Rating: 
Summary: Mind Numbing
Review: Perhaps I watched a different movie than the vast majority of reviewers here. The "Signs" I struggled through, was nothing short of pure rubbish. Here's the story: Once upon a time there was a faithless preacher, who lived on a farm with his children and brother. One day, aliens invaded their planet, so they stood around talking a good bit--though they never really said anything--, wore aluminum foil hats, and eventually hid out in the basement until the invaders just up and left. One alien was left behind, so the preacher's brother hit it a few times with a baseball bat and splashed water on it. The preacher regained his faith. The end. Ten minutes into the movie I was hoping that the aliens would hurry up and kill off the entire family, but alas that never happens. Instead viewers are treated to an hour and half of dull, uninspired acting, and virtually no action. Honestly, this movie makes "Plan 9 From Outerspace" look good.
Rating:
Summary: Ishtar move over, something worse if finally here.
Review: After a decent film like The Sixth Sense, I certainly wasn't expecting disappointment on such a grand scale. The only redeeming value for this movie: it can be burned for fuel. Maybe it's just me, but I seem to have an uncanny knack for seeing through poorly written and/or conceived films. I see no way to review this film without giving away a large part of it, so if that'll upset you, PLEASE stop reading. Let's just take a quick look at plot: Beings from space, who happen to be deathly allergic to water, invade planet Earth, the surface of which is covered by no less than 70% water. I could stop right there, I really could, but suspension of disbelief forces me to go further. The very instant the little girl's unfinished glasses of water appeared on the screen, I saw through the entire film. That's not a good thing, as a matter of fact it's one of the no-no's taught to anyone writing anything. That aside, let's move on to the fantastic cinematography (can you smell that? it's sarcasm) A movie about aliens is bound to have great visual effects this day and age, right? Just ask the riveting fight scene between Mel and an alien during which the camera is firmly fixed on a lamp or table or something. Brilliant! I guess if you ever wondered what was happening in some po-dunk town during Independence Day (the film), you should see this movie, otherwise you should simply run. Run far, run fast, and never look back.
Rating: 
Summary: A Strong Film Despite Minor Flaws
Review: My wife and I entered the movie theater with different expectations, though each of us brought with us pre-conceived ideas as to what this film would be. Having seen other films by M. Night Shyamalan, I was uncertain that the film would have the edgy feel that an alien-invasion movie should have. My wife, in contrast, was hoping that she would make it through the film. By its end, we knew for certain that we wanted to own this film when it became available on DVD. The general story is simple, an alien force has arrived on Earth, presumably to invade the Earth. Signs begin to appear in the forms of crop-circles, lights in the sky, strange sounds in the night, shadowy figures seen through windows. As alien invasion stories go, its pretty much predictable, and Shayamalan uses his expertise to carefully execute each sequence of this invasion in a fashion that is true to his style-giving glimpses and leaving the rest to the audience imagination. But what makes this a film that surpasses the masses of alien invasion movies is the focus on the characters within the story. It is a story that deals with an individual's loss in his faith.
Graham Hess (wonderfully portrayed by Mel Gibson), is a retired minister who lives in distress, despair and in doubt after the sudden loss of his wife, who died in a car accident. He, along with his younger brother Merrill (played by Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator)), and his children Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), live together on the family farm, where they maintain large fields of corn. The story opens with the children discovering a massive crop circle in the middle of the field, and from that point forward, stange events begin to unfold. In counter-point to the alien invasion story, we learn more and more about each character, and the individual quirks, accomplishments, beliefs and doubts that each possess. As the story grows in its intensity, the movie attempts to ask some very big questions, including the possibility that God allows everything to happen for a reason; that there really is a method to the chaos of our daily existance. Of course, the movie grows in its intensity as we discover that all the "signs" are pointing to an invasion that indicates that the visitors are unstoppable, and that they have arrived for a very specific reason-to harvest humans. At the same time, the relationships between this family are strained, tested, challenged and ultimately strengthened by the events occuring around them. The story is well-conceived, although there are some notable flaws in the story, and a climax that, like "Unbreakable" before it, leave you going "huh?" The logic behind the characters actions is often questionable, and we have to wonder what Shayamalan was considering when he wrote the script. In addition, his use of subtlety dissolves into an effects-laden ending that is disappointing and predictable, despite the fact that it does contain a logical conclusion to the idea that "nothing happens by chance." In all, it is a strong film, and definitely creepy. From our individual experience, my wife and I were both so engrossed in the film at our initial viewing of it, and so caught up in the intensity of it, that we were both ready to leave the theather at certain points. M. Night Shayamalan does know how to build tension, fear, and terror, and he does it in a way that is so subtle, it creeps on you unexpectedly, making you jump, or just peak through your fingers as you clutch your hands over your eyes. I have been a fan of this genre for a very long time, and I cannot remember having such a powerful reaction to any film before this one since I was a child-it is that good, and, save for the mildly disappointing ending, and loop-holes in the story, it is an excellent film which reaches beyond the realm of an E.T. invasion story and asks some really big questions. Well worth the time and money. In addition to the movie, the DVD edition of "Signs" also includes a 6 part feature on the making of this film, along with deleted scenes, and a short filmed by Shayamalan as a youth. The deleted scenes and the short aren't worth a whole lot, but the making of is an insightful journey into the process of creating a film, and worthwhile viewing.
Rating: 
Summary: deja vu?
Review: I have enjoyed all three of director Shyamalan's films; they are attractive to watch and intriguing. Well, all except Signs and perhaps that's because I had already seen this movie twice before! It is readily apparent that Shyamalan has made the same film 3 times - Signs, the Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable. All that had to be done was change the title and choose another paranormal experience to explore...voila...kind of like Hamburger Helper movie making. Here is my case:
1) All three films dealt with paranormal experience - aliens, super-heroes, and clairvoyance.
2) In all 3 films the children are all seeing. The writer/director pushes the idea that children (due to innocence maybe?) are more apt to trust their eyes or accept that there just might be more to life than what's beyond the surface or what we can feel with the 5 senses. The protagonist, on the other hand, struggles with these concepts in all three films and, finally, comes to accept the child's view as correct ...in all 3 films.
3) Last but not least, the woman/mother/female figure is powerless, weak and helpless - only able to cry and lament about the situation without being able to offer a hand in solving the problems at hand. Yes, in ALL 3 FILMS! Just give us some new ideas, ok? We can handle it.
Rating:
Summary: alien scum
Review: not as successful as Shaymalans other powerful gripping films Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense but this one is sometimes scary and emotional as well. Gibson and his family live on a small farm with Gibson's brother played by Juoaqin Pheonix because Gibson's wife died. Shaymalan has a cameo like in his others and he plays the man who killed Gibson's wife in a car accident. the video with the alien at the birthday party can scare the pants off anyone and theres some comedy as well. the end with Pheonix with the baseball bat and the alien is nice too
Rating: 
Summary: This Film Scared The Hell Out Of Me...
Review: What can be said about M. Night Shyamalan's third film other than it's "scary". It's very, very "scary". I actually get chills up, and down my spine as I remember some of those scense, and it's bizarre storyline. The basis of the storiy is as follows: A man, and his family awaken one morning to find their field has been marked with a crop circle, and from here forward the story gets even more bone chilling as the seconds pass on until we reach the final climax. Shymalan has always had a tendency to put mythologies into the storylines of his films, and 'Signs' is no different. Taking the concept of fate into a new context, this film is ridiculously good. See this now of you haven't already, and again if you have...
Rating:
Summary: I Find No Fault With This Movie
Review: M. Night Howeveryouspellhisname is turning out to be one of the best filmmakers of all time and his latest offering, "Signs", proves it. Set amidst the backdrop of an alien invasion, this is really the story of a family who is trying to cope with a devastating loss and one man's path to regaining his faith. Mel Gibson heads this all-star cast and delivers one of the best performances of his career (which can be said for the other cast members as well). There are so many wonderful sides to this movie that I could never delve into them in one small review, but the really remarkable thing is that it is able to go from a scary scene to a heartbreaking one and then jump into humor while still maintaining believability -- which is no small accomplishment. It's one of those movies that you pick up something new every time you watch it. I've seen it at least 15 times and I'm not in the least bit sick of it. I stand in awe of this film and if you watch it with an open mind, you'll feel the same way.
Rating: 
Summary: Difficult to suspend ones disbelief
Review: This is defintely the Director's weakest film, and one of Gibson's weakest as well. The fundamental problem was the continued leaps of faith required by the viewer. Viewer's of this movie should tink carefully about the logic to the alien's weaknesses on a planet whose environment should consume them in a snap! This was the ultimate "What..?" that ruined the movie for me. The Director also needs to get out of the acting business. The character he played was illogical and he played it very poorly.
Rating:
Summary: Bloody awful
Review: I didn't have very high expectations for Signs. I didn't expect it to be this bad, either. What did we have here, then? Terribly unconvincing acting by Mr. Mel Gibson, one of the worst performances he's ever turned out. But what can you expect from him with this kind of script? His character is a two-dimensional mess. A widower reverend, who saves the world from aliens. That's about it. There's no real connection. And if you tell me the movie isn't really about aliens but about faith and Christian love and whatnot, I'll tell you plainly to shut up. It's a sci-fi movie, and it's bad sci-fi. If you consider it as a family movie it's even worse. Joaquin Phoenix, remembered fondly from Gladiator and Buffalo Soldiers, is wasted. And the kids were even more irritatingly cute than Haley Joel Osment in Sixth Sense - if that's possible. We got mediocre directing (not up to M. Night Shyamalan's standards), bloody awful writing. Shyamalan's dialogue was always bad, but the stories were great. This time we have a story that is not much more than a remake of War of the Worlds. This movie was made dozens of times before. The fact that Phoenix mutters 'It's like War of the Worlds' (oh, how self conscious) doesn't make it a parody or a homage. It's still a rip-off. Mars Attacks was a parody; Signs is a rip-off. The film doesn't excuse itself by using higher standards of special effects than were available before - the aliens look so awfully digital it's just pathetic. And the thing that bothered me worst is this. Watching a Shyamalan film, my expectations low though they were, I knew that as bad as the script will be, I'll still get a lovely, surprising twist ending. Well, there was a surprise. Here's the twist: there's not surprise. The ending is obvious and cheesy as hell. Maybe that's meant to be the surprise - if it is, it's a very tasteless joke. Sorry. The corny love-thy-neighbor-and-god-and-believe-in-yourself messages at the end don't impress me much either. Signs told me nothing I didn't already know. Look, I know all about crop circles, right? I kept hoping for a surprising explanation for the phenomena at the end of the film. Well, here's the explanation - they were created by thin, ugly, green aliens who want to take over the Earth, who look surprisingly like the guys from Close Encounters. WOAH! That was so never done before! Hey, hope you don't mind the spoiler. I consider it more a fair warning to prevent you from completely wasting two hours of your life. If you're a sucker for trick endings and consider watching the film because you liked Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, stay clear.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best
Review: Maybe I was tired at the time, but the whole relevance of Signs pretty much escaped me. I'm not saying it wasn't a good movie, and I know a lot of people greatly enjoyed it. Personally, I just couldn't get my head around what it was all supposed to be about.
We have a man, who was a devout minister before the tragic death of his wife, living on his farm with his two young children and his brother. The appearance of crop circles sets off a chain reaction of mysterious events that eventually leads to a 'War of the Worlds' style invasion by poisonous, deadly aliens.
There are frequent flashbacks to the incident which killed Gibson's wife, and her confusing last words to him, the meaning of which is finally revealed at the end of movie.
The movie is well-made, and well-acted. Joacquin Phoenix is particularly impressive as the young man who is fed up with his brother's refusal to accept what has happened and get on with life.
I'm afraid the deeper meaning of it all is simply escaping me. It appears that the wife died purely to be able to impart the mystical words that would give the clue to surviving the alien attack that would come in the future.
It is confusing, to me at least, but I recommend that, as with the other films of Shyamalan, you give it a chance and make up your own mind as to whether it is worth while or not.
|
