Rating: 
Summary: If only I could give this no stars!
Review: I have long been a fan of Mel Gibson's films, and was looking forward to what I was certain was a tense sci-fi thriller. I have rarely been so mistaken.Most of the dialogue in the film is spoken in somber tones and in whispers. The depth of the darkness and depression in the film astounded me, and I am willing to concede that some of it was necessary, but not to this extreme. This was a family, yet they acted as if they only had the slightest of connections to each other. I found every "twist" utterly predictable. I saw it all coming, and kept hoping I would be wrong, and the film would surprise me. It didn't. To my way of thinking, a good film will draw you so completely into the story that you feel what the characters feel and can think what the characters are thinking. Not only did I not feel whatever the characters were thinking, but I also didn't care. The heavy handed lighting, camera angles, and shots that just made me think the director was trying so hard to be clever kept me thinking more about the technique than about the story, which was probably a good thing, because the story seemed incomplete in so many ways. If there had been more normal moments in the beginning of the family behaving like a family instead of jumping right into the wierdness it might have provided a contrast to the later craziness. If there had been a few light moments here and there, it might have relieved some of the overall dark mood of the film. As it was by the end, all I could think was thank goodness it's over.
Rating: 
Summary: A nearly perfect movie
Review: The third film by Shyamalan is a flawless presentation of the art of film making, the craft of which matches Hitchcock or Kieslowski at their heights. The story lines, the acting and the general theme can be a subject of criticism if you like, personally I found nothing to complain about and much to enjoy. But the actual creation of the images on film, my goodness, what about that could be criticized? There are so many delightful moments here it's difficult to know where to start. Every scene is scripted with intricate attention to detail, each a little gem in their own right. The camera always knows where to be, rushing up to focus in or drawing back to include the overall scene just exactly like your own eye would wish to see. What's going on over there? You want to see, so the camera runs over and checks it out for you, sometimes being bound by physical reality, becoming another actor in a sense, a kind of avatar on your behalf, as if you were a person standing in the film. A lot of films may attempt that feeling, but few with the kind of precision and careful consideration displayed here. And the way he uses sounds, everything is so well thought out. The volume control of a dog barking becomes a crucial part of the picture, the metallic sound of a water pan sliding across the ground a warning, silence an omen. It's just all so darn perfect. If I was forced to pick one scene(aside from the brilliant children's party tape, one of the scariest moments in motion picture history), it would have to be when Joaquin Phoenix is confronting the alien, Mel Gibson running out of the house with his son, and the little girl trailing behind. The camera moves with them, away from the scene, but we want to see what's going on inside. Instead of simply moving the camera back, he performs a double trick, having the little girl feel the same way we do. She stops and turns back, stepping up to the window, placing her hands on the sills and peering inside, the camera going with her, pausing in back of her as if it was a person standing behind her, trying to look around her, and then becoming free, moving forward through the broken window pane to capture more of the scene. It's absolutely breathtaking, I had to laugh out loud in delight when it happened. Then the music swells to the climax and gentles out as the camera swings by the boarded-up window to many months later out the next window . . . man, it's so obvious when you see it happen and so difficult to conceive, and there are so many masterful touches like that, dozens of them. This guy is a certified genius. The first two movies were good, but this . . . top twenty all time, no kidding. And he's just getting started. We're so lucky to be here, waiting for the rest, as if we just saw our first Hitchcock movie in the 40's, with all of the incredible work of the next two decades to follow. Heck, this guy is already there.
Rating: 
Summary: Alian invasion
Review: "Signs" is another hit by M. Night Shayamalan, not as good as "Sixth Sense", but certainly superior "Unbreakable". Mel Gibson takes over the usual Bruce Willis role as reluctant hero as a Pennsylvania minister who lost his faith after the death of his wife. He now lives with his brother and two young children when crop circles begin appearing in his fields. This leads to a alian invasion that is little more subtle than "Independence Day". Joaquin Phoenix dose a good (and funny) job as the younger brother who believes hole heartedly in alians. The children are also good at what they do, mostly be scared. It is Mel Gibson who really shines here as the smaller hero type that Shyamalan likes to create. The suspence is tight, but what is unusual is the humor that is more abundant than usual. One complaint is that if the alians are vulnerable to water, why land on a planet that is over two thirds water? No biggie, though. It is still very dramatic, and it is a wonderful thriller, well worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute tripe
Review: Short and sweet review. If you have seen the movie, you have already been subjected to its misery. If you haven't seen it, please don't, I beg of you. The story is terrible, the "alien" is a poorly rendered green "monster" (OOOOOHHHH I'm SO scared), and the ending is a joke. "Swing away?" are you kidding me? I waited a long time to see this movie, and now that I've seen it I want 2.5 hours of my life back. Only reason I was forced to watch it was because Hurricane Isabel was blowing away my college town that day. If you are trapped inside cos of a hurricane, go to sleep, just don't watch this movie!
Rating:
Summary: Terrifying Genius
Review: In my many years as a fan of horror films, few have ever actually been even the slightest bit scary. Signs is not only scary, it is scary in the second or third watching. Signs is two stories seamlessly sewn into one. At the heart we have Mel Gibson as a single father. He had been a man of the cloth until the death of his wife. Now he is trying to raise his children with the help of his younger brother. In the larger picture, the world is undergoing some amazing events. We experience them through Gibson's family. Like an Anton Checkov play, most of the action is off screen and thus scarier. As Gibson is trying to hold his family together, something happens in his corn field. Cornstalks are bent in strange symbols. Rustling, shadows and strange noises are used to great effect that literally raised the hair on the back of my neck. Gibson faces family and world events while trying to come to terms with his shaken faith. Faith is at the heart of this movie and Gibson's portrayal is brilliant. Pay attention to the details. Everything seems to have a purpose. Even watch it a second time as casual remarks in the beginning take on new meaning once you know more of past events (i.e. Gibson's insistence at using a people doctor when the dog gets sick). In many ways I find this movie superior to The Sixth Sense even though the later was more favored by the media. But both show seamless storytelling and great attention to detail. If you enjoyed one, you should enjoy the other. While you are at it, check out Unbreakable.
Rating: 
Summary: I wonder how many times I yawned during this movie....
Review: I must say that I was rather disappointed in this movie. It lacked suspense is all I can say. Though the thought of aliens taking over earth is frightening out this movie sure wasn't.
It's about Graham Hess, an ex-minister, who finds mysterious crop circles in his fields. Of course from the begining he thinks that is just some hoax but it turns out that it really isn't. Plot: Save the fam and come out alive. The whole idea was wonderful but as I said before, this movie lacked suspsense which I really want to see in supposedly "scary movies." They didn't really go into the havoc the aliens made when they invaded earth, which was disappointing since that really gets into the feeling of the movie and you feel as though you're with the people in the story. But sadly, it didn't. Arachnophobia has more suspense then this movie. But hey, if you want to watch it go ahead. I'm not saying it was the dumbest movie in the world, but it's definitely not a movie I would care to watch again.
Rating:
Summary: it may be only a 12, but it's wet your pants scary!
Review: It's the end of the world, aliens are here, the only thing to do is save you family!
Mel Gibson, starring as a father who's an ex-vicer, has to save he's family. This film makes you feel like your there, i don't get scared easily but this film, made my pants wet!
WATCH IT! or they may came for YOU!
Rating:
Summary: Good movie!
Review: I'm suprised by all the bad reviews for this movie. I do admit that it could have been even better than it was... btu it was still a really good movie.
It think that a lot of people didn't like it because it was portrayed in the trailers to be a horror/thriller about crop circles and aliens... and really, that was the background story. So, I think that the Blair Witch lovers out there were a little disappointed that it wasn't what it was made out to be in commercials.
The movie is about a widowed-ex-priest and father of two(Mel Gibson)who is having a hard time coming to grips with the death of his wife. His brother moves in the farm-house with him to help him with the housework and the kids.
Out of nowhere, these perfectly detailed crop circles start popping up in the middle of their corn fields - and when they turn on the news they find out that they're not alone! They are popping up all over the world! And when it is revealed that aliens are behind the crop-circles and that they are planning on taking over earth, panic breaks loose all over the world as people search for a way to fight them off.
But, as I stated above, the aliens and crop circles aren't the main focus of the movie. The movie has a much deeper plot - trying to drive home the fact that EVERYTHING in life - no matter how insignificant it might seem at the time - happens for a reason. Like the daughter who drives her father crazy with the bad habit of leaving half-full glasses of water ALL over the house, his son having asthma, his wife's last words, his brother-in-law being an ex-baseball rookie... it was all for a reason - to help them fight off the aliens in the end.
I think that it was a really good ending. If you watch it and don't expect a horror flick or a movie full of intesnse suspense, then I think that you will enjoy the movie too. It's full of good acting, some laughs, and a deep, meaningful plot. I recommended it.
Rating:
Summary: "Swing away, Merrill?" Say good night, M. Night!
Review: Close Encounters meets Field of Dreams? Yikes! I normally feel that there are very few works, of any kind, that deserve one star...but I just couldn't justify giving this two. This was just a REALLY BAD MOVIE! Sixth Sense was pretty good, although IMO it was let down a little let with the casting of Bruce Willis in the lead (don't have much against Willis, just thought he was all wrong for that part); Unbreakable was asinine; in its own way, Signs might've been even worse. It's not just a matter of this movie being "oversold" by friends, relatives, acquaintences, and some reviews--I would've thought it was dumb anyway. 1) The movie was hyped to be more about the crop circles than it really was. After the first part of the movie, the whole crop circle angle essentially dropped out of sight. If the crop circles were going to be used to set up the plot, it seems like it would've made sense to provide a bit more information about their purpose, other than to just have the omnipresent TV voice say they might be some sort of navigation device. You go to the trouble of showing all of these elaborate designs, including using them in all of the publicity for the movie, and then don't provide more info about them? Kind of like a little "bait and switch," almost. I'm not really much into crop circles or UFO's, but I think that most of the people who saw this movie were pulled in by the whole crop circle angle, yet this was just one of one of the many story elements that were not fully developed in this film. 2) The chain of foreshadowing, revealed at the end of the movie, was really a strecth, much more so than either of M. Night's two earlier movies (even the fragile Unbreakable). I think it's time for him to abandon this whole device. It's the kind of plot device that really only works in a one or two movies, anyway...but for the whole thing to be set up by the dying wife uttering, "Swing away, Merrill?" Then the daughter's leaving half-full (or half-empty, if you prefer) glasses of water lying around turn out to be a vehicle for the "alien's" (and I'll get to them in a minute) demise? Then the son's asthma ends up saving his life. This film takes the whole, "everything happens for a reason," concept (which I happen to believe BTW), and hits the viewer over the head with it (no pun intended) in the most unsubtle ways. So we're supposed to buy that the minister's wife goes out for a walk before dinner, so that the vet (played by M. Night himself, apparently representing the eastern mystic "[SUV]ehicle" for the events to unfold) could fall asleep at the wheel and smash her into a tree, so that she could have the "Swing away, Merrill" prophecy, that would help to save the rest of the family? And, correspondingly, the minister's brother's not being able to lay off a bad pitch was also a vehicle for the rest of the family to be saved? I am a Buddhist, but I am unable to "suspend my disbelief" enough to buy this implausible "karma chain." This all just seemed dumb, dumber, dumbest, to me. A sixth grader could write a better screenplay than this. 3) A fifth grader could come up with more original "aliens" than these. Spider men who shot poison gas out of their wrists instead of webs. Also, the whole hostile alien thing has been way overdone in movies for like half a century now. If we're going to continue to make "little green, or gray, or plaid, men" movies, Let's try to be a little more original with their appearance--and their motives for traveling across the universe to visit this little green and blue planet. The whole chameleon thing was a dumb idea, too. I almost laughed out loud when the alien's arm matched the pattern on the kid's shirt. 4) The acting left something to be desired, too, even Gibson's melodramatic performance (as an aside, I like Mel Gibson, but I'm already getting a bit tired of him using his film career to push his faith in less than subtle fashion, i.e. this role, and his upcoming Christ movie). Certainly not the first time in film history that the kids stole the show in a movie. The worst performance may have been from the woman who played the sheriff. 5) Another thing I just thought of, on the subject of faith. I'm sorry but, "crisis of faith," or not, what daddy--let alone an ex-minister--would deny his young son a prayer at the dinner table, especially when they all think the world's about to come to an end? He lets him have french toast and mashed potatoes for his "last supper," but he can't muster up one last prayer? Sorry, I'm not buying that for a minute. That whole dinner table seen was really dumb, esp. Gibson's part. 6) The usually weak and oddly placed injections of humor frequently undermined the already tenuous current of tension in the movie. 7) I completely disagree with the reviewer who thought the last 15-20 minutes was so great: I thought this was one of the weakest resolutions I've ever seen in a suspense movie. 8) From what I had heard about the movie, I was expecting a spiritual element to the resolution; but something better than "minsister loses faith when wife dies...then regains his faith after his brother, and a few half glasses of water, kill an alien to save the rest of his family." Bottom line: this movie built up a lot of expectations, both in the publicity for it, and during the movie itself...and it didn't deliver on any of them. Hopefully, M. Night's made enough money to retire now. I'm out.
Rating:
Summary: Forget It--Watch INDEPENDENCE DAY Again
Review: The point of this childishly sentimental "religious" film is that the hero's faith in God is restored when he (an ex-minister, played by Mel Gibson) gets a sign that his wife's death serves a "higher purpose." Earth is invaded by some evil aliens who make crop circles (to communicate with each other??). Although millions of people are being killed by them (not at all well communicated by the film, which focuses almost entirely on Mel Gibson's family, perhaps to save money), Gibson "learns" that God DOES exist and IS good because some words his dying wife said suddenly make sense and help his family survive the attack of the alien who has a personsal grudge against him. Gag. Even the asthma attacks his son has endured for years suddenly make sense as part of God's great plan! Ditto the glasses of water his apparently nutty daughter has been leaving around the house, and his brother's skill with a baseball bat! God's great plan again! Special effects are virtually nonexistent; the aliens are poorly conceived; worst of all, the film's idea of God is mind-numbingly juvenile: God (in this film) sent aliens to attack earth for the sole purpose of giving Mel Gibson's character renewed faith. We're supposed to feel happy about this? What a stupid, sick premise that is. What a petty idea of God.
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