Rating: Summary: M. Night Shyamalan finally fell short Review: Knowing that he came up with "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable," I thought that this film was going to live up to that kind of creativity, which it didn't. I was pretty disappointed in the low level of suspense. The film lagged. I looked at my watch expecting to see that it had been almost two hours, when it had only been 45 minutes! I was very bored, and the only reason why I kept watching was because the fact that M. Night Shyamalan made it promised me a great surprise ending, but it didn't! I had a few laughs, but other than that, I was bored and disappointed. It was just under "okay." Kids should be able to see it though. The PG-13 rating is just due to some moments that make you jump (but there aren't many!).
Rating: Summary: You Must Pay Attention Review: This movie requires the viewer to pay close attention and listen carefully to the dialog. Much of the movie's suspense comes from what the actors are saying. The camera work adds to the viewer's uneasy feelings. Watch for scenes where not all of the shot's prime subjects are completely in the frame. It is very deliberate and adds to the mood of the film. Many people were disappointed with this film in comaparison to The Sixth Sense but I believe it is because they did not pay attention to all of the subtleties of this movie.
Rating: Summary: All "Signs" Point to a Bust. Review: "Signs" is a film that labors to show that it's far better than what it really is, but it ends up being silly, derivative, and formulaic. M. Night Shyamalan's new movie is even worse than the anticlimatic "Unbreakable" (2000), which was the followup to his smash hit "The Sixth Sense" (1999). Mel Gibson plays an ex-minister who gave up on his faith when his wife was tragically killed in a car accident. When aliens crash land his home, not only must he act to protect his family, but he's also confronted by some personal inner demons. The setup is promising, but the execution allows the movie to collapse under its own weight. The dialogue (particularly among the kids) is cheesy, the film drags at an incredibly slow pace, and the viewer is distracted by M. Night's annoying cameo appearances. But the biggest kick is when the family, having already been invaded by aliens, take a "vote" to decide whether they should vacate their home. Vote??? To recycle an old joke, if Black people lived in that house, they would have left town--and fast--at the first sight of an alien. To be fair, a few creepy moments do pop up, but by then we've already looked at our watches a half-dozen times. For a decent alien film, you're better off revisiting "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) or, even better, "Alien" (1979) and ignore these "signs."
Rating: Summary: M. Night Shameonme Review: Take one incredibly mysterious unexplained phenomenon, one of Hollywood's most charismatic leading men, a decent cast and this is the best they could come up with? Let's see, a very technologically advanced race of aliens that happen to be allergic to water, travel across the vast expanse of space to invade a planet made mostly of water and rains alot, but somehow forget to pack water proof clothing! Huh...OK, next, an invading army leaves big signs all over the place to peek the curiosity of the locals and alert them of their presence? Guess they never heard of the element of surprise. Who is their C in C? Homer Simpson? Doh! Hard to suspend my disbelief with such attrocious storytelling. Given that Crop Circles are such an incredible mystery in and of themselves, I was at least expecting a really good mystery and a couple of hours of entertainment, unfortunately Signs delivered neither. I had come to amazon to sell my used copy, but now find that I can't bring myself to foist this piece of cinematic doggrel on another human being, it's going to the goodwill... I did finally get my mystery fix based on the Crop Circle phenomena though, it's a documentary called Crop Circles:Quest for Truth. If you're a mystery buff and like to have your intellect challenged, I highly recommend it. You'll watch it over and over, and be convinced that something inexplicably magnificent is going on and will want to know more.
Rating: Summary: Over rated - could have (should have) been much more tense Review: I had high hopes for this movie. I was really hoping M. Night Shyamalan would do something new and interesting with the genre but really it irked me on a number of levels. Hopefully I won't give away any spoilers here but apologies in advance if I do.1. The premise, why would super advanced alien beings capable of interstellar travel invade a planet where the substance that they are extremely vulnerable to covers 70% of that planet's surface? Not that smart for such an advanced race of beings. 2. Why should a young kid conveniently know everything there is to know about a race of super advanced star-people? I understand the whole "creepy kid" thing is a bit of a tradition in the suspense movie genre but I wasn't really sold in this case. 3. Why did the director chose to cast himself in such a prominent role? For those who didn't spot him, M. Night Shyamalan plays the part of Ray Reedy the vet / doctor who is responsible for the car accident which claimed the life of the wife of Mel Gibson's character. Not that he did a bad job, but it did seem a little self-indulgent. 4. If your home was being invaded by anyone, especially Little Green Men, why would you proceed to beat one of them up, lock it in your kitchen pantry and then blag to your curious neighbour about it? 5. M. Night Shyamalan did such a good job of building up tension by keeping the creatures lurking in the shadows and only showing them in silhouette. Why would you shatter all that suspense and tension but then showing your bad guys walking around in broad daylight? This in particular really ruined the movie for me. I am a firm believer that less is more when it comes to this kind of movie. Let the audience's imagination run wild trying to guess what you mystery baddy is rather than exposing it to the world and losing all the shock value. Compare for example the effectiveness and impact of the scene in the coal cellar when compared to the rather cheap shock of the movies final confrontation. This is not to say that I thought this movie was all bad. The acting was at least of reasonable standard, with the two child actor standing out and Mr Phoenix being his reliable self. And the direction was OK, most of gripes are with the story itself. It's nowhere near as suspenseful or satisfying as Sixth Sense, it's not even as good as Unbreakable, it's definitely not M. Night Shyamalan's best movie, which he has probably yet to make.
Rating: Summary: Yep Review: I didn't see this movie until it was released on video. Based on some of my friends opinions: some enjoyed it, some hated it, and some were nuteral. I thougt the movie was better than most said it was. Although it was kind of dissapointing because it built up all this suspense for a simple solution. I loved the young girl. She was cute and amusing. I guess if it is your first time seeing it, it could be quite suspensful. But don't be on the edge of your seat, it could be for nothing.
Rating: Summary: ok for religious or those who have no knowledge of science Review: Its ok as to mel gibson searching for faith (or signs). but the premise is bad, aliens do not develop warpspeed spaceflight technology, come to a 3/4 water planet with their certain weakness, with no technology? and be defeated by a highschool baseball player!
Rating: Summary: Not just an alien movie Review: A really good film must do three things for me - make me laugh, make me cry, and make me think. Signs accomplishes this in grand style. It also helps that M Night keeps you on the edge of your seat with his simple story and fast-paced action. Why should you buy this film? Because you are going to have to see it more than once to really appreciate all of the "signs". This is more than an alien film. This film is about a man losing his faith and finding it again. This film will make you think about all of the "signs" in your own life and what they really mean.
Rating: Summary: "Signs" will stir your emotions! Review: Mel Gibson is wonderful as he plays the role of a man who has lost his faith, but when he needs it most, its there to save the day. Clearly SOME crop circles still defy explanation, and cannot be written off as a mere hoax. This movie tries to answer the question of WHO leaves us these "Signs". This isnt just some absurd Science Fiction movie. This movie will open your mind to the possibilities of the Universe, and will show you that what you thought you knew...you may need to rethink. Thats what this movie does in its purest form....it makes you think, and ponder the beautiful, albeit sometimes scary mysteries of the Universe. "Signs" will stir your emotions, and is very reminiscent of the Classic "Scary" movies. It will leave an impression on you, for sure.
Rating: Summary: A MOVIE WHICH CAN GIVE SOME WONDERFULL... DREAMS Review: I have seen this movie yesterday (tuesday) in the night and i've never been able to quit my eyes of my T-V !!! ... It's the first time which a movie can make that for me ! MEL GIBSON, PHOENIX and the two childs, and the evident NIGHT SHYAMALAN realy, are merveillous, fabulous ! Mister NIGHT SHYAMALAN, probably, is now after this great movie a serious concurent for Mister Steven SPIELBERG but ( with a good consideration for them )I have a high respect for a man who's able to make many goods movies !
|