I hate myself for saying this but Lady in the Water is the most disappointing movie in all M. Night Shyamalan's filmography list. I love M. Night Shyamalan's works, and I believe he's one of the best directors working today in the Tinseltown, who strives for uniqueness and singularity of works. Once you see a movie, you could really tell it's a Shyamalan craft, with the weirdness, twists and all that jazz. I'm a great fan of his films, and The Sixth Sense was one of my most favorite movies of all time, brandishing three outstanding actors, Bruce Willis, Toni Colette and the boy-wonder, Haley Joel Osment. His later works were personal faves too, like Signs and The Village, which I think were very good movies and wonderfully embellished unlike most common people perceive. To others, they may be bad films, but to me, Signs and The Village boasts a one-of-a-kind M. Night Shyamalan trademark all over it. I could still remember when I was in senior high school that I was the only one liking these films, stuck in the middle of my classmates who all despised the films. I argued with them, and what's done is done. Anyway, since I'm so over-selling Mr Shyamalan here, this would be the first time I would say that his work is a disappointment. OK, some people MIGHT like and appreciate the film, and go daydreaming with its fairy-tale-ish elements, but for me, The Lady in the Water drowned itself in the depths of its own absurdity. The movie moves like a book, a mystery (Shyamalan's trademark) novel that slithers with a unique plot, and then when you have expected something really awesome as a climax, when the end comes, it just go off into the air like a burst of tiny splashes left unnoticed. Maybe Shyamalan wanted to touch more on the children's imagination this time and actually leaving his own marginal terrority of scaring villagers, drawing crop circles, and putting kids who "sees dead people", and embarks upon a journey that is so unlikely, so silly and so un-Shyamalan. He indeed writes, directs and produce, but I could say his writing, directing and producing effort are not so worth it when everything comes clean above the table. We are presented with a plot, with a fairy tale plot that would somehow entertain children while in bed with the goal of putting them to sleep and scaring the hell out of their faces, but it the end, even for childish matters, younger audience would find it a bit aloof to watch.It wanted to be a horror film and it also mix different elements that would define a dark fairy tale, but the film came out as undecided as Shyamalan's flagging storytelling this time.I believe it's M. Night's decision to fly from his own nest and spread his own wings, but in here, he tried opening his wings but then, as sad tales tell, he had fallen and mistaken himself to be a good flyer. If not for the maginificent performances by Bryce Dallas Howard and Paul Giamatti, this would all fall to pieces. It's not really a bad, bad movie. As what I said, some might like it. The problem is that, it just didn't appeal to me at all. Who could say nymphs, horrible wolves and tree monsters are entertaining after all? Even M. Night's appearance in acting doesn't seem to be much of a help. Just watch this film, forget what I said, and judge for yourself.

Rating: C