Very disappointing

Rating: Null/10 (18 August 2002)

I was looking forward to "Signs" but, unfortunately was let down big time. Stylish and atmospheric, yes, and marginally suspenseful -- but for what? An incredibly silly plot that somehow meshes ex-minister Mel Gibson's loss of faith with a full-scale earth invasion by some pretty dense aliens. Here we have extraterrestrials who are apparently advanced enough to travel umpteem light years to our planet, carve elaborate crop circles all over the globe, yet can't seem to figure out how to enter a boarded-up farmhouse. And what is their goal? It seems to be to abduct earth kids and squirt them with poison gas from an extendable nozzle in their forearms. I mean, this plot would have been laughed off the screen in the 1950s. And what is the aliens' Achilles heel? Water! Who'd have thought? Certainly not these brilliant green E.T.'s who travel to a planet that is 75% water! The ridiculous plot machinations seem all the more insulting because Shyamalan is a very talented director -- but please, PLEASE don't let him direct his own scripts anymore!!