Exactly two years, Director M. Night Shyamalan rebounded from his misfires (After Earth, The Happening and Lady in the Water among others) with Split. The film starred James McAvoy playing Kevin Wendell Crumb who's wrestling with multiple personalities among them, a mutant like persona with cannibalistic tendencies known as "The Beast". The beauty in Split aside from a tour de force performance from it's lead actor is that it's actually connected to another Shyamalan movie 2000's Unbreakable starring Bruce Willis as David Dunn aka the movie title, a reluctant superhero and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price - the complete opposite of Dunn. His bones are brittle giving him the name of Mr. Glass. He is a comic book obsessed catalyst on the lookout for other people like him resulting in bringing in together Dunn and Crumb. This is a great setup on what could have been a brilliant film on the genre now dominated by films starring Marvel and DC characters.
Shyamalan though, took the wrong route and made Glass into an anti superhero film loaded with unnecessary lecture on the connection of comic book heroes, villains and psychology. It would have a treat if McAvoy, Willis and Jackson's characters were let loose outside on the streets of Philadelphia instead of being confined in a mental institution 90% of the film. It is headed by a sleepy and underutilized Sarah Paulson who plays a doctor that downplays the leads capabilities and strengths.
Movie buffs who loved Unbreakable and Split will surely be entertained by it. Those who didn't saw the two previous films prior to this will surely be confused. Better watch Unbreakable and Split first.
Glass isn't that bad. It could have been better.
