The Next Stephen Speilberg?

Rating: 1/10 (3 August 2002)

After the first 15 minutes and several references to dog pee, the totally mopey, morose kid actors, and the totally unconvincing ex-reverend Mel Gibson, I was resigned to sticking it out nonetheless... Oh well, it didn't get much better.
The Newsweek assertion that M.Night is the next Speilberg may unfortunately be true. Not the "Minority Report" Speilberg, but the "ET" Speilberg, full of unrealistic children performances. (One of the only Directors alive that can actually make an audience WANT the kids to die), and hokey telegraphed emotional string-pulling.
I hate it when I am in a movie and I can just read the script in front of me,"Child stares ahead while grabbing his Father's face and turning it toward the crop circle". So bloody obvious, so bloody awful.
I just saw a low-budget feature called "Bubba-Ho-tep" with Bruce Campbell of "Evil Dead" fame. With one-twentieth the budget and a clever script, they have crafted a wonderfully entertaining film. Go see this if you can, not "Signs".
If this is a "Sign" of things to come from M. Night, forget it.

Final Opinion------------------
Script: Awful
Directing: Awful
Casting: Terrible
Alien Design: Laughable