You can't complain about this film

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2002)

The following explains why Signs may be the greatest movie ever made in the history of filmmaking. It has everything from humor, intrigue, suspense, and anxiety to deeper themes like spirituality, miralces and predetermined fate. Especially when you consider the driving force behind the movie, namely crop circles, you have to appreciate what M. Night had to work with. There isn't much to a crop circle, probably some dudes with ropes and boards as they mentioned in the movie, but the screenwriter was able to turn it into such a phenomena. Everyone is probably familiar with the story by now, but no one can argue the fact that it's pure genius. There's a widowing reverend who questions his faith and his brother (an ex-minor league baseball player) who helps him through the loss. Graham (the father played by Gibson) struggles to raise two kids and retain everybody's sanity when the bizarre occurences arise. First of all, it's a really clever movie and the cinematography was amazing. Using the tall cornstalks as an eerie backdrop worked well. Plus, as aforementioned, the writing was the best I've ever seen. There were numerous funny quotes and lines that got the audience going. The scene in the beginning of the film when Phoenix and Gibson are running around the house at night is a good example. But the thing to focus on is how cool the situations presented themselves.
I guess some of these may be "SPOILERS" as you movie enthusiasts say.
*Alright, the water being left all over the house in different cups was awesome. Of course you knew something was going to happen with the water eventually, but you weren't sure what. And don't say you did because your lying. *They were eventually barred into the cellar, and Graham Hess lost all hope in the darkest hour. He said he hated god because his son was about to die. That was deep. *The Mexican footage of the alien at a children's birthday party was sick! *When Merril pulls the bat off the wall at the end and it focuses on the golden plaque reading 507 yards, was incredible. You saw the reflection of the bat coming down as well. And what cooler way is there to take out the alien in the end? You could tell that the initially religious family had no means of arms or protection.
One last note on the alien, okay so what if it looked kind of cheap? How would you have wanted to see it? Some ten foot tall, computer animated cartoon? M. Night probably wanted to keep its appearance simple so as not to take away from the overall feel of the movie. And if he didn't put a full alien in there in the first place, everyone would've complained that they didn't get to see one. Like in 'Contact'. It all came together in the end like a creepy episode of Seinfeld.