we get the film...it just ain't that deep

Rating: 1/10 (19 August 2002)

Mr.Shyamalan is a promising commodity when faced with the mind numbing lowest common denominator fodder we have shoved in our faces from most hollywood productions...I'll be the first to admit that. A brief glimpse of the coming attractions before "signs" is more than enough evidence of that. However, I cannot see how he's succeeded in bringing us much more in this latest effort.
"Signs" does manage to keep my attention, however, it is ultimately a sadly uneven film. Too many films have played with a central character who's lost his faith only to gain it again through some extraordinary sufferings. This story has been appearing time and again since the Bible. However, the ultimate failing of "signs" is that it hasn't illuminated this story in a way that it hasn't been before. The strength of M.Night Shyamalan's previous work is that it has offered an aggressively unique approach, and has sought to play with the mind of the audience. The only way that "Signs" played with my mind was the dumbfounded feeling I had waiting for my mind to played with. It's straightforward approach jammed into a pseudo artistic wrapper is more insulting than a movie that slaps me in the face with it's formulaic weapons.