Imagine hating a movie with Mel Gibson in it. But I hated "Signs". It should have been called "Sighs"! That’s what the movie produced — cold ones, disappointed ones and, finally when the movie ended, an angry one! For I felt I had been tricked into watching a film that promised suspense and thrills and then delivered nothing!
Director and writer Night Shyamalan’s "Signs" was No. 1 at the box office for several weeks in the United States. It grossed millions of dollars. But I think it was because Shyamalan’s previous record is so good. His film, "The Sixth Sense" grossed $650 million worldwide. "Stuart Little‚" which he wrote for his daughter, also did well. The trailers of "Signs" also promised a good science fiction thriller based on crop circles. The trailers were so compelling that they brought viewers in throngs to theaters.
Critics have raved about the movie, calling the Pondicherry-born Indian, Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan — Night is a name he took from an American-Indian character — the next Steven Spielberg. "Signs" is supposedly influenced by Hitchcock’s "Birds" as well as Spielberg’s techniques. Critics loved Shyamalan’s camera angles and his use of muted acting techniques. But this viewer did not look at all that. At the end of 104 minutes, you look at the total impact the movie made. Was it entertaining? Did it thrill you? Unfortunately, "Signs" did neither. The only good part was the end and that is because it meant the movie was finally over and you could go home!
"Signs" has no plot, no real story. It relies heavily on some humor and upon the director’s ability to make the viewer sit up, expecting that something is going to happen but which never does. But very soon, the viewer sees through the game and stops being entertained. The movie is slow and lacks substance. In spite of having a good cast, none of the characters made an impression, simply because their roles were not realistic. Even Mel Gibson’s frequent temper tantrums seemed forced and unconvincing. Also, during much of the movie, the characters remained totally calm and unperturbed although a great deal was happening around them.
Mel Gibson plays a widower, ex-preacher named Graham Hess, who has lost his faith after his wife died in an accident. Hess lives on a farm, with two his two kids and his brother. Strange things begin to happen around his house. Dogs bark and crop circles appear. The audience’s appetite for suspense is slowly and surely fed. There is an eerie silence, sometimes a thud. Also, the hint of an alien who is allergic to water. Strange sounds are heard on this irritating baby monitor. Then the disappointment. The story falls apart. The alien does not show up until almost the end. But that is the good part. When he does finally appear, the alien is so fake-looking and ridiculous that you wonder if any of the $70 million, allegedly the cost of the film, was spent on make up and special effects. And the poor alien has a hard time entering Hess’ house which is sealed and secured. Imagine, an alien so smart, intelligent and sophisticated that he can change colors and become invisible but cannot break down a simple wooden door.
I won’t give away the ending but let me give you a "sign" — it’s as far-fetched as the rest of the movie. See "Signs" if you are curious to see how real things differ from advertisements. See "Signs" also if you are a masochist! It is rated PG 13. It should have had an R. It is truly frightening for its non-entertainment value!
