(THE SIXTH SENSE + UNBREAKABLE)/2 = SIGNS

Rating: 8/10 (13 December 2002)

SIGNS is yet another strong movie from M. Night Shyamalan that follows the formulas he has presented in THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE. This time a Pennsylvania farmhouse provides the setting and a widowed reverend (Mel Gibson), his two kids (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin), and his less conservative brother (Joaquin Phoenix) are the main characters. The ordinary people find themselves in extraordinary circumstances after some crop circles appear in their fields. Strange occurrences follow and numerous contradictory speculations within the family are inevitable. Soon the situation turns far more serious with an appearance of several UFOs around the world, including near the family's house. Are these really aliens and are they friendly or hostile?
Like the other two Shyamalan films, SIGNS becomes a character study. We learn of the preacher's struggle with his faith and Phoenix's character becomes a tough guy gone scared. Both men reveal important elements from their past as the movie progresses and they become fully developed characters rather than horror film victims running around screaming. The two kids embrace the arrival of the aliens in a hopeful and innocently childlike way. The acting by all is very good and the kids are an improvement over the boy from UNBREAKABLE. The story unfolds patiently and builds up in suspense. Shyamalan again shows great control over pacing. He combines Spielberg's early sci-fi storytelling techniques with Hitchcock-like direction, understanding that less is more. SIGNS utilizes the sound of the wind, the movement in the fields, the distant dog barks, the creepy shadows, the eerie music, and the characters' scared reactions all at once effortlessly. The cinematography, lighting, and use of color are all superb again like in the previous two Shyamalan films. As I was watching the movie I realized how much I was enjoying everything that was up on the screen. I could see the effort and the careful attention to detail. This is no INDEPENDENCE DAY or GODZILLA as there is no numbing explosions and corny dialogue. With SIGNS you get a true build up of suspense and uncertainty before Shyamalan wraps it all up in his typically exciting fashion.
I do have one problem with the film. It is a major problem and a minor one at the same time. The entire film is constructed in such a familiar fashion that some of the surprises and developments feel a little predictable. The following can all be found in THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE, and SIGNS: the immature (ghosts, super heroes, and now aliens) story directed in a very mature manner, similar uses of color and shadow, similar pacing and character development, similar relationships between adults and kids (the kids usually guide the less open minded adults toward the correct state of mind), the sub-par appearance of the director, the really toned down acting (no real objection here, but one scream once in a may actually be a little more realistic), the Pennsylvania settings, and the big revelations in the climax (small one in SIGNS). I know that some of those are trivial. More can probably be found, but that is not important. What I am trying to say is that I am disappointed that Shyamalan has not grown much as a director since THE SIXTH SENSE. All the things I have listed above are positives (except for Shyamalan's cameos), but I'm not being surprised by anything new. The stories are all different, but the framework is just the same. I still did not see some of the ideas or twists coming during SIGNS, but I was expecting them to show up. I wasn't too shocked to see them appear like clockwork. Everything felt so calculated. I liked UNBREAKABLE the most and now I find SIGNS to be the weakest of the three. If SIGNS came out before the other two movies and UNBREAKABLE were released third, possibly I would have found UNBREAKABLE to be the weakest. And maybe SIGNS would have taken the country by storm the way THE SIXTH SENSE did if it were released earlier. I don't know. As long as Shyamalan will follow these structures, he will not grow as a director. On the other hand, if he continues to follow these formulas in all of his films then probably every single one of them will be good. I'm already waiting with curiosity for his next one. For now, SIGNS gets an 8 out of 10.