The Village (Widescreen Vista Series) | 
| Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.99
Buy Used: $0.66
You Save: $14.33 (96%)
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Rating:  916 reviews
Sales Rank: 4551
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 03598300
UPC: 786936242867
EAN: 0786936242867
ASIN: B00064LJVE
Theatrical Release Date: July 30, 2004
Release Date: January 11, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A close knit community lives with the fear of the mysterious danger that lives in the woods around them. Their fear is so great that none dare venture beyond the borders. When one individual plans to step beyond the boundaries his bold move threatens to change their way of life. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 06/06/2006 Starring: Joaquin Phoenix Adrien Brody Run time: 108 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
Even when his trademark twist-ending formula wears worrisomely thin as it does in The Village, M. Night Shyamalan is a true showman who knows how to serve up a spookfest. He's derailed this time by a howler of a "surprise" lifted almost directly from "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim," an episode of The Twilight Zone starring Cliff Robertson that originally aired in 1961. Even if you're unfamiliar with that Rod Serling scenario, you'll have a good chance of guessing the surprise, which ranks well below The Sixth Sense and Signs on Shyamalan's shock-o-meter. That leaves you to appreciate Shyamalan's proven strengths, including a sharp eye for fear-laden compositions, a general sense of unease, delicate handling of fine actors (alas, most of them wasted here, save for Bryce Dallas Howard in a promising debut), and the cautious concealment of his ruse, which in this case involves a 19th-century village that maintains an anxious truce with dreadful creatures that live in the forbidden woods nearby. Will any of this take anyone by genuine surprise? That seems unlikely, since Emperor Shyamalan has clearly lost his clothes in The Village, but it's nice to have him around to scare us, even if he doesn't always succeed. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 911 more reviews...
 Ivy's strength & courage are remarkable..... April 24, 2009
George Copsey (St. Cloud, MN United States)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This movie is frakkin' *brilliant* on so many levels-- not the least of which are the Games the well meaning Village elders are playing (and conspire to continue to play) on their own children to continue to enjoy an idyllic, but ultimately unreal world of relative calm, peace & tranquility themselves. Who are the real monsters when the adults are willing to not just lie, but LIVE a lie, for their own ends?
Given the context of Ivy's belief system, her courage is truly remarkable- being willing to go into & through the woods, blind & on her own for her loved one is the real, unrecognized strength of this story.
The scene between Bryce Dallas Howard (as Ivy-- what an extraordinarily beautiful person she plays!) & Joaquin Phoenix (as Lucius) on the porch at night is why I watch movies-- pure poetry for the eye, ear, mind & heart-- and the comment, almost in an off hand way, that we do not touch those who we really have feelings for is breathtakingly insightful.
I applaud the director's courage in making this movie. If you like this, you may also enjoy Signs & Unbreakable.
Milage may vary April 16, 2009
Pharaoh (Erie, PA)
I've never seen an M. Night movie before, though by now everyone is aware of his reputation. And upon first viewing I was ready to throw my lot in with the naysayers. The dialogue was wooden. The "twists" were predictable (I called all except one, and I am not very astute). And that ending... when the second half of the movie totally negates the first half, it makes you feel like an idiot for caring. Not to mention everything else that's wrong (wouldn't it take generation upon generation to create a self-sustaining village with no knowledge of the outside world?). But upon second viewing (with my family) I was ready to just sit back and enjoy the good things. And there are good things. The actors really stepped it up (especially Howard and Hurt, really dig Hurt's speech at the end), and the cinematography is appropriately creepy and claustrophobic, promising something it can never quite deliver. Does that excuse the predictability and annoying literary shortcuts Shyamalan takes? Dunno, you'll have to see how far your suspension of disbelief will take you. Three stars seems about right.
 The Village March 21, 2009
Justin Carlyle (the Midwest)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Several years ago M. Night Shyamalan exploded onto the scene with The Sixth Sense, a film that quite rightly deserved all the accolades it received. Unfortunately, subsequent films have shown him to be a flash-in-the-pan. The Village is the latest flop, with a cast of mostly nobodies and a story that alternately confuses and snoozes. Worse, William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver showed up in minor and very forgettable roles. Were they paying off a poker debt? Surely, they didn't SEEK roles in this turkey! As for Shyamalan: I think it's time for him to get another job.
better than unbreakable, but still blah March 10, 2009
megavoyager (philly)
wish i hadn't believed all of the hype and bought this when it first came out. the acting is pretty good and the actors themselves help to build the tension throughout the movie. the problem is that the plot (like so many of nighty-night's movies) doesn't bear scrutiny. again, there are so many things that don't make sense.
however, the thing that really spoilt it for me was that (knowing all kharma chameleon's movies have a plot twist at the end), i managed to guess what the ending would be about half an hour before the movie revealed its secret. and even then my reaction was something like: "no, surely that can't be it ? there's got to be something more, hasn't there ? oh come on, i could have written a better ending than that !! you b*****d, shyamalan - i want my f****** money back !!" how old night-night keeps pulling the wool over the studios' eyes, i don't know. maybe it's the old "diversity" thing.
anyway, another one to rent from the library. don't even waste $5 on this.
Great movie, naysayers not withstanding ! February 21, 2009
Dave (United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As you can see from the variations in the reviews, people are all over the map with this one. Honestly, I don't know how you can not like this movie.
Not only did I enjoy it the first time, it's the kind of movie I can watch over and over. M. Night admits in one of the DVD extras that he probably should have marketed it as a love story (it is), as opposed to a thriller. Whatever. I didn't have any preconceived notions or expectations going in. I just watched it, not knowing what I was in for, and I wasn't at all disappointed.
The soundtrack is excellent, and the use of sound is masterfully done. If you have a good surround sound system, turn down the lights, crank it up, and just take in the atmosphere of the film.
I am utterly amazed at the negative reviews. The personal attacks on M. Night are beyond puzzling, as if he's committed a crime or something. It's funny how people will on the one hand complain that a movie is too predictable, or lacks imagination, etc. Then a movie like this comes along, and people complain anyway. Some people are never happy. It's just a movie, people!! Relax !
The characters in the film are excellent. The pace of the film is good. I always come away at the end wishing it weren't over yet. M. Night has a great imagination, and he is a masterful storyteller. I hope he continues to make fantastic movies.
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