Shyamalan's most character-driven film to date

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2002)

*** SPOILER FREE REVIEW ***
Just saw "Signs" via a free sneak-preview. In my opinion it was Shyamalan's most character-driven film yet, and was also far more humorous than either The Sixth Sense or Unbreakable. While this made the film really enjoyable in one aspect, it also distracted me because I expected the same kind of tone and execution he utilized in previous films. That said, I still consider this movie to be worth the price of admission. I rate it about 7.5/10. It didn't excite me like his past two films did, but it was still better than most of the tepid summer fare.
Thumbs up to whomever cast Joaqim Phoenix, he stole more than a few scenes in this one, and Mel Gibson proves once again that he's got a range few in his field can match.
I really appreciate Shyamalan's willingness to explore imaginative and fun (but potentially disastrous) subjects like superheroes and crop circles, and I'm always intrigued by his ability to narrowly avoid falling into utter schlock. This film dances on the edge a little more than his previous two, but in many ways it succeeds in ways the others failed, namely by providing character depth and humorous interludes that break up some of the overly grave tones he's prone to.
Taken on its own merits, I think the film is a worthy one, and it certainly entertained me. Unfortunately, many people expect every film the man makes to be a refilming of "The Sixth Sense", and the studios don't help matters with the ill-advised commercial themes which don't really give you a true sense of the kind of movie you're going to see. As with Unbreakable, my advice is to go into this film with no expectations, and you will probably enjoy yourself.