Mel Gibson's dumbest hour

Rating: 2/10 (14 August 2002)

"Signs", the worst movie of the year so far, contains some of the most annoying of movie cliches: Kids who are far wiser than the adults. Rural people presented as noble and morally superior. An obvious early scene that telegraphs a later scene - Conversation about a character's great home run hitting abilities. (Gee, do you suppose a baseball bat might be available to this guy at a critical moment?) And worst of all, a ludicrous speech that reduces all of humanity to two types, those who believe and are right, and those who don't and are frightened. Does that mean if you're not gullible enough to swallow this film, you're the wrong type? Here's a suggestion: If you're going to make an anti-intellectual movie, have the courage of your convictions and stop referring to a "BOOK" for evidence. Admit that you hate books. The boy refers to the book to make his "wise" pronouncements. The book that shows a spaceship setting "his" house on fire. Then why do the board up the windows? To provide more kindling? Characters played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels could not have been dumber.