Signs (DVD) > Reviews

Advantages: Well-paced, genre redefining movie.
Disadvantages: You may find the ending hard to swallow.

... And so we come to Signs – the latest fantasy thriller from M Night Shyamalan. ***THE PLOT*** Graham Hess and his family (two kids, his brother and a pair of Alsatians) have a fairly typical life in a small Pennsylvanian country home. Graham is a retired pastor who quit his faith following a tragic accident that robbed him of his wife. 6 months have passed since then, but recently he has something else to worry about. Namely, the bloody big crop ... Read review

Advantages: Makes you think...and keep on thinking for ages afterwards, it has Mr Gibson in it, superb directing
Disadvantages: A bit scary to be rated 12 - and all that thinking made my brain hurt

...and the crop circles were signs to tell the craft where to invade. - The creatures avoided water and conformed to other information given in Morgan's book on aliens and UFOs. - Bo Hess was describes as being an unusual baby with "big, round eyes" by her father and also hates water; if she was in fact half-alien, then she is following their pattern of behaviour and displaying a physical characteristic that is generally associated with most ... Read review

Advantages: Suspense, Acting, Direction, Visuals - Terrific entertainment.
Disadvantages: None

The first time I saw the trailer for this film, I thought to myself that I had to see it. It looked just the sort of film which would appeal to me. However after reading several opinions on here, including some by well respected writers, I had second thoughts. It wasn't exactly receiving rave reviews and looked as though it could be a big let down. But on the other hand I don't always like films which are raved about like 'Insomnia' and 'Beautiful ... Read review

Advantages: Masterful direction and story telling, Jump out of your seats moments, The chilling score, Humour
Disadvantages: The ending may not appeal to everyone, Slow Pace (again)

It's him again, the director/writer with the name I can never pronounce! M Night Shyamalan. He’s the bloke that bought us the fantastic Sixth Sense and Unbreakable and made people realise that Bruce Willis wasn’t just an action hero and a bad actor in bad comedies. OK we know the drill, Shyamalan is like the new Hitchcock who scares the life out you in his (some people say painfully) slow burning character driven movies with a grand finales that either ... Read review

Advantages: Thought provoking, loving and hope inspiring
Disadvantages: None

...played Dr Hill and in Signs he played Ray Reddy, the local vet. He plays these roles very well. So, what is the film about? It begins with farmer Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) waking up in the morning to find his two children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), not in bed. After enlisting the help of his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), he finds them in the corn field, near corn circles flattened in the corn. These corn circles are ... Read review

Advantages: Very absorbing, suspenseful, Good performances
Disadvantages: The ending (somewhat anti-climactic and the visuals of the aliens), a bit too 'Hollywood' perhaps

- Introduction - I spotted that this was going to be shown on TV yesterday and having seen other movies by the director (M. Night Shyamalan) but not this one yet (just never got around to watching it), I knew I wanted to make the effort to see it. I've always been pretty keen on his works and I knew roughly what to expect. I'm not sure that I'd say it was his best movie but I did enjoy it enough to be able to recommend it. - Main Credits (non-actors, ... Read review

Advantages: I liked it so my opinion is shorter because there was nothing to bitch about.
Disadvantages: I like bitching.

...miles above most summer blockbusters. Signs is far superior to Unbreakable and only just inferior to The Sixth Sense but in terms of shocks and value for money Signs is the new champion. The Sixth Sense is better crafted but slower and only entertaining the first time. Signs has buckets of absolutely terrifying moments and a few shocks on a par with Alien. The critical reception of Signs was never going to be positive, especially when everyone ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent Suspense, Nicely Filmed, Good Acting
Disadvantages: Stupid aliens and an awful ending

'Signs' is the latest film from director M. Night Shayamalan of 'Sixth Sense' and 'Unbreakable' fame. I must say that I thought 'Sixth Sense' was excellent but was a bit unsure about 'Unbreakable'. In my opinion 'Signs' shows Shayamalan definitely has talent but just cannot repeat the 'Sixth Sense' success. Signs centres around widowed ex-reverend Graham Hess (Mel Gibson - yes honest!) and his children Morgan (Rory Culkin - brother of the home ... Read review

Advantages: Good directing and acting
Disadvantages: Ending could have been better

...appear at the end of Signs as well. However, Signs does not so much finish with a twist as a coming together of all the pieces of a puzzle which were given to you throughout the movie. I felt this was a good touch even if it was possibly a little cliched. I was expecting a pretty scary film when I saw the trailers for this film, but although it wasn’t as scary as expected it was a very enjoyable film. It gave me quite a few belly laughs, but it ... Read review

Advantages: Hitchcock style drama with a meaning
Disadvantages: None

...several more coincidences and visual signs that all tie in. Although this is primarily quite a serious drama, there is some subtle humour as well. When Graham goes to get his sons medication, the young girl serving asks if she can confess. Against his wishes she starts to confess, the facial expressions and reactions by Mel Gibson are purely comical but within the dramatic boundaries of the film. The music to this film has been purely used ... Read review

Advantages: Great acting and thoroughly enjoyable
Disadvantages: Very scary for little ones

First he brought you “The Sixth Sense”, then he brought you a movie that, some said, had very little sense at all, the Bruce Willis vehicle, “Unbreakable”. Now, the man with the name worth six thousand points at Scrabble, M. Night Shyamalan, brings you his claustrophobic view of intergalactic communication and conflict in “Signs”. It seems many critics are still desperate for the writer/director to fall flat ... Read review

Advantages: Scary, Tense, Good Acting, Well Shot
Disadvantages: Too slow paced for some

...media coverage and witness the signs of alien life as strange noises are picked up on radios and shadowed figures appear to be lurking in the darkness. All the while Graham has to contend with his own inner grief over his loss. Signs is something you rarely see in a Hollywood film these days. It's extremely well made and written. It's story and characters are the things that actually make the film and I think that's why Shymalan has found success. ... Read review