Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This movie I must say was a very good movie. If you don't think the same, you are dumb. The people who might find it the most interesting would probably be anyone who ever had any intrest at all in extraterrestrial life, crop circles, or UFOs. It may seem a little boring to someone who hasn't. Enough gabbing, and let's get to the movie. This movie definently makes exterrestrial life look like they could be real so easily. Just with things being reported and this movie, you may want to think twice before you say it's all a hoax. It just makes the exsistance of extraterrestrial life and UFOs so easily believable. Anyway, lots of unexpected things happen that may make you jump. This movie is sure to please any sci-fi/horror fan. What made me see this movie was the fact that I've had a recent intrest is crop circles. If you want to be creeped while watching this movie, get surround sound speakers for your home. Let me tell you, I did, and a couple moments were pretty creepy. When it makes the sound in the movie of an alien on the roof, or behind a wall, or door, or whatever, making creaking wood sounds, It sounds like something's in your house with a speaker everywhere. When I watched this movie I had a speaker right behind me, and every time an alien was makeing sounds, the speaker behind me just made me have to look. This review just seems to going nowhere, so now, I'll say stuff about the movie.
The movie is about a family in Bucks County Pennsylvania who wakes up one morning and finds a huge crop sign in there field of corn. Grahm Hess(Mel Gibson) dismisses it as a hoax and wonders who it could be. His mind kind of changes when he sees a non-human leg walk into the corn. On the TV News there are reports of these signs all over the world, along with some UFO sightings to go with them. They board up the windows and doors, have a last meal, and head for the basement. They fear they will not make it through the night and are surprised when the wake up in the morning. They go upstairs and... This is an unexpected part and I will not tell you. You must see the movie if you want to know. Over-all, a great movie!
Rating: 
Summary: Nightmare in Buck County
Review: M.Night Shyamalan is a director with great style. His visions are unique. His focus is always fresh, and clear. Like Spielberg, he tackles various genre, and he is able to wring out new perspective; and he uses children as a primary vehicle to inhabit the world both with a sense of wonder and fear. Much has been written about the lapses of logic in this film, yet I find its stylistic flair masks its imperfections perfectly. Shyamalan has woven a nightmare for us, pregnant with primal fears and suspensful moments; and like any other bad dream, certain things are out of balance. We, as the viewers don't realize the director's intent and perspective. We respond literally, and certain questions nag us.... why don't the Hess boys own a gun ? Why don't the aliens know more about the dangers of earth's environment ? Haven't the armies of the earth mobilized to fight them, and if so, what are the results ? Why don't the aliens use more technology to attack us ? And we wonder is this an actual weakness in the writing, or do we expect too much, have seen too much F/X laden Sci-Fi, loaded with pyrotechnics ? Reviewers seem conficted on these points. I tended to enjoy the film, praising the performances, and was propelled along on the crest of emotion as this family faced its peril. Mel Gibson, as lapsed minister Graham Hess, gives a heartfelt performance that reminds us what a fine actor he really is. His humanity, his doubts and fears, just leap off the screen. When he converses with his wife, as she is dying, love is wrenched from his grasp, torn from his chest. He is left with an inability to continue to believe in God, and a deep despair that grips him like a choke collar. Later, when he is holding his son in the basement, while the boy is having an asthma attack, one can see clearly that Mel, as an actual parent, intensily loves his own children. Joaquin Phoenix was very effective as the brother Merrill. He filled in the strength that Mel needed, to continue on the farm, to raise his children, and to fight against the alien menance that threatened to destroy them. Rory Culkin as Morgan, the son, was likewise quite good. His intellect and bravery, gave us a tiny hero to cheer for, and to pray for. Abigail Breslin, as Bo the daughter, was wonderful. She is a beautiful child, secure in her naturalness, and strangely calm as the hectic drama swirled about her. Cherry Jones, as officer Paski, brought dignity and warmth to the role of the local constabulary. It was refreshing to see a woman in this role. Principally, this is a 1950's invasion film, just cloaked in a modern perspective. There is no Spielberg sweetness and benevolence dropping on us from the night sky; rather these aliens are the stuff of 1930's pulp fiction and B movies. The aliens are out to conquer and harm. They are the bogeymen, and the things that howl and go bump in the night, staring through our windows, and running across our rooves. And they are the stuff of allegory and prophecy and symbolism. There are myriads of layers within this black dream. Enjoy them.
Rating: 
Summary: If Only There Were Half Stars
Review: M. Night Shyamalan has a bad habit of putting himself in his movies. It is very irritating when a director puts him or herself in an important role in a film and acts like a piece of drift wood. For most of the first half, I alternated between thinking how good it was at scaring me (which is no easy feet) and being bored. Unfortunately, the dialog left both a lot to be desired and a lot unexplained. At times what they were saying was completely disjointed. One of the conversations between Gibson and Cherry Jones, for instance, made little to no sense. On top of the plot holes (which there were many) and the plot contrivances (which there were many), it almost seemed like they couldn?t decide what to make the movie about. Apparently it was about Gibson's character's finding renewed faith in God, which is all good and fine. Except at no point in the film was there an act of God. If there had been an effort to show some Godly sign, I could follow that, but there never was one. I was entertained, even with occasional "hurry it along" feelings, for the first 3/4 of the movie, but the last part had me beyond irritated and feeling jerked around by a hack. It's almost like they just slapped the ending on, leaving me stranded with all of those horror movie cliches (Don't ever say, "I'll be right back", because YOU WON'T!) ringing in my ears. Basically, SIGNS was a good idea that was badly executed with a serious need for a new ending.
Rating:
Summary: This is not about space aliens!
Review: read several of the other reviews, and decided that a new perspective was needed. IMHO, this movie is more of a parable than a entertainment vehicle. The plot is secondary to the issues that are explored - not the least of which is whether there is a god... and the great part is that they are just explored, not solved for you. For instance, Mel Gibson delivers one of the best arguments against there being a god that I have heard, but also reconsiders at the end. That being said, it is also a damn fine entertaining movie. The alien attack thing is totally ridiculous, but that's almost the point. You must suspend your disbelief and "get into it" to enjoy it, and if you do, it will scare the hell out of you. It's as if M.N.S. has channelled the spirit of Alfred Hitchcock! He understands that the scariest thing he can possibly show is nothing at all - your imagination will supply the perfect scary image if the stage has been set properly. So this movie is one of those very rare works of art that is both aesthetically pleasing and deeply meaningful.
Rating:
Summary: Barely Tolerable
Review: I saw this movie when it came out in theaters. It was one of those lazy days in jersey, so I figured that the movies would be a nice place to escape the heat. This movie was absolutely horrible. It was not scary or thrilling. Signs was extremely over hyped and over rated. I can not believe that Mel Gibson would want to be a part of this horrible movie. The scariest part of the movie was when the dog barked unexpectedly. From the cliché use of crop circles to the lame attack of aliens, this movie was worthless. I would rather spend my money on a chick flick than this movie. At least a chick flick has some sort of comic relief. I would recommend any movie over this one. If you feel the need to subject yourself to the torture of watching this movie, wait until it comes out on cable. I was so tempted to leave the theater. Take my advice: spend your $.. on something of value.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I, too, had heard questionable reviews about this film, but I was completely blown away. Everything in this movie fit. The histories of the characters are woven into the plot. You see that the paths they could have taken instead of the paths they did take ultimately led toward the final conclusion. Awesome.
Rating: 
Summary: How stupid is this movie?
Review: Let's see, we've got aliens who can travel the stars, but can only navigate across the earth using crop circles. Aliens who communicate on low-tech AM radio so they can be detected on a baby monitor. Aliens who have the technology to create giant invisible space ships, yet are so pathetic they cannot break down a door or boarded window, who are so weak that one can be trapped by a veterinarian in his pantry. The first time we see an alien, it looks like a mime in a green suit. And the message: Mel Gibson has lost his faith in the early scenes. Will he regain his faith by the end of the movie? Three guesses. All the money and technology behind this film, and in the service of ... what? A third rate 1950's sci fi story that would have been rejected by Astounding stories. I've given it two stars because it was entertaining in parts, had some okay performances, and the aluminium foil hats were funny.
Rating:
Summary: Slick, suspenseful but a bit hyped
Review: I waited months for this movie to come out. *Signs* is not a bad movie save for the fact that it is not all that creepy. Call it a sci-fi thriller rather than horror film, *Signs* is about how an unknown mysterious set of crop circles elaborate overnight in a field owned by Graham Hess (played by Mel Gibson). Graham is a minister who has lost his faith after his wife is killed. Joaquin Phoenix plays his brother Merrill who has just moved in to take care of Graham's two children. After sighting the crop circles in his cornfield, Graham quickly dismisses any potential threat and concludes it as a hoax, hoping to appease his disturbed children. A series of strange events including the reported sightings of UFOs on TV escalate Graham's alert about these mysterious crop circles. Rumor has it that it could be a new round of alien invasion. The movie has a slow start but quickly builds up the suspense. For a long time the suspense really has it on the audience that something horrible might creep up around the Graham's house. The scene in which Gibson and Phoenix roam about into the cornfield at night is creepy. Otherwise it's more like a sci fi thriller. Beautiful cinematography. 39/50 = 3.9 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, small movie
Review: This movie asks two profound questions: Am I alone? Are we alone? It addresses them thoughtfully, with subtlety and restraint. The answers to both questions remain elusive, but Shyamalan leads us down a valuable pathway in this eternal search. The strong direction brings out compelling characters, as expressed by a superior cast. Cherry Jones is fantastic. For that matter, so are Gibson, Phoenix and the rest. Signs is NOT a B-movie, and it is NOT an action movie. It is NOT even a sci-fi movie per se. Rather, it presents a grieving family in the face of an existential crisis (or two, actually). This movie speaks to life's most basic questions with emotion and clarity. It does not compete with Aliens (which I also loved) or Independence Day in any way at all. If that's what you are looking for, do not buy this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Ineffectual aliens frighten dimwitted farmers
Review: How silly is this move? They have the ax in the basement, but forget it when they go up the stairs! And who can be afraid of alians that do not even have pockets. The best argument for keeping a home defense firearm since the Panic Room. Not a bad movie -- just an inadequate story.
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