Alien invasion movie with great style and no common sense

Rating: 5/10 (4 September 2006)

An invasion by an an advanced alien race who come in an invisible spacecraft - Earth is in big trouble, right? Wrong! Luckily, these are the dumbest aliens in the history of cinema. First of all, they leave huge location markers known as crop signs from which the movie gets its name. These aliens, despite superior technology, don't seem to know they could stop at a store and get a GPS locater for a few hundred bucks that conveniently tracks anywhere on the planet down to the square yard. Next, they are allergic to water. Good old H2O reacts on their bodies much as hydrochloric acid would. Add to that, they come down naked with no protective devices and choose to invade Pennsylvania where it rains a lot. I gather they didn't happen to notice on their approach from space that earth is covered with 80% water. So that gives humans a big advantage, right? Well, yes. But unfortunately, the aliens invade the only known section of rural Pennsylvania where nobody owns any guns. Anywhere else in America, every farmhouse has at least a rifle or a shotgun but these residents defend themselves with aluminum foil helmets, knives, and baseball bats. Luckily, this is offset by the fact that the aliens' only weapon is a poison sprayer that travels about a foot and a half. That seems oddly primitive for a race capable of interstellar travel and invisibility. Despite an inane plot, a lack of explosions, and no sexual content, this movie is worth seeing. It has alternately surprising chills, suspense, laughs, and tenderness. The redeeming qualities come from superior direction, great acting, and a strong theme (faith), proving once again that people will buy absolutely anything if it's packaged right.