Rating: 
Summary: More than a horror film
Review: This is only a "scary movie" on the surface. The dramatic theme underneath the creepiness and the jumps is faith. It turns on an amazing speech given by the lead character about there being two kinds of people: one kind who believe in coincidences and are alone in the universe; and the other kind, who do not believe in coincidences and are not alone.Director Shyamalan does, however, understand some things about a truly scary movie. He understands that we are most frightened by what we can't see -- that the scariest thing is, in fact, our own psychology. And with this film, he proves that multi-dimensional, human characters do not impair a movie's ability to frighten you. The script is written without "idiot plot," and tells a surprising and moving story about a former priest who is, in fact, really really good at being a minister. A tragic event has taken away his faith and, because of the good writing and the beautiful performance by Mel Gibson, you see him hating himself even as he makes people feel better because his talent as a reverend isn't connected to genuine faith anymore, and so he feels like a faker. The pace has been the subject of many reviews. Personally, I found the pace to be right on, and was not bored for a second. Highly, highly recommended. Genuinely frightening, and a solid human drama, with very little graphic violence and almost no blood 'n' guts. Now, if only we could get away from visualizing extra-terrestrials as anthropoid soldiers with militaristic ambitions...
Rating: 
Summary: No more good tables for M. Night
Review: The movie trailer/previews had me more than enticed going into this movie. Well, I just left the film entirely disappointed, knowing M. Night has further damaged the reputation he built from Sixth Sense. Try "0" stars. This movie is weak, embarrassing and an exercise at feeding movie-goers window dressing and nothing more. The ideas and story line are loose ends, sappy undeveloped sentiment and inconsistent. Stop playing with the audience, especially when you don't have anything. Enough already with the lighting, camera angles and suspenseful music. Where's the movie? For those of you who do get it, you'll realize that Mel Gibson has got to be so disappointed to be part of this film... The humor is the only redeeming quality of this film. (Hershey's Kiss wrappers on head and so forth) The characters, their issues, etc. go essentially undeveloped and the final payoff is superficial, cheesy and so inconsistent with the supposed struggle that the character has to and pathetically does resolve(faith). Hit me over the head already. A.I. alert. ...You know, the general idea and image presented in the previews of Signs suggest incredible potential. I think you will more than likely be strongly disappointed by this film and it's inability to even delve into the possibility of where this film could have gone. I must add that I didn't expect to see "Eddie", the mascot of Iron Maiden, make a cameo in this film. You be the judge. I'm with "Slow as Molasses". Weak, thin, frustrating, disappointing are the words that keep coming to me.
One Hit Wonder much? Yes, at this rate there will be no more good tables for M. Night.
Rating:
Summary: LOTS TO CHEW ON....
Review: OK, been reading a lot of the negative reviews regarding Signs and had to throw my two cents into the fire. I really enjoyed this movie. Yes the director bit a heck of a lot off to throw into a rather small scale intimate movie. But I for one was thankful he did. Creepy? Heck yes. Thought provoking? Most certainly. Are the performances first rate? A resounding yes. A feat in itself as I am not a fan of good ole boy Mel. But this movie really left me with a lot to think of. Something that is all the more special in its effects/affects than some of the trite and shallow critiques I have read thus far. Kind of tired of the computer graphics driven idiots that feel that good film making = big budget slam, bam, lobotomized mam. This is a small movie, with big thoughts. Go see it....no spoilers or plot divulged here. Just a note that you not be ready for some Star Trek/Wars gigahertz Dorito fest. Bring your brain, soul and maybe a hanky... Is the movie flawed, oh yeah. But I for one have to admit that I enjoyed where it took me. Well worth the price...
Rating:
Summary: faith, fear, and a thoughtful film
Review: I don't think people should go to Signs looking to be frightened, or hoping for a huge revelation at the end. This is a much more human film, and more mature than Shyamalan's last two. As the film notes, the world is divided into two types of people -- those who believe that things, good and bad, happen for a reason and have a purpose, and those who believe it's all random. It explores, too, the tremendous fear and loneliness that can result from seeing events as random and without purpose. Strangely enough, I was never frightened as I watched this movie. Instead, as the family reacted to the frightening events around them, I thought -- I know that mindset. I have been there. I was in New York on and after September 11 ... Because I saw the supernatural plot line as a device for exploring the more interesting subjects of faith and fear, I thought the ending, in which an event seen previously as negative was found to have been profoundly beneficial, was perfectly appropriate and right. It was a thoughtful film -- the first thoughtful film I've seen in a long, long time.
Rating: 
Summary: A Shyamalan Specialty!
Review: The mystery and the wait is over. M. Night Shyamalan has done it again (directing, not his acting as he has a small role in this film). This is an excellent suspense film, classic Shyamalan. The story begins with an unusual massive shape or design imprinted in the corn field of Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson). Father Hess has been left alone with his two children after the recent loss of his wife due to a fatal car accident. He has left the priesthood, believing that he was betrayed by the God that he has always advocated. His brother, Merrill Hess (Joaquin Phoenix) helps to raise the children after the tragedy. Left without an explanation for the strange 'sign' in the corn field, Graham initially thinks pranksters are responsible. As Mr. Shyamalan interjects, we start to see bit-by-bit, segments of the alien presence. From the opening scene through the entire film, the audience is held captive as each page unfolds. This movie draws us into the fears the family is enduring. Behind each scene, the intensity is amplified. Analagous to the ultimate poker hand where the pot grows in epic proportions as each card is exposed, we cannot wait for the culminating end of the final showdown. This movie will appeal to all audiences.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal!
Review: This movie was an amazing blend of humor, emotion, and surprises. I honestly can't remember the last time I've heard a whole theatre scream at the same time. Mel Gibson did one heck of an acting job.. emotion, fluidity, etc.. just about what we've come to expect from him. As far as the rest goes.. the story was REALLY solid.. and finding a solid script in Hollywood has been somewhat of a challenge lately. As far as the whole "alien" factor goes.. there was some exposure, but it was NOT your typical "They're Here!" movie.. as impossible as it sounds, the actual beings were really played down. A lot of this film was left to the imagination of the viewer, which is what makes a movie great, as far as I'm concerned. While I wouldn't recommend bringing the young'ns to this one, bring the rest of the family. I'll be overly surprised if this flick doesn't win Best Picture (plus actor, supporting actor (male), and a few others) this year...
Rating:
Summary: Spookily Fimiliar
Review: M. Night Shyamalen takes a page from the Sixth Sense and goes a little deeper creating a chilling movie about the unknown. The story takes place in rural Pennsylvania. The main character is Graham Hess (Gisbon) a former minister, who is recently widowed. Hess has completely lost his faith and walked away from the chruch. After the accident, Hess stays isolated at his farm away from the community. Helping him raise his two children, is his younger brother Merrill Hess (Phoenix), a former minor league baseball player. Then one day his children find several large crop circles in the middle of his cornfield. Is it the work of pranksters looking for publicity or are they the work of an supernatural entity? Several days after discovering the circles the family begins to hear odd noises at night, the wind sounds strange, and the family pets begin to act weird. There is something wrong and it begins to gnaw at Hess. Things get stranger when they watch TV and find that these circles are appearing all over the world. There are news reports of strange lights in the sky at night. Hess begins to believe the circles in his field are connected to these events. I thought Signs borrowed heavily from the Sixth Sense. It had some of the elements. Some critics, think Shyamalan has fallen into a career trap, becoming another Alfred Hitchcock. However, I did find the movie very chilling, well-crafted and suspenseful. I especially liked how Shyamalan gave the added feeling of the family farm's isolation.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: I just have to say that I'm from bucks county, and it doesn't have one police force, and we do have towns, but the movie was incredible. It freaked me out. I've always been afraid of weird stuff, ...
Rating:
Summary: Redemption
Review: If there has been one major complaint among critics and serious moviegoers over the last 15 years or so it is that special effects, explosions, and other nifty gadgets have sucked the soul out of modern movies. With a new generation of filmakers and actors now arriving and making their mark over the last few years, the trend does not seem to be changing soon. One exception to this, however, seems to be writer-director M Night Shyamalan. If the name does not seem to ring a bell in every household, at least one or two of his last movies will. In 1999, Shyamalan wrote and directed the neo-ghost story "The Sixth Sense" which ended up being a movie phenomenon with an ending that still has people talking. A year later, he directed and wrote the underrated "Unbreakable" with Bruce Wills and Samuel Jackson. Both movies were not without flaws but they revealed something. That is, that Shyamalan was not only a born filmaker but, just as important, a born storyteller. Like the early films of Spielberg or Kubrick, he was not afraid to tell a suspense story that unfolded gradually. Often, the silence and atmosphere that permeated those films spoke louder than any bombs or guns. Now comes Shyamalan's newest films "Signs". On a personel note, this was the film I had been waiting for all summer. (Much to the determiant of my review, however, I will not give away any key plot points ). The movie begins in a sleepy farm field located in Bucks County, Pensylvania. The farm is owned and operated by a middle aged farmer identified as Graham Hess(Mel Gibson). Mr Hess, we find out early in the film, is a widowed farmer and former clergyman. Living with him are his two children, Morgan(Rory Culkin) and Bo(Abigail Breslin) and his former minor league baseball player brother(Joaquin Phoenix). Unlike his two previous films(especially Unbreakable),Shyamalan wastes no time getting started in this film. The first scene starts out with Graham being awaken and led by his children out to the middle of his cornfield. There, to his understandable astonishment, lies a series of "crop circles" which are designed like an occult-like skelton key the size of a football field. Are the crop circles an elaborate hoax or were they actually designed by an unidentified life source from a different planet? Shyamalan, as he has demonstrated in the past, is a master at setting up truly frighful tales. As the story unwinds, more crop circles pop up around the world and the Hess family finds that the design in their backyard is only one small piece of a bizzare global puzzle. I will not go into further detail regarding the plot. Wether or not aliens appear or don't in this film is not the point. A lot of critics who do not like the film, especially the ending, are missing the point. The movie, ultimately, is not about aliens or even crop circles for that matter. It's about the Gibson character. As mentioned, Gibson is a widowed and a former cleryman who has lost his faith in God due to personel tragedy which, again, I won't reveal. It is that loss of faith and, at the end, Gibson's redemption that is at the heart of this movie. The movie is not perfect. As the story closes, all the pieces might not fit neatly and the audience may have some unanswered questions. It will also not appeal to cynics and people who want "realistic" outcomes. To them, I ask, why go to the movie in the first place? At the risk of sounding corny, a lot has happened around the world in the last 12 months. Corruption in our businesses and religious institutions now seem commonplace, and nations and people in general are more isolated than ever before. So much so that a film about an ex-clergyman regaining his faith in the middle of his farm in Bucks County, PA seems to be a perfect story right about now.
Rating: 
Summary: "Signs": character development, not heavy handed F/X
Review: M. Night Shyamalan crafts an intelligent and emotional extension of the "are we alone?" genre. No heavy-handed effects shots, so Independence Day it isn't. What it does have is something you don't see much anymore: character development, evolution and redemption in a sci-fi context. This might not work for the inattentive crowd, but for those who can put together more than a few sucessive thoughts in search of what the characters are feeling it's a refreshing change. Mel Gibson gives a very good characterization of an Episcopal Priest who has lost his faith, much to the detriment of his family, while Joaquin Phoenix does quite well as his live-in brother. Add two well acted kids, the family dogs, some peripheral characters, some tin foil (G) and a script that throws in just enough creeps as the whole world goes to hell around them and you have "Signs". Can't say much more without ruining things :-)
| 
