I think I've just sat through an over-long, over-rated episode of The X-Files. Mouldy and Scummy weren't there but all the other trappings were and yet it's being dribbled all over by those who would no doubt have been a little more objective were it not a movie directed by the current flavour of the month M. Knight Shyamalan. There are no sacred cows here though, Signs is 'OK', nothing more and nothing less, if you like the X-Files then you'll like this, if not, then it's a bit pants. Whether an elongated episode of the X-Files is worthy of a cinema trip or video rental is something only you can answer...

I'm not going to give anything away with this review and I hope others will be doing to same because the sole strong point is the mystery and the intrigue. Are there aliens or is it a hoax? If they're real is it going to be a friendly "Close Encounters" visitation or a full on "Independence Day" take over? Shyamalan gives us clues and hints to the direction his movie is taking building up the suspense and the intrigue in masterful fashion until it collapses in on itself in a ludicrous finale which for all intents and purposes looks like it was filmed by an entirely different director - Roger Corman's even less talented understudy maybe. This is certainly more about suspense than sci-fi despite it's premise, for the most part Shyamalan opting for the less-is-more approach, refusing to slap special effects all over our screens and instead opting for rustling corn and split second glimpses which are far more effective at elevating the tension and a technique used by the best of the best in previous thrillers and chillers. Signs may be a sci-fi movie in context, but it's tone is far more reminiscent of the horror genre in many respects and there are more times when you will certainly be sitting on the edge of your seat with your heart in your mouth than there will be those when you'll be looking for E.T. In terms of suspense, Signs is great once more, it's one thing Shyamalan is really good at.

Mel Gibson is hardly the best choice for the kind of emotionally 'dead' role which Kevin Costner bored us all rigid with in making his own in the 90s and seems somewhat miscast outside of the heroic role we've been used to seeing him in of late. Mel is always charismatic and will always draw the crowds but a faithless preacher in a role which forces him to react to events surrounding him rather than being the proactive leader and creator of his own destiny is more suited to the aforementioned planklike Costner and is never going to be his niche. Joaquin Phoenix too suffers from a toned down character and aside from the kids who are credible, but nothing exciting and a brief appearance by Shyamalan himself, the rest of the cast are all a little faceless or non-existent.

It's a credit to Shyamalan that he does make movies like Signs, Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense because the way he refuses to stick within the boundaries of one genre is somewhat refreshing to say the least in the dull, boring world of the generic Hollywood formula. It's great to see the mould broken like this but there is still little originality when you get down to brass tacks. Signs borrows liberally from numerous other movies and abduction stories as it spins it's web and although the direction it takes is certainly different I can't honestly say it worked as well here as it has in the past. There were times when I was bored, times when I wanted to strangle Mel and Joaquin to shut them up before he delivered another sermonlike message and times when the phrase "one trick pony" sprang to mind as I sat watching Shyamalan reel off more of his brand of spooky superbly whilst the rest of the movie felt hugely amateurish and literally collapsed with a needless final 10-15 minutes which would have been far better on the cutting room floor.