Not really scary, but better than some suggest.

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2003)

I can't really understand why people seem to think this movie was so scary. Yeah theres an intensity to certain scenes, and some scenes have a certain atmosphere that adds to the intensity, but all in all theres nothing really jump out of my seat scary. Alien hands all of the sudden popping out from behind grates and underneath doors aren't scary. Dogs barking aren't scary. The only thing mildly scary (meaning that again something adds to a creepy atmosphere) are the aliens speaking. Besides the fact that the movie wasn't scary, I found most of it so well made it held my attention throughout. I liked the little facts that the writer/director shows us about the family and the affects tragedy that they have suffered from affecting them through the movie. I liked Mel Gibson, a stoic tough guy actor in American movies, reluctance to use profanity to scare off prowlers in the night. I like the adults interaction with the children. And the little things the kids do that make them fun to watch. And I especially like the fact that this is an alien invasion movie seen from one perspective, not some Hollywood sized Independence Day style epic with multiple big names phoning in performances whilst doing battle with aliens in what can only be described as scenes that wish they could be from Star Wars. Thats an interesting side to the story that intrigued me, even though it adds to a possible plot hole in the storyline. Throughout the movie there are no scenes of ruined desicated cities are huge alien armies. The only time we really know the aliens are attacking is when they surround the house and we can hear them instead of seeing them. That scene in particular is one the more intense scenes that the film can muster, and truly involve me as a viewer. One more note though, is the fact of faith in the movie. I know its interesting to have someone examining his faith during a time as portrayed, but doe it have to reach the level of sermonizing that it reaches in this particular film. When these scenes occur it really drags down the proccedings and puts a damper on the fun of the film.