review you had read said there was a big twist and in the trailer the kid keeps saying he sees dead people. It is to the credit of the film that this doesn't effect ...
...The main problem for films 'with a twist' is that it’s hard to keep the twist a secret, especially with the Internet where it is easy to find storylines of films within hours of its release. This didn't happen with the sixth sense, meaning the takings actually increased after the first weekend of release. This brings you to the other main problem for films with a twist in that the film loses some of its impact after the first viewing, for example ... Read review

Advantages: The famous twist, superb acting from Wills and Osment, strong sense of moral in the story
Disadvantages: Would have been nice to have seen 'the gift' used a bit more

...to expect when I bought The Sixth Sense on DVD. Having been told by so many people how great it was, but having never seen it in the cinema, I hopped along to my local MVC knowing that I could take it back should I dislike it. Needless to say, The Sixth Sense has firmly stayed with me ever since I got it home and eagerly unwrapped it and stuck it into the player. All I had really heard was that it was a film about ghosts. The 15 Certificate immediately ...
...involved in it somewhere along the line. The acting in this film is superb. Willis truly shows that he has more in him than 'Die Hard'. He plays the part of Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a celebrated child psychologist. The movie begins and we understand how Dr. Crowe failed to help one particular boy overcome his disorder - with tragic consequences. Shortly after, Crowe meets Cole (stunningly performed by Haley Joel Osment - Possibly the only child actor ... Read review

Advantages: Twist in the plot, has great moments, good acting.
Disadvantages: Can confuse you.

The Sixth Sense is about eight year old Cole Sear (Osment). Cole sees dead people. He meets with Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a renowned child psychologist. Crowe (Willis) tries to help Cole while helping himself. It is the number one grossing thriller of all time. With grosses nearing $300 million, the DVD release was going to be an “event.” I'd experienced this movie in the theater and liked the movie. With the DVD, I was hoping that I'd be getting ...
...is very good. There were the supplements that I expected, too. There isn't a commentary track by director M. Night Shyamalan, my only real disappointment. Night does show up in most of the short features in the special features. The transfer of The Sixth Sense Miramax has delivered is very good. It's an anamorphic transfer to boot! There is very little artifacting noticeable and very little graininess or pixelation. The flesh tones were good, acceptable ... Read review

Advantages: Meaningful, thought-provoking & very emotive
Disadvantages: It is very hard to translate fantasy into reality

...a lot more sinister. We believe him, but of course for the doctor it is not so easy, because, like most of us, he does not have this sixth sense. The sixth sense is something many have suggested may really exist. In this film, rather than starting out by saying the child has an amazing gift that becomes hard to manage, we begin in a more realistic sense - that this child feels cursed by his ability to see the dead - or the ability of the dead to be seen by him. It is traumatic & causes him deep psychological problems, but he must first convince his doctor that the psychological problems are not what are causing him to see the dead. As the doctor learns to understand the boy, he finds ways to help him cope. The 'curse' could be used positively - hence becoming a gift, albeit an unwanted gift. The thing that the boy really wants though, is to... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great thriller
Disadvantages: To many coincidences

.... * Direction For me, Shyamalan has got a relatively unique style of film making, reminiscent to Hitchcock in the way that he builds up suspense, but then he adds in subtle clues which makes it more like a game of cluedo. "The Sixth Sense" is definitely one of his best films, even though it has it's flaws, it is very clever and keeps you entertained for its entire duration. My only criticism of Shyamalan, is that maybe he has expected the viewer to accept to many coincidences, but this is a small criticism and in reality the film works very well without attempting to explain how all these coincidences occur. DVD - Bonus Features and quality **************************************** * Bonus Features As has become the norm with Shyamalan's movies, you get a whole plethora of bonus features on the DVD. The most beneficial of these features... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Great acting, and twists in the plot!
Disadvantages: Miss so much if you only watch it one!

...Sixth Sense, 1999, Rating 15, Running Time 107 mins. When I first heard about this film I was ensure if I was going to enjoy it or not as I am not a horror film fan, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not some kind of scary horror film and in fact it touched on several different genres Horror, thriller and drama. The Story The story starts with Child physiologist Dr Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) on the evening he has been given an award by the mayor for all his hard work and dedication over the years. As he celebrates with his wife (Olivia Williams) an intruder brakes in to the house; however this intruder is no stranger it is one of Crowe's child patients Vincent (Donnie Walberg) now grown up. He is unhappy with the help that Crowe gave him as a child and says that he did not help at all and kills... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful