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Signs (Vista Series)

Signs (Vista Series)

List Price: $14.99
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Kes Evenstar
Review: It's incredible. It reminds me of real life, like that we should trust God's decisions because we know naught. The little girl's acting didn't want to make me hurl. Little children are picky. Believe me, I live with one. It was creepy and touching. The actors looked like they were really panicking and crying.
It showed what an alien invasion would really be like. I especially loved the "Swing" part. The reactions in it to the situation were very human, like hating God and asking God why do terrible things happen.
It's very moving and religious.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Nothing like "The Sixth Sense"...
Review: Although I enjoyed the performances of Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix (his humor during the tense parts cracked me up) and those of the child actors, I didn't find this movie nearly as good as the director's predecessor. And while one shouldn't compare two different movies it is difficult not to. Several things didn't make sense to me. Was Mel Gibson a former Catholic priest in the movie? He wore a collar and people called him "Father" and wanted to make confessions. However, I didn't think priests could marry and have children? Oh well, just one more confusing part of a much-maligned movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Return of Classic Fear
Review: If you are one of those Hitchcock Fans that were wondering if something close would ever be made once again, here is your answer: Signs
M.Night Shyamalan Deliver us, not his best, but his scariest picture. With a handful direction, and precise vision, he provides us the scariest picture of 2002! And Mel Gibson leads the cast with great talent, followed by the excellent Joaquim Phoenix and Kieran Culkin.
If you are a movie buff, or someone looking for 2 well-spent hours, Do not miss Signs!...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Alien invasion
Review: In this movie, Mel Gibson plays the father of two who left the ministry after his wife died in an accident. Suddenly there are strange signs carved out of his cornfield and he and his brother wonder whether this is by accident or design. Television reports describe similar occurrences all over the world and a pattern begins to emerge. He and his brother disagree over whether they will be protected from harm by the threatening forces around them. Tension is in the movie throughout, and Gibson and the 3 actors who portray his family do a good job. Unfortunately the movie suffers from plot problems and never really reaches its potential. This is a decent evening's entertainment, but no Academy Awards here.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good if you like M. Night Shyamalan
Review: It really wasn't what I was expecting.

Summary:
Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is a former minister who has become an atheist as a result of his wife dying in an car accident. (Ray Reddy, who is played by M. Night Shyamalan, was the person who was driving the truck that killed Graham's wife.) As an atheist he can't really serve his function as minister anymore so he turns to farming. The movie opens up with Graham and his younger brother, Merrill Hess (Joaquin Phoenix) chasing through their cornfields to find Graham's kids, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin) who have wandered off in the early morning. What they end up finding is a crop circle.

The crop circle and the other accompanying spooky occurrences and signs that begin happening are portends of the coming alien invasion. ...

My Comments:
It was obvious if you had heard anything about the movie that it was supposed to about aliens and crop circles. And if you have seen any of M. Night Shyamalan's other movies (Sixth Sense and Unbreakable) then it should have been obvious that there was going to be a twist. If you watch some of the extra features on the DVD, Shyamalan reveals that the movie is based on Hitchcock's The Birds and several other older horror films. Though some might consider the setting (that most of the movie takes place in a house) limiting, I thought it really allowed us to get to know the characters, so that didn't bother me. And, like The Birds, the movie never really explains a lot of what is happening, which did kind of bother me at times. We see what the TV says, but we never really know what is going on. The acting is good and the overall production is fun, but the film ends up with an overtly strong message. I'm not sure if Shyamalan is religious, but if he isn't, he certainly is emphasizing a return to religion or at the very least he is trying to portray religion in a very positive light. What about the fear of God that religious people carry with them? How is that fear any less than the fear of death that atheists have?

Overall, I did enjoy the movie. I thought the message (if you want to call it that) was a bit blatant and that has a tendency to ruin things for me. Also, the story kind of jumped in places and, even though it is fun not to know why certain things are happening, sometimes it is nice to know that they make sense. The movie didn't always make sense. If you like Shyamalan, you should enjoy this. I have heard some people were really frightened by the movie. I thought it was more entertaining than frightening. Shyamalan's forte is not horror films but films with unexpected twists.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best B Movie I've Ever Seen!
Review: M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" definitely ranks near the top of my favorite movies list. When I first walked into the theater to see this movie, I wasn't expecting anything more than a cheesy B movie. It more than exceeded my expectations. Mel Gibson plays his role to perfection, playing a former clergyman who abandoned his faith when his wife was killed by a drunk driver because he doubted God's purpose for pain in a person's life. Then hostile aliens invade Earth, and Gibson's character, Gordon Hess and his family are caught up in a struggle to survive the alien invasion, and Hess returns to his former way of thinking, and believes in God again, having learned a valuable lesson in faith during the course of his struggle to survive the alien invasion. He realizes that it was miraculous that his family lived through the attack, and realizes further that God helped them through it.

The best aspect of this film is the character development. The characters are so well developed and convincing and the cast is perfect in portraying the lives of the individuals. Another excellent aspect of this film is that it is very thought-provoking. I especially enjoyed the flashback that occurs at the end of the movie of Gordon Hess questioning his close friend about where his faith lies. I also enjoyed the music of the film, and have been looking for the soundtrack in stores, but haven't found it yet.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My favorite director
Review: I took about as many breaths in this movie as Rory!
3's the charm, M. Night Shyamalan is now my all time favorite director. Can't wait to see his next film.
LOVED THE MOVIE!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: This just might be one the most well-crafted movies of all time. In an age when gratuitous violence and excessive blood and gore dominate the movies, Shyamalan's attention to detail builds suspense by using the audience' imagination against them. There is no waste in this movie. Every scene, each bit of dialogue has a point. An excellent example of the 'less is more' philosophy. Its a different role for Gibson, but he and the rest of the cast are absolutely up to the task. Signs made me think of the old "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast. It's really more about how one family deals with what is happening around them. One of the most engrossing movies I've seen in a long time. I can't say enough good about it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Look a little deeper, you might be suprised
Review: I really think that a lot of people have missed the subtle point of this movie........it is NOT about aliens. If you are expecting a hollywood blockbuster about alien invasion, and the allies saving the day, then rent Independence Day. This movie is about faith, family and hope, and what happens when these things are taken (or threaten to be taken) away from us. That nothing in the world, good or bad, is a matter of chance it was simply ment to be.

This movie displays one familys struggle with these concepts when there world, and way of life is threaten by an outside force and it appears that God has abandoned them.

Many people have attacked Mel Gibson's portrayal of a father, a reverend who has lost his faith, as a weak attempt at acting, but he is simply playing a man who is still in shock and grieving at the recent loss of his wife. Joaquin Phoenix (Mel's younger brother) is excellent in this film giving it much needed comic relief and providing both hope and faith in the face of his brother's dispair. The two children are also delightful and the cast comes together well as a family.

Watch this film with an open mind and follow the signs to Mel's revelation that there really is someone watching out for us all and we are never really alone.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Well, it started off good ...
Review: Well, it started off good -- no lengthy drawn out beginning, it immediately got into the whole issue of the crop circles (i don't think I'm giving anything anyway by mentioning the circles). Cute kids -- interesting concept -- but towards the end, it seems to have lost its way. What started off as an intriguing concept degenerates to a weird ending. I think M. Night Shamalan (the writer) has tried too hard to make the ending as unique as the Sixth Sense. Came away with a feeling of disappointment as the storyline is resolved.


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