i'll play the role of devil's advocate and say that i thought this was the most overrated film of last year. i usually refrain from using words like "hate" and "loathe," when describing films i didn't enjoy, but both of these descriptives are dead-on in my feelings towards
Signs.
1. first off, i'm a biology major. so the whole "water" aspect of this film really bothered me. after all, what the hell are the aliens going to do when it rains? the oxygen in our atmosphere is maintained because of all of the vegetation (i.e. "green plants") present on the planet. how are they going to co-exist with the life-supplying organisms on the planet if water is a toxic chemical to them? and of course, the water vapor present in air would be in sufficient concentration to destroy them without it existing in liquid state. this KILLED me.
2. the whole arguement that this film is about faith also bothers me, and for the following reasons: while Gibson's character never stops believing in God, his faith disappears as a result of his wife's death. what would have happened if his son had died as well? would his faith have finally departed for good? that isn't faith. the kind of "faith" that Shyamalan is trying to convey, isn't really faith at all. the movie tells the audience that faith should be based upon God granting you "good" things. if God allows you to fall on hard times, then it's OK to question Him and His motives, and that is bull-shit. take Job in the Bible, his entire world crashes down around him, yet he never loses sight of God throughout his ordeal. that is the crux of true faith. Shyamalan would have us believing that faith is only required of us when God makes sure that no harm befalls us. sorry, but there are numerous references throughout every piece of religious literature that says the contrary.
3. the whole scene with the alien stuck in the closet was ridicuous. these things can run and jump far beyond any human is able to, but when it comes to some furniture stacked against a pantry door the aliens are stopped dead in their tracks. sorry, don't buy this for a second. and why in the sam hell would someone lock an alien in their pantry, only to leave town? calling the police, or anyone else for that matter, never crosses his mind. please.
4. the acting was horrid. just horrid. Joaquin Phoenix is an incredibly talented actor, yet this never shines through in the film. Gibson did a good job of portraying a confused, hurting, lonely father. but the children were just pitiful. that whole scence with the Culkin kid saying the line about everything being re-written in textbooks, only to be repeated verbatim by the news anchorman was so ridiculous!
5. "swing away."
6. "i'm a miracle man." his whole speech about that girl seemed way too forced, and completely asinine.
most of my complaints about the film dealt with certain aspects of the story. i thought that the storyline and plot started off well, but soon turned into something that seemed half-cooked and based on nothing logical at all. there were parts of the film that i enjoyed, but my finger are now too tired from complaining so i will refrain from posting them.