Rating: 
Summary: Que desilusión !
Review: Esta película ha sido una desilusión para mi pues con un protagonista como Mel Gibson esperaba algo más. Aún cuando tenía los elementos para convertirse en tremendo éxito el final de la película echó todo por la borda, yo esperaba algo más. Es como si luego de armar tremenda película se cansaran al final y la terminaron como quiera. No la recomiendo, mejor adquirir otra película de Steven Speilberg.
Rating: 
Summary: Jebus some people are dense
Review: Of all the negative reviews I've read here, none gave a single decent reason as to why this movie might have been bad. Too slow? GROW AN ATTENTION SPAN. Technical details don't add up? STOP NIT-PICKING. The last thing this movie is about is technical details. Seriously, if you can't appreciate the way this movie builds up suspense and character through the first hour then you have no appreciation of subtlety and good story telling. This movie isn't for the mindless, let me tell you. It's a movie for people who can appreciate and remember what movies are made for; telling a story. And such a story. No saving the world here, no hokey humanity-coming-together bs; just a man trying to save his family. It is such personal dramas that make or break any movie, summer blockbuster or no, and this one is rich with defining moments that give this family tangible depth and emotion. So much so that you begin to feel helpless as the invasion begins and they become trapped. If, that is, you can at least appreciate and understand the value of family/loved ones. If not, you got some growing up to do.
Rating:
Summary: The Night of Gibson's Decline
Review: Don't folks on farms in rural Pennsylvania at least own a shotgun or two? If so, this stupid movie might have proved very interesting in the first 30 minutes but as it turns out, "Signs" is a simpering, derivitive and imitative film that proves there's nothing new under director M. Night Whatshisname's sun. I'll only say this about the plot, to give it away and hopefully save you the time and money you might otherwise spend on this junk: The theme of aliens-as-gods-come-to-save-us has been overdone. And: A competent cast in the hands of a bad director can't do much to improve a stupid script. Gibson does not have to resort to movies like this to make a living. He was once a powerful presence on the screen, witness his interpretation of Hamlet, but in recent years he's been taking on roles far beneath his true talents as an actor, in this movie portraying a character who wouldn't say "garbage" if he had a mouth full of it. So I have reluctantly concluded that he is not ageing graciously in his craft. Oh, where, oh, where is Mad Max when you need him?
Rating: 
Summary: Shyamalan is the next Hitchcock
Review: I've got no trouble saying that Signs is one of the 20 best movies ever made. M. Night Shyamalan is one of my favorite filmmakers (I put The Sixth Sense in the top 50 movies). I've no doubt that as time goes on, he will be recognized as the next Hitchcock. Their styles are very familiar--both have tight control over their film, with as little takes and editing possible, and both allow the audience's imagination to do the work. Both treat the audience as an intelligent being, and not some mindless drone. We have a true talent with M. Night Shyamalan. What makes Signs so great isn't the cgi (which Night doesn't like to use). It's the human drama, the story of this family, their hurt, and how they mend. And it is a story of faith--having it and losing it. It doesn't matter so much what is going on outside of the farmhouse, whether it is world war 3, an alien invasion, or just a hard winter. The true story is how these four family members interact with each other. First their is Mel Gibson, who plays an ex-reverend who lost his faith when his wife died. Gibson puts forth one of the strongest performances I've seen him give. It may be his finest performance. Joaquim Phoenix definitely gives the best performance of his career, as Gibson's younger brother. He's both strong and vulnerable. Rory Caulkin plays Gibson's son, and this may be Night's true talent, finding child actors and bringing such strong performances from them. But it is Abigail Breslin, who plays Gibson's daughter, who steals the show. She's an adorable child, who gives her lines with such a deadpan grace and humor. You can bet the best scenes, and some of the best lines, are hers. Rounding out the cast is M. Night Shyamalan (who gives a strong performance) and Cherry Jones as Officer Paski. What makes the movie so great is the mood Night evokes. The entire movie feels tragic, sad--it feels like the entire movie has been tinted blue. But through the movie's sorrow, Night still brings humor and hope. It's an emotionally charged movie. Combine that with James Newton Howard's amazing score (based on a three note motiff, evocative of Psycho) that never overpowers the movie, but enhances it. And the movies sound effects and dialogue mix perfectly with the music. The two never fight each other, but work together to give the viewer one of the best movie going experiences. The Vista Series dvd is a great value. Shyamalan's dvds always contain the bare minimum, but you never feel cheated. In addition to a great movie, the Signs dvd gives you a few deleted scenes and another of Night's movies he made as a kid. This one, his first 'creature' movie. There's no commentary, but there is a six part making of featurette (here's the real value of the dvd). I've seen a lot of making of and behind the scenes documentaries and featurettes, but none of this quality. You don't need a commentary track with these featurettes. Part one covers the writing of the screenplay, two covers the building of the sets (including the corn), three is the longest (22 minutes) and is the 'making of' documentary, four covers the effects (which really only is the creature), five is last voices and deals with scoring the movie, and the final featurette, "Full Circle", Night covers the business aspects of filmmaking--the marketing.
Rating:
Summary: A really frightening movie!
Review: I had been told by a friend that this was a very slow and uninteresting movie. To my delight, I found this movie so suspensefull that I had to keep myself from pausing the movie and leaving the room. This movie has a wonderful mix of a man's inner struggle with what he believes and what happens to this belief when that man is brought through the most terrifying experience he could imagine. After a hectic beginning, the movie unfolds with an increasing uneasiness that something is lurking at the family farm. This feeling continues to build through the movie until the family is forced to use anything they can find to protect themselves and eventually, actively confront the alien. The choice of what could destroy the alien was a little weak. It reminded me of the movie "The day of the Triffids". However, the great long shots, atmosphere and quietness worked together to make a really scary movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for the weak hearted
Review: Signs is a great movie but its fear factor is seemingly weak in size. The comedy streched above the horror. Mel Gibson is a great actor and I do feel that this was one of his stong movies but the sci-fi aliens that are supposed to enslave earth were not creepy wahatsoever and viewing this movie I didn't get one bit nervous. Though the mystery and the suspense was unique due to the build up of the aliens actually ariving. I do belive that is was wise for Luxembugh ratings to grant three stars to "SIGNS"
Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: Most Directors get a project to direct and they are praised for it. Very few write their own material and are able to visually make a masterpiece for all of us to enjoy.
I loved this film for its many undertones that the storyline takes you through.
It's not a science fiction film, it's a drama about a family and how they deal with life, with an alien invasion and ultimate how they are redeemed by the signs that were there all along.
This film comes together beautifully. A definite classic of our time.
Rating:
Summary: The people that don't like it are the ones that don't get it
Review: Back when Alfred Hitchcock was alive and making his first few films, I wonder if people really understood what a visionary filmmaker they had on their hands? I trust that only hindsight has brought an accurate assessment of the talent and skill posessed by the brillian filmmaker as well as the immense contribution he's made the the industry as a whole. M. Night Shyamalan is the only filmmaker in recent times that will be looked back upon from the future with a similar perspective. Signs is the fifth movie by the writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, though few people have ever heard (much less seen) his first two. Most people erroneously believe The Sixth Sense to be his first film, but I say they are partly right. With the Sixth Sense, Night was reborn as a film maker, not in terms of success but in his understanding of how to make films. It was as if the first two films were just learning experiences; practice runs. After all, who considers a director's student films when looking back at their work? One of the amazing things about Night's work is his skillful use of symbolism and metaphor. It brings a very poetic feel to his storytelling lacking in just about every hollywood film out there. Even more amazing is his use of distractions and double meanings to tell you a story that you don't even realize your being told till the end. He's like a great stage magician; the wonderment is in what you don't see, even though it's right in front of your face. The problem with Night is that he is too good at what he does (and perhaps typical audience member's brain is too atrophied due to the constant deluge of brainless hollywood ... thrown on the screen to understand). I see people condemning Signs for being a poor example of an alien invasion movie, or about alleged flaws in the aliens' design, behavior, motivations, etc.. Unfortunately people like this are why brainless, big-budget garbage like Independence Day (ID4) makes more money. Just because the movie poster has a picture of a crop circle with the word signs right above it does not mean that's what the movie is about; not with M. Night Shyamalan it doesn't. Like The Sixth Sense, Signs points out early on what the film is about, yet people unbelievably fail to get it. Signs is no more about aliens than The Sixth Sense was about a kid who could ghosts or than Titanic is about a sinking ship. The main character is a priest who has lost his faith. The signs he is meant to see are not the ones in his corn crop, but like the audience, that is all he can see. Night masterfully keeps you focused on something else while he weaves his magic. The real signs are only finally understood when the characters understand them giving you a profound connection to them and the story. Award worthy performances seal the deal, making Signs a worthy addition to Night's three films. If you've already seen the film, you really didn't need to read the preceeding words. But perhaps you are wondering whether or not to get the DVD. I was excited to hear that Signs (like Unbreakable) was being released directly as a Vista Series release. Vista Series releases are known for their slick deluxe packaging, extra discs, loads of extra features, and superb audio and video formats. If you've seen the Vista Series versions of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Tombstone, etc. then you understand what I am talking about. Signs has "Vista Series" stamped on the cover, but missing is just about everything you've come to expect. The DVD is one disc in a plain ole plastic case, and while it does have some nice extra features there are even less then the non-Vista Series release of The Sixth Sense. Basic extras that you've come to expect such as trailers, cast/crew bios, etc are non-existent. There is a nice little behind the scenes documentary. In it we hear about Night's insistance that the film be marketed in certain ways and small clips of the trailers are shown for examples. This only makes me want the trailers included on the disc even more. Leaving them off a premier edition disc is simply inexcusable. There are some deleted scenes, but they are still rough and unfinished and are devoid Night's standard commentary explaining why they were cut. Speaking of commentary, there isn't ANY at all anywhere even for the film itself. The disc only has one english audio format; Dolby 5.1. No choice for DTS or even 2-Channel Surround for those without decked out home theatre systems. This DVD is not worthy of the Vista Series label. It is a direct deceit to those who have come to expect quality from the label. What's worse is that I smell executive gold digging attempting to extort more money from faithful fans with the release of a more deluxe version in the future. This would be the biggest sin. Executives have already got people to buy The Sixth Sense again by releasing the awesome Vista Series version. Now with Signs we get had again, or we get stuck with a shoddy, skimpy DVD release of a great film.
Rating:
Summary: MELS DONE BETTER WORK
Review: I FOUND THIS MOVIE BORING AND TO LONG.WAR OF THE WORLDS TYPE,WITH NOT ENOUGH WAR OR WORLDS.PERHAPS THE CRITICS WHO RATED THIS 5 STARS WERE AT A DIFFERENT SHOW THAN I WAS?? SAVE YOUR MONEY,IF YOU MUST HAVE IT GO TO RENTAL STORE AND GET IT USED FOR HALF PRICE.
Rating:
Summary: Goosebumps abound!: Skillful, crafty, sly, but beautiful.
Review: Every year there is a point where I (mentally, at least) give up on mainstream American cinema and relegate myself to enjoying classics or smaller budget, obscure, foreign, or indie films. Imagine my surprise when I found myself hooked to the first 3 minutes of this film, and then enjoying it. But first, factoids on the DVD: This DVD is good, above average even. The DVD itself is not as packed as some DVD's are these days, but it's definitely worth the money as you will undoubtedly learn interesting facts about this film. Deleted scenes are interesting to watch, like most deleted scenes are. It does have a lengthy behind the scenes special (never shown on TV, made especialyl for the DVD) which includes interviews with cast and crew and lots of commentary by Shyamalan. One of the more fascinating, and slightly ironic, tidbits revealed here was how the first day of shooting was to be September 11, 2001. What was suprising was what they were planning to shoot (won't divulge, a spoiler scene), how they shot it, the vigil they held, and how that moment effected them, were all poignant and slightly eery. Back to the film. The film is scary, it's very scary, and it delights in the stuff that scares people and little kids on a day to day basis: reflections, sounds, music, intense paranoia (paranoia is a very big factor in this film). But believe me, the threat of alien invasion is hardly what this film is about. Many scary films these days rely totally on their scare factor, this film made the wise decision not to. It uses what is scary in the film as a tool to hammer in a bigger point about faith and trust and family. Where that may sound as though it's delving into the awfully sappy world of Hallmark Hall of Fame, it's not. The film rather reminded me of The Twilight Zone (though, strangely, Shyamalan does not list that series as a basis or inspiration in the documentary). The film centers around the Hess family who suffered a devastating blow after a rather gruesome tragedy. The portrayal of grief and death and everyone's estrangement is cold and sharp, there's nothing sweet about this movie. The tone of the film has a deadpan humor to it. Everything is stricken and old looking (Graham Hess, Gibson's character, is a preacher, and a lot of his Victorian country farmhouse looks like it's full of hand me downs), except for the muted and lush visuals of the gorgeous countryside. The music (especially at the beginning, which in a theatre was loud and shocking), is deliciously creepy and chilling yet at the same time works for dramatic purposes, kudos to James Newton Howard for such a skillfull piece of work. Tak fujimoto's cinematography milks the fear, bleakness, and sarcasm from the air by the gallons. Bravo! And finally, the fears of the family about the strange occurences, and their desperation when the super sci-fi situation seemingly gets out of hand, feels very, very real, and keeps you juggling, just like the characters, for a good while as to what is real and what isn't. The actors are the same. They're honest and blunt with their styles. They all gel their performances and characters together to create a world onscreen that becomes realistic, they are realistic. It's a horror movie, it has to be believable. The characters are flawed, with idiosyncrasies, they aren't perfect specimens, they all have something that's wrong with them, physically, mentally, spiritually, they are human after all, yet we still accept them. This really fleshes the movie out and makes it more believable and them more endearing, and ultimately, rewarding. For example: the devestated Graham Hess' interaction with his children is often listless, he worries about them, but often can't express his feelings, so they tend to turn to their uncle for any solace (wonderfully played by Joaquin Phoenix in a rare role for him as the normal, suave, and slightly comedic Merrill Hess, a man who embarrassingly failed at minor league baseball). Cherry Jones turns up in a wonderfully played supporting role as a local police officer and friend of the family's. It's not often that you watch someone get so much out of a limited supporting role and give so much back to the benefit of the film as Ms. Jones does with her role. And you remember her character and performance. Kudos to her. This film is unpretentious and sly. Everything about this film works towards the goal, in the end everything fits like a jigsaw puzzle, I can't say much lest I give away any vital plot points, but let me say that it makes you believe it's all about one aspect of the movie, then hits you with a larger theme and message, but you're so wrapped up with the scary part, you forget about the latter. The "big twist" is not supernatural but human. The ending is one of the more ingenious and truly beautiful endings I have seen in years. Like Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, this film craftfully weaves drama with horror. Where I found the other two films applaudable and superbly crafted, I found "Signs" was truly endearing to me. There's something about how it gives you goosebumps during the frightening parts, yet also the human "drama" parts that was different from many a film I've seen. I rarely get goosebumps watching people interacting with each other, most of the time films can be so banal, pretentious, and cliched, human drama loses all effect, but not here. And ultimately, when the scare factor rubs off, the film retains it's rewatchability. It's a fun entertaining movie that was perfect as a summertime hit, yet it's also a stunning, stirring film that wasn't afraid to use unconventional means to get a higher, more profound, message across.
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