'Village' could use a lighter touch

M. Night Shyamalan's most recent film continues a fairly successful streak, but "The Village" didn't get much respect from critics, who rightly compared it to a simplistic "Twilight Zone" episode.

Shyamalan's other films — "The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable" and "Signs" — have set us up to expect a twist ending from him, and that did "The Village" a serious disservice.

Once you realize that it's coming, it's not hard to figure out what it is way too early.

• "The Village" (Touchstone, 2004, PG-13, $29.99). Shyamalan is a clever filmmaker, but this one would benefit greatly from a lighter touch. It's so brooding and serious that when the twist is revealed, it undermines what has gone before.

In fact, it might have been better to simply reveal the secret earlier and explore the ramifications of its effect more than the mere fact of it.

Still, this is a fairly enjoyable "supernatural" thriller. It does catch you up much of the way, has a few grip-the-arms-of-your-seat moments, and the central performance is a starmaking turn by newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard (the daughter of Ron Howard, the filmmaker and former Opie).

The story has members of a cult of 50 people living in a small isolated village, apparently in the 19th century. The central story has them being terrorized by something in the woods that surround the community. But what is it? Shy but resolute Joaquin Phoenix is determined to find out, with help from a blind girl (Howard) who may be gifted with second sight. Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt and, as the town fool, Adrien Brody, are also here.

Bonus features are weak, save an amusing three-minute home movie by Shyamalan that parodies "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, deleted scenes, introduction by Shyamalan, making-of featurettes, optional French-language track, subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.

• "The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan" (Buena Vista, 2004, not rated, $29.99). This "documentary" ran on the Sci-Fi Channel and purports to be revealing, but it was exposed as a hoax around the time it aired. Among those in on the conspiracy are Johnny Depp and Adrien Brody. Strictly for die-hard Shyamalan fans.

Extras: Widescreen, subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.