Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin.
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

First, let me just say that seeing Signs was made that much better because the Itoop-meister himself was in the room with us. Now for the review.

"Oh, a movie about crop circles. How 1991," some may have said, dismissing M. Night Shyamalan�s creepy Signs. Yes, there are crop circles in the movie, and aliens as well, but Signs is not a movie about those things. They are merely used as a plot device for the greater theme, which is faith in a higher being.

Mel Gibson plays Graham Hess, a former reverend who quit the church went his wife died in a senseless accident, six months prior. He lost his faith and now refuses to believe. Then, crop circles begin to appear in his Pennsylvania fields. At first, he and his brother Merrill (played by Joaquin Phoenix) figure it's just a bunch of kids screwing around. But when the animals start acting freaky, and then a Graham glimpses thin green legs disappear into his fields, he knows something's up. Soon after, a creature in caught by a camcorder at some kid's birthday party. Then mysterious lights appear over major cities in the world. And everyone begins talking about the end of the world, causing Graham to re-evaluate his faith. Will there be a surprise ending?

Speaking of endings, this one is somewhat of a let-down. It's ok, but nothing too spectacular. Maybe we've been spoiled by Shyamalan�s previous endings, but this one seems...(don't say contrived...don't say contrived...)contrived, in a way. Its adequate, but not as satisfying as it should have been, given the rest of the movie. From the beginning, Shyamalan works to creep us out and he does it very effectively. This is one scary movie. Not in a "boo" kind of way (although there is some of that), but scary in that we're always tense, on edge. The viewer is always in a strange state of discomfort. Yet it's very engaging. I was absorbed by every minute on screen, and with the rest of the movie being so good, it's hard to cap that off with a properly satisfying ending. Oh well.

As for the acting, it's solid as can be expected. Phoenix is hilarious as the semi-comic relief, and Gibson is good, too, but the kids who play Gibson's kids (Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin) are excellent. What's up with Shyamalan and finding good kid actors? If George Lucas could have done that, maybe Episode I wouldn't have sucked in every non-lightsabre scene. The only knock is that they sometimes tend to overact. You know, when it's painfully obvious that the actors are trying ever so hard to cry. Or they whisper their lines. I mean, who whispers? Otherwise, excellent.

Not quite up to The Sixth Sense but better than Unbreakable, Signs is an un-cheesy alien invasion movie that will entertain thoroughly.

DroopyMcC
Jack