Some bright spots here and there, but overall a major flop.

Rating: 3/10 (22 January 2003)

I realized pretty soon into the first 15-20 minutes of watching this film that this is one of those ambitious movies with a main point, a message delivered to somewhat smarter viewers (not too much though). At least, I feel most of moviegoers felt smarter because they could "figure out what it is about" even though the message was concealed behind some obvious trivialities. I was annoyed by the whole "nothing happens by accident" idea rubbed in my nose all the time. I was also annoyed by X-filish background soundtrack that is supposed to mystify us. Music and sound in this kind of movies is there to uplift the suspension not to torture us with a false sense that something really important is happening all the time. ** spoilers ** I am not going to comment on painfully lame "alien attack" thing, nor on the "profound" sign to Phoenix to "swing away". ** end spoilers **. The movie just simply misfires as far as I am concerned.
And what do you think about appearance of Mr. Alfred Shyamalan himself? Please...
Let's start from ground zero, for it does not deserve better. For some great camera angles and a few creepy scenes towards the middle of the movie I give it +5. For being too self-important about its "message" -2.

3/10