Slow moving. narrow focus.

Rating: 4/10 (15 September 2008)

I woke up in the middle of the night and saw "Signs" all the way through the first time, guided by these reviews. As I read these reviews it seemed we have people from show business and others in related fields. I thank you for giving some very insightful reviews and synopsis.
I still like Mel Gibson even after his recent transgressions. His Road Warrior films were instant cult favorites. I just hoped this movie would put me back to sleep, but these reviews had me thinking.
Only 10 films in 16 yrs. 'listed here at IMDb' and M. Night Shyamalan is declared the next Hitchcock. It is an insult to a great mans legacy. Look up Alfred Hitchcock here at IMDb, check out his stats. He was relevant to his generation, as reflected by his popularity and prodigious body of work. Maybe there are some stylistic similarities to Alfred, but M. Night is missing some crucial elements that made Alfred Hitchcock household words. M. Night Shyamalan is more an Alfred Hitchcock imitator than the implied replacement. I think for the most part M. Night Shyamalan makes movies only film students can appreciate. We common viewers just want something that grabs our attention and holds it. It is also nice when a think piece (as the pacing of this movie suggests) makes sense.
"Spoiler Alert"
No one emotes the fear of having a regular intruder, let alone one of such unusual and dangerous a nature. So the bulb getting busted should have been a much bigger deal.
Another problem was creature design. If you are going to show a creature of this nature, design it so it is well suited to its implied capabilities. Of course warriors can be a different species than the tool makers. M. Nights vision of the Alien Menace, is a naked, slow moving, underpowered creature with claws unsuitable for tool skills. That thing would never have survived natural selection on our brutal planet.
No space ships, space guns, suits or accessories. No expensive locations, nor unique scenery, nor difficult stunts. Nothing complex or painstaking. Few extras, few vehicles, no great logistics duties. At $72,000,000 for production costs "Signs" must have been a good payday for someone.