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Four and a Half Stars out of Five
"Signs" is that rare movie that's not only genuinely suspenseful, but also lives up to the hype surrounding it. A movie that grabs viewers right from the start and never lets go, "Signs" is part "Blair Witch," part "ID4" and completely 100% entertaining. Even its slightly disappointing ending (on Shyamalan's terms at least) doesn't leave viewers any less satisfied, since right up until the finale, "Signs" delivers one hell of a ride. The story itself is fairly simple. All those crop circles that have appeared over the years really are from aliens, and a small-town family (led by Mel Gibson) finds themselves battling the bug-eyed creatures. However, this is far from "Mars Attacks" or "Men in Black." The aliens are rarely seen, and when they are on camera, Shyamalan shoots them in such a way that viewers will almost be convinced that what they're watching is real. It's almost like a scene from "Ripley's Believe It or Not" or "Beyond Belief: Fact of Fiction?" since the special effects are far from "Jurassic Park" standards. But rather than the ho-hum special effects being cheesy, they are ultimately effective thanks to a talented cast that has viewers believing they are under attack. Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and the adorable Abigail Breslin show enough terror on their faces that audiences will be screaming in fear even though nothing even remotely scary is on-screen. Shyamalan wisely shows close-up after close-up of his cast's expressions, and uses the wonderful, suspenseful and piercing score by James Newton Howard to keep viewers at the edge of their seats. His powerful and gripping use of light and dark only enhances the viewers' reactions, and combined the three elements make for one of the scariest PG-13 movie experiences ever to hit the big screen. Nevertheless, there are those who are just waiting for Shyamalan to prove he isn't the next Spielberg, and many people are already criticizing "Signs"' less-than-breathtaking finale. Unlike "The Sixth Sense" or "Unbreakable," the surprise twist in "Signs" is nothing too noteworthy-- in fact, if you mentioned it aloud on a street corner, no one would probably believe you. Although this is semi-disappointing, the twists viewers will create in their own minds are far more entertaining than anything someone else could deliver. And thanks to the many open ends and false clues Shyamalan leaves in the script, viewers will keep thinking that their surprise endings really could have happened. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article 'Signs' Chills to the Bone in Red Carpet Reviews is owned by Heather Wadowski. Permission to republish 'Signs' Chills to the Bone in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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