Very Interesting Take on a Well-Used SF Theme: SF takes a Back-seat to the Relationships of the Characters

Rating: 8/10 (13 September 2009)

You could almost make the case that "Signs" is probably the most spirited attempt to date to combine science fiction and chick flicks. The UFO's and aliens are there for the guys, the relationships between the characters are there for the girls. The closest analogy I can think of to describe this movie is "Independence Day" meets "Ordinary People", two films that you would never imagine being combined because their respective genres are about as polar opposites as they come. Even something like "Field of Dreams" meets "King Kong" seems more plausible. But "Signs" somehow works, probably because of the magic of director M. Night Shyamalan whose work is primarily in the SF/Horror genres and yet focuses a lot on character, much like Steven Spielberg.
As science fiction stories go, strange sentient beings coming to Earth via UFO's goes back to the days of HG Wells' War of the Worlds near the turn of the last century. Films in which the aliens may be either benevolent or malevolent include "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Earth Versus the Flying Saucers", "Invaders from Mars", "The Invaders" (TV show), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Independence Day". The list goes on and on. So my point is that the central SF idea behind "Signs" is certainly nothing that hasn't been penned, shot, and edited, going as far back as the silent era. What is new in "Signs" is that the story focuses more on the characters and their inter-relationships with each other which comes out because of the events concerning malevolent extra-terrestrials. The closest film to it may be the 1953 SF classic "Invaders from Mars" in which a family is abducted by space aliens.
Of course, this combining of SF and drama could turn off many hardcover science fiction fans who are more interested in long action sequences in which aliens and humans battle it out, like "War of the Worlds" or "Independence Day". If you want lots of laser gun action and dog fight scenes in space, "Signs" will certainly leave you feeling like you were had. On the other hand, if you want a new angle on a familiar sub-genre of SF that relies less on action and more on character, you might give "Signs" a try.
"Signs" could have been a really ridiculous movie if it wasn't for the fine acting of all four leads, particularly the child actors. I was absolutely stunned by the realism of the two youngsters, around the ages of 6 and 10. They are really the ones that make this movie work. Added to the mix is Mel Gibson as their father who conveys paternalistic emotions that is uncommon for him. The story is really about the father reconciling with his children because of a piece of back-story that becomes, in the end, far more important than the space aliens. The back-story which is finally revealed toward the end has almost nothing to do with the aliens except for a singular aspect. This is what makes "Signs" a very unique film, and just when you thought nothing more could be added to the Earth vs UFO genre.