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Signs (Vista Series)

Signs (Vista Series)

List Price: $14.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Signs
Review: Despite a good, juicy plot with plenty of foot-stamping, nail-biting anxiety builders and an unsettlingly ominous feel that was present in his previous films, Shyamalan doesn't repeat the twist ending that 'The Sixth Sense' became massively popular for. Instead, he takes the one thing that was concealed throughout the entire film and throws it awkwardly in front of our eyes during the 'grand finale'. It's unfortunate that such a superb talent like he would let something like this slip, but...he slips. Much of the film's mystifying appeal draws from the fact that you can't see just who is causing all this ruckus down on Earth, even though we already know they're E.T.'s pals. Still, it contributes greatly to the gnawing anticipation, and makes you wonder if Shyamalan had to compromise a more head-spinning conclusion at the studio's request in order to broaden the film's commercial appeal. Nonetheless, 'Signs' puts on a hellish circus that keeps eyes and minds darting back and forth across reality and utter insanity. The lengthy scenes allows the tension to rack up to almost agonizing levels, keeping your mind and your heart racing at supersonic speeds. A lackluster finish, but it's still one hell of a ride.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Hidden Signs
Review: This is not the easy film it seems to be. It has an obvious, adolescent interpretation according to which it can be seen as a sort of new version of The War of the Worlds or Independence Day, but it has also deeper levels of complexity if you understand that the "Signs" that really matter here are not the alien circles on the cornfields but the existential "Signs" of which the former are, in any case, mere metaphors. The story is a search for the "Signs" hinting that life is not senseless; that things, even the most unfortunate, have a reason to be so; that there is destiny, design, and, by implication, a Creator or Supreme Screenwriter of Reality. So Graham (Mel Gibson), an ex-priest who has renounced the idea that things have a sense and that there is something or someone somewhere caring for mankind, goes on discovering through a prolonged epiphany that all the apparently haphazard and unfortunate events of his life are leading eventually to a unique experience of inner and outer salvation: that his wife's death was not gratuitous, but it allowed that instant of supreme cleverness (not the senseless ranting on the edge of physical collapse, as Graham had thought until then) for his dying wife to say the words in which is hidden the key of the final salvation of the family; that his son's asthma is not a meaningless misfortune, but will save Morgan of inhaling the lethal gas of the aliens; and that the glasses of water that Bo, Graham's daughter, keeps forgetting all around the house making his father angry are in the end the true weapon for the destruction of the alien, who cannot resist the contact of water. It is as if the screenwriter showed in the end his hidden play saying: "for this, to eventually arrive at this ending, I've been introducing since the beginning these scenes and characters; and this very same teleology, or at least something of it, can be perceived in the life of human beings, an existence which is but another ontological level of the Universal Narrative.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Extremely good!
Review: Signs is one of the best movies of 2002 and probably one of the best movie of all-time. The movie doesn't have a lot of visual effects, but scares us with the fear of the characters. When I saw this movie at the theater, I was so scared, I said to myself that it was probably the scariest movie I'd seen. The DVD doesn't have the same effect, but the movie stays the same and you are gonna see it again surely. I am not gonna talk about the story, because it could ruin the pleasure of you watching it. The DVD is not the most amazing DVD I've seen, but it's worth having it just for the movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: worst movie I've seen in years
Review: Overly contrived screenplay with horific acting make this movie unwatchable. At times it is ammusig in a sort of Mystery Science Theater sort of way ('did they actually just say that'), but not funny enough to get you through.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not Great, But Interesting
Review: "Signs" has one critical flaw, to this reviewer's mind: The affect, facial expressions, photography, script, scenery, and even the aliens all reflect just one mood.

As the story opens, Mel Gibson, a recent widower, is almost beside himself with grief over the recent and tragic loss of his beloved wife. A minister who has given up the cloth in his despair, he is a near zombie--unsure who or what he is, and barely able to get through his days. His only focus is his children, a young boy and girl who exactly mirror his condition. They never smile, they never use any vocal inflection. In one truly horrifying (and quite unnecessary) scene, they even endure the sudden violent death of their dog with the same eery quiet and lack of affect.

This might work, except that in the real world, children do not react to grief as adults do, and instead of coming across as pathetic, they seem inhuman and more than a little weird. Be that as it may, they all live in a lovely farmhouse with Gibson's brother (Joaquim Phoenix), who has come to nurture the family during their time of crisis, and to lend his love and support to his big brother.

When a scary series of events, beginning with spooky crop circles in the family's cornfield, threatens to tear apart the family even more, they react with the same strange, stressed silence. We know they are all on their last nerve, but they are so removed from reality that it is hard to react to their growing fear and tension as the worst comes to pass and aliens invade the planet.

There are some scary scenes, and the photography certainly adds to the mood of utter despair and ultimate fear. But the whole thing just doesn't jell, and the ending is, to my mind, a major copout. Still, it makes for an interesting couple of hours on a boring Saturday night. Just don't expect a masterpiece.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Should of paid attention to the Signs- Bad Movie!
Review: Wow! It's amazing to know that people actually enjoyed this film, because I found it to be unbearable, silly, and not horrifying at all! I kept on looking at my DVD ticker, waiting to get it over with! The dialogue is stupid, unecessary, and lenghty. I noticed that there were a lot of little jokes, which in my opinion, further dampened this horrifyingly bad film. I notice this is the same formula that Stephen King is using: build up the "happiness" of the film and then when the reader or viewer is off guard, start dropping the scary scenes; there's nothing wrong with this theorem, that's the backbone to all scary flicks, but you need to have the right proportions and severity in order to properly execute it.
The aliens little encounters were not scary at all, except for when they unexpectedly pounded on the door, which is the only real scary moment in the film besides the birthday party footage.
If you want to be really inspired watch one of those Touch By An Angel's episode, but if you want to be totally freaked out, don't watch this film.

P.S.: In the film the little boy said that the aliens were hostile, at the end the "hostile" creature just stood there taking in the punches done by the main character's brother.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: People Misunderstood This Film
Review: Most of the people I know that didn't like this movie just misunderstood it's motive. Although it is chillng and makes you jump thoughout the movie, there is a deeper meaning and "moral" to the story. Mel Gibson does his usual great role playing, and Jaquine Phoenix meshes quite well with Gibson's style. The story is great, and simple, not over teched like many of the sci fi's of today. It is a great film for anyone to see, time and time again, not to be scared, but to remember the lesson within the film.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Suspense & Humour
Review: I thought this one was great. Great acting, good plot, lots of suspence. Joaquin Phoenix was fantastic and funny. Talented child actors (a rarity) who were also cute and funny. The writer/director, M. Night Shalaman, also had a decent sized role as the town doctor that he played very well, very Hitchcock of him. And Mel Gibson was as charming as ever. I like movies that dare to have a spiritual message in worldly Hollywood. My husband was really disappointed in the ending but I loved it. Overall, time and money well spent. I give it 3.5 stars.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: It was, like, disappointing.
Review: 'Signs' has a lot of built up tension, but then all of a sudden, the movie just ends. It was disappointing because I expected something more from the ending than what happened. Parts of the story was just plain stupid and didn't make any sense, espicially the flashback about Graham's ex-wife. The performances are fine and it was directed in a strange way.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A pretty suspenseful movie but...
Review: I saw this movie because it was shot less than 10 minutes from where I live. To clear something up- people living in Bucks County don't have accents, have more than one pharmacy, and don't know everyone. In fact, one of the local highschools (we have 3) have more than 1 thousand each. But that is beside the point. I thought the movie was great up until the ending. If they die from water, then what how did they live that long? There's water in the air- water vapor- all the time-especially in the summer, when the film was shot. It rains a ton here too. If they had come across a sprinkler, they would've died on the spot. Besides, there are tons of lakes- here and everywhere else. But what was surprising to me was that the people in the MIDDLE EAST, a desert, is where they figure out that water harms them- that's incredibily dumb.

I for sure thought it was suspensful, but once I realized how stupid the plot really was, it became a 2 star movie for me.


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