Rating: Summary: Much Ado About Nothing Review: Do you enjoy feeling manipulated? This silly, pretentious, contrived, ultimately meaningless movie jerks you around for 106 minutes, stringing you along with one "teaser" episode after another, and finally ends on empty. It's a well-acted, well-photographed, well-directed waste of time, energy, and resources. Save your money.
Rating: Summary: B-O-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-I-N-G Review: This is the slowest, flattest, lamest movie I have ever seen. Save your money. Do not be insulted into buying this movie by reviewers like miamix. They are embarassed at having wasted money on the crud and want everyone else to suffer, too. Hafway through the movie, Phoenix tells you "this movie is War of the Worlds". LISTEN TO HIM! It is, even down to the ending. Watch the original War of the Worlds, instead.
Rating: Summary: BORING ! Review: This movie was so boring, I had to quit watching it after an hour. Just like he did with Unbreakable, the director puts you asleep after an intriguing beginning. How about that scene where Rory Culkin talks to Aliens with a baby monitor... I bet Mel Gibson was wondering what the hell he was doing there.
Rating: Summary: His best so far. Review: I was pleasantly surpised by Signs. After the insanely overrated Sixth Sense and the comic book Unbreakable I wasn't expecting much. Ironicly, this movie about an alien invasion has more of a human feel.Nothing original here...even spilling water on aliens goes way back (to Day Of The Triffids, if I recall) but the mixture of doom and humor seemed just about right to me. Of course if he wanted to make it truly mysterious, at the end the alien would have cured the kid leaving us to wonder if all the aliens were bad. Too sophisticated--I know.
Rating: Summary: Predictable, lots of whispering Review: Maybe this guy is a one trick pony, but as brilliant as Sixth Sense was, Unbreakable was horrible. This film is somewhere in the middle. Perhaps its tremendous sales figures come from everyone in Bucks County seeing it 12 times. Scarey movies and comedies are the 2 toughest films to do well, and while this is beautifully shot, it looks as though you are seeing repeats of cinematic devices used to better effect in 6th. All of his trademark devices are there: kids in suspense, adults talking in whispers, cameo by the director, (where's Willis?) but while I love the idea of de-Spielbergizing ET, this comes off as an overlong episode of the Outer Limits. It's OK, just I don't get the fuss. Mel Gibson seems bent on tackling Michael Caine's "I'll do any movie" approach toward film roles, and while he is quite believable, one misses the edge he used to bring to roles. Phoenix is excellent, and really the best thing about this film. The corn fields in Doylestown are beautiful. And if you ever drive through Bucks these days, you'll notice that the invasion is from Real Estate merchants and not ETs. Oh that a toss of water would make them disappear. Wait! Wasn't there some movie in the 30's that made the villain disappear with water? hmmm, I must be melting. I see dead scripts.
Rating: Summary: Stylish, but much ado about nothing Review: I had high hopes for this film, which were quickly dashed, to my great disappointment. A phenomenal trailer, we must never forget, often masks an utterly disappointing film. M. Night Shyamalan 's two follow-ups to the riveting and thought-provoking THE SIXTH SENSE have left me cold, as both UNBREAKABLE and this film have style to spare and little in terms of story or believable characters. Joaquin Phoenix does an admirable job in his attempt to create a fully realized human being, despite being saddled with some foolish dialogue, and the director himself makes a strong impression in a pivotal cameo, but Mel Gibson's performance is artificial and overbearing. His overacting in the dinner table scene made me absolutely cringe--it truly borders on embarrassing. Not for a moment did I believe his characterization, which was one of the greatest disappointments of the film. The director creates a striking atmosphere, and the film benefits from good art direction and impressive camerawork, but there is more thought, more originality, and more payoff in any first-or-second season episode of THE X-FILES than there is in this highly touted, but startling empty film.
Rating: Summary: terrible Review: I'm sure that this director thinks he's very intelligent writing stuff like this, how wrong can he be... the difference with this and for example Armageddon is that Armageddon knows that it's a summer blockbuster, blow em up... but this one thinks that it's a spiritual thriller, or whatever they call it... which it isn't... that's the difference between a movie that KNOWS what it is and a movie that THINKS to know what it is... don't watch this junk...
Rating: Summary: Get a grip Review: Warning- this review contains spoilers. How can you take seriously a movie in which aliens travel across the galaxy, but forget to bring weapons? In which the the hero, knowing aliens are in his town allows his small children a vote about whether or not to leave? Knowing the aliens are coming, does he arm himself and his family? Do they even bother to grab knives from the kitchen? Do they call their neighbors, the police or the army? No no no. And these aliens, who have cloaking devices and spacecraft, but are seriously allergic to water, why do they land on a planet that is mostly water? Especially without spacesuits? And, by the way, how do they breathe the Pennsylvania summer air, which has to be 95% humididy?
Rating: Summary: Great Film Review: It's hard to believe all the negative responses for this movie. And even harder to believe that people are still comparing M. Night's work to the Sixth Sense....(ie "I see dead people" movie) It is obvious the man has moved on to better things. It started with Unbreakable, and his growth continues in Signs. Someone mentioned that there was not enough "sci-fi" to it. Well guess what? Its not a "sci-fi" movie. Go watch Star Trek or Star Wars if you want to see sci-fi. This movie really was not about aliens, it was about a man coming to grips with his faith. And if people could not see that then they don't deserve to enjoy such a wonderfully made film. Someone also mentioned that the ending was [poor]. Oh excuse M. Night if he did not have the sight to make another Independance Day, and we are all awe stuck by watching the Aliens blow up the White House and see the president go to Area 51. Now that would be original...not! This movie is in a class of its own. And I am glad that there are still directors out there that can make quality films as does M. Night.
Rating: Summary: Could have been great.... Review: This film is wonderfully chilling and makes excellent use of suspense throughout but unfortunatley is let down in it's underlaying theme. The director's obsession with the subject of faith does not rest and it's kind of rammed down the viewer's throat in a rather shallow and patronising way. Shalyman has an obvious talent but rather spoilt this potentially fantastic film with his cheesy narrative drive. Certainly worth watching as it is still well made, drawing all the ingredients of a good sci-fi/thriller (but with a couple of unneccessary ones thrown in.)
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