Not the movie you expect

Rating: Null/10 (5 August 2002)

I'm a little annoyed reading these reviews because people keep reviewing the wrong movie. Everyone who thinks this movie sucks or reacts exclusively to the ridiculousness of the aliens (and yes, the whole alien plot is fairly ridiculous) is ignoring the fact that this movie isn't about aliens at all. It can't be compared to movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind or Predator. It is a movie about faith, which just happens to be revealed within the confines of a movie structured around an alien invasion plot. And, if you see the movie from that perspective--going in ready to learn about humanity instead of going in ready to see "Independence Day"--then you WON'T be disappointed. The ending is a tad of a letdown, but it fits the movie and wraps things up about as neatly as the endings of 6th Sense and Unbreakable.
Even more importantly (and this is something that I haven't read in other reviews), this movie centers entirely around one family's struggles. Unlike other alien invasion movies (i.e. the aforementioned Independence Day), this movie does not get its kicks from seeing buildings destroyed and getting into the details of military reaction. It deals entirely with how one family reacts to the invasion, and the effects it has on their lives and what it comes to make them see in themselves. The focus on one family parallels the lack of special effects and the subdued alien plot--if this were an out-and-out alien invasion movie it of course would depend upon explosions and special effects. The only explosions you'll see here are the psychological ones as the invasion makes the characters think about humanity, faith, and fate. And, from that angle, this movie is a rousing success.