Well, I just got back from the Touchtone Pictures advance screening of Signs in New York City, and I thought that I had better sit down and write this review while the movie is still fresh in my mind and its brilliance is flowing through my body. M. Night Shyamalan has once again created what is, in my mind, a new modern day Sci-fi/Suspense masterpiece, adding another stepping stone to his two other equally stellar films, "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable".

The Plot

Mel Gibson plays the character of Graham Hess, an ex-priest who has lost all faith in his God ever since an unexpected car accident took his wife Colleen' life. Fate has forced him to now live as a single parent with his three children on their secluded farm in Philadelphia.

On one bright and sunny morning, Grahams daughter Bo, and his youngest son Morgan,while walking through the tall stalks of corn behind their home, stumble upon a large area, almost a quarter of a mile in diameter, where the corn is cut down to the ground. The camera proceeds to pan up to revel what scientist call a "Crop Circle".

Soon enough every station on television is beggining to broadcast numerous "Crop Circle" formations around the world, eighteen sighted within a 72 hour time block. Strange occurances begin, noises of an intruder outside their house late at night, voices amidst the static of Bo's old baby monitor...all leading up to a chilling realization, the moment when everything that has forever been labeled as "The Unexplained"...begins happening.

The Movie
Despite what many of you may or may not think about "Signs", it is not by any means a horror movie, rather it is a very very suspenseful science fiction thriller. This is not to say that "Signs" is not a scary movie, because it scared the hell out of me. It made realize that aliens may exist, and what would happen if they decided to show themselves to a broader audience...the entire world.

Like both of Shyamalan's other films, "Signs" offers scares along with very deep messages and a thought provoking ending that will leave you to discuss the events that occured in the movie long after its conclusion. It is soaked in symbolism and although its premise is fictional, deals with very real situations and a glimpse at the irony of the human comedy.

While rich in sybolism, "Signs" plays out like an old Hitchcock film, fast paced, always keeping you guessing and driven by a series of edge of your seat chills. Along with this, Shyamalan mixes in his own blend of witty humor and chosing to frighten his audience on the grounds of "Something is there, it is scary, but I don't know quite what it looks like" rather than "Heres the scary monster for everyone to look at". Shyamalan saves the appearance of his intruder's until the bitter end, leaving his audience speachless, for sometimes what you don't see, can be worlds scarier.

The Score
Paul Thomas Newman unleashes an incredibly eerie, bone tingling score for this film. It is the first thing that I noticed once the opening credits began to fly onto the screen in tempo with the music. What made it so eerie had to be the high pitched fiddles which played in the background, along with loud crashes and instrumentation in the most tense of scenes.

Take away the music, and I stress this, this particular film would never have been even close to complete...the score was that good. It isn't even comparable to any other film soundtrack because it is so brilliantly unique and blends in all kinds of instrumentation. Newman knows how to truely makes a scary film such as this, ultimatly almost unbearably frightening to watch, while being able to soften the harshness of the music in the suspenseful scenes to fit the emotionally filled moments in the film.

The Acting
Just when you thought Mel Gibson could never have outdone himself, he has found a way to do it, delivering one of his best performances to date, showing is versitility in various Genre's of film. He goes from a colonial soldier in "The Patriot" to a loving ex-preist, farmer, and father, afraid of his own fate and the fate of his family in "Signs". The emotion that he brings to the screen helps make the movie wonderful and the complex role of Graham is extremely well acted.

The real surprise came from the talented little girl who played the part of Bo, Abigail Breslin. All of her lines were superbly executed and spoken with the perfect degree of how do I say...cuteness. She is absolutely adorable on screen and a joy to watch. You can be looking out for her in the sometime near future.

Joaquin Phoenix, playing the part of Merrill Hess the eldest son, and Rory Culkin playing the part of Morgan, both also delivered rivating performances as well, living up to high expectations.

The Director/Writer

M. Night Shyamalan, in my mind, is in fact becoming the new Spielburg. He has not only already Directed three absolutely stellar films, but he has also written the screenplays for all three and starred in all three!!! As a Director he has mastered suspense/horror/sci-fi/and even childrens entertainment when he wrote the screenplay for the film "Stuart Little".

With "Signs" Shyamalan once again follows a trademark of creating films that are somehow able to surprise and click together at their conclusion. "Signs" is by no means exactly like "The Sixth Sense" or "Unbreakable" and if you are looking for a total surprise with this film, you will be let down at the end.

The grand finaly of "Signs" is meant to be more thought provoking then stunningly surprising. Yet it is very very clever and powerful. It gives its audience something to contemplate and even debate once they leave the movie theater. Shyamalan wants his films to stick like glue into the minds of his viewers. He wants to provide entertainment that will live on after the closing credits role up the screen. He achieves this, every time. These are the films that make you think about the world around you.

My Final Thoughts
Personally, I feel that I want to see this film again in theaters. Like Shyamalan's other films, there are things that you may or may not have missed upon first viewing of the film. Things that may contain more clues to the puzzle of the film before its conclusion. I extremely enjoyed the privalege of being able to see this film a day early, it was well worth my wait in line for tickets to the screening.

Though science fiction, "Signs" is an important film, with a very important message to relay to its audience. I'll let you figure out what it is. Anyone looking to go to the theater's for a good film, go and see "Signs". It will help to regain faith in those who thought that the quality of motion pictures could never again be salvaged and that yes, they do make films like they once did.

Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older