Not what you might expect, but still a winner

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2002)

I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, so going into SIGNS I was not sure how I would like the movie. I knew that I loved THE SIXTH SENSE and that was enough to give M. Night Shyamalan's latest flick a try. I'm glad I did.
The movie is not about aliens in the way you might be expecting it to be--explaining their origins, their circles in the crops, why they're coming to earth, etc. So if that's what you're wanting in a movie you're sure to be disappointed. Rather, the aliens provide an excellent backdrop to the story of Father Graham Hess' (Mel Gibson) rediscovery of something very precious that he lost (what that is I won't divulge.) Their coming to earth gives Hess the chance to understand some things about life and come out of the myst of sadness and despair that had clouded his life.
That said, I'd like to point out some of the excellent points about the movie. First of all--the acting. It is very well done. Mel Gibson is awesome as kind of a spooked out guy trying to find out what is real and what is imagination (reminded me of his character in CONSPIRACY THEORY in a way.) Joaquin Phoenix, who plays his brother, also does a good job. He was able to bring the quirky brother to life. And the two kids are excellent...the best part of the movie I would say. Rory Culkin isn't exactly Haley Joel Osment, but he had me hooked by the end of the movie with his believeable innocence. And Abigail Breslin as his younger sister is also excellent in her believeability. After the acting comes the humor. That was not something I expected to find in the film, but it was there....a silly quirky humor. It made the film roll along. The audience would literally jump out of their seats in horror and then be laughing till their eyes teared a minute later. It was nice after the total seriousness and dryness of THE SIXTH SENSE.
Speaking of which, THE SIXTH SENSE is the better of the two films, but Shyamalan still managed to create a winner with SIGNS. Using the tension and horror of an alien invasion, he showed how a man was able to regain his soul. Shyamaln definitely has a talent, and I will be sure to see his future films.
See the movie, know it's a fun little flick, one that may make you think a bit. If not, at least you'll get some laughs, some screams, and even a few tears.
Enjoy!! **** out of *****