this will scare the socks off your feet!

Rating: 10/10 (8 August 2002)

my official review: (no spoilers)
"All Signs Are Good"
Signs is aptly titled, not only because of what the movie itself deals with, but also, because it hints at things to come from the brilliant M. Night Shyamalan...
It starts off setting up the story we see in the previews: there's crop circles appearing everywhere...what are they, and whose making them? As the story progresses, we find out, as we all know, that these are indeed alien creations. We then are left to wonder and figure out, "why are they doing this?". This proves to be the underlying question of the movie. Along the way, we experience several jumps and jolts (actually, more like half a dozen) mixed in with refreshing bits of witty humor, an unexpected yet wonderful and ingenious addition to the film. As the plot continues to unfold and reach to deeper depths, we learn the circumstances of the death of Graham's wife, and hence, why he has turned against his once embraced God. There is one particularly striking speech by Hess about types of people that really brings this aspect to heart. At a point in the movie, we finally see the real plot emerge: can this family stick together and make it through, even in spite of the desperate times?
The technical aspects of the movie are outstanding. The acting is top notch, and perhaps even award-worthy for Joaquin Phoenix. The many quirks and subplots of the film provide superb foreshadowing for the rest to come. Everything involved with the movie is beautiful, and were this film to be properly recognized by the academy, I feel it would receive nominations for cinematography, supporting actor (Phoenix), editing, sound, score, screenplay, and directing, and maybe even best picture. Even if one does not find the story to be involving and compelling as I did, they surely must enjoy the movie for it's technical brilliance.
The movie as a whole feels like a superbly crafted mix between a great summer thriller and a moving family drama. Expectations are met, and to some points, exceeded by this film. Others have commented about the story's ending being a letdown, but to me, it was fitting to the real meaning of the movie. Sure, certain aspects of the film are cheesy, such as the some of the visuals and the few plot holes, but it's all in good fun, so my reccomendation is this: see this film, not for a twist ending that won't be there when the time comes, but for a thrilling, taut, and engaging movie-going experience of a lifetime.
9.4 out of 10