Movie talk: "Signs" ***SPOILERS****
I usually don't go for this type of movie but for whatever reason the preview got me interested, so I went last night (last time I saw an opening day movie was "Episode I - Jar Jar Slobbers Back") - so that's another rarity for me.
Anyway, I thought it was a decent movie. One thing that I definitely didn't expect was that there were several (intentionally) funny scenes. Not cheesy humor either - it was actually pretty funny. A really odd mix of terror and humor. I suppose that's a standard practice - making people laugh in order to relax them so they don't see the next scare coming? I don't see enough terror movies these days to know.
One thing I didn't really get though was why they waited so long to start bringing the alien confrontations into the storyline and why the police chic suddenly vanished from the plot after being a big part of the first half of the movie. She was in the flash-back scenes when Gibson's wife was dying on the side of the road, but that's about it.
Also, what the hell kind of farmer doesn't have a gun? I realize he was a minister previously, but I thought it was a necessity when you live out in the boondocks to protect the kin-folk? Also, I didn't know if the Brasilian alien television clip was supposed to be a hoax (in the movie) but it looked really stupid. Reminded me of that famous bigfoot hoax from the 70s. In general I wished the special effects people had used their heads and created the aliens digitally (a la Star Wars) and integrated them into the film more often and more cleverly.
Finally, I thought there was prime opportunity to do some poltergeist type scenes with little kids crawling out onto the roof, etc but nobody's perfect.
All and all I'd give it three stars as it was pretty entertaining and the acting was decent if not particularly deep in any respect. Tired of the Crying Gibson Factor. Seen more than enough of that for a lifetime.
[ 08-03-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ]</p>
Anyway, I thought it was a decent movie. One thing that I definitely didn't expect was that there were several (intentionally) funny scenes. Not cheesy humor either - it was actually pretty funny. A really odd mix of terror and humor. I suppose that's a standard practice - making people laugh in order to relax them so they don't see the next scare coming? I don't see enough terror movies these days to know.
One thing I didn't really get though was why they waited so long to start bringing the alien confrontations into the storyline and why the police chic suddenly vanished from the plot after being a big part of the first half of the movie. She was in the flash-back scenes when Gibson's wife was dying on the side of the road, but that's about it.
Also, what the hell kind of farmer doesn't have a gun? I realize he was a minister previously, but I thought it was a necessity when you live out in the boondocks to protect the kin-folk? Also, I didn't know if the Brasilian alien television clip was supposed to be a hoax (in the movie) but it looked really stupid. Reminded me of that famous bigfoot hoax from the 70s. In general I wished the special effects people had used their heads and created the aliens digitally (a la Star Wars) and integrated them into the film more often and more cleverly.
Finally, I thought there was prime opportunity to do some poltergeist type scenes with little kids crawling out onto the roof, etc but nobody's perfect.
All and all I'd give it three stars as it was pretty entertaining and the acting was decent if not particularly deep in any respect. Tired of the Crying Gibson Factor. Seen more than enough of that for a lifetime.
[ 08-03-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ]</p>
Comments
But everyone else (Ebert, Travers, all the major papers/reviewers, etc.) seem to dig it.
I've seen Shaymalan's other two and enjoyed those. I'll catch a matinee sometime soon, I'm sure.
The aliens were cool, although the water story wa sa little funny. The water is contaminated - I suppose, everywhere on Earth, if you can kill them in the East with it.
Come on, hand-=to -and combat, if blood sprays on you,. you die from water!
why didnt the aliens come back later with waterproof suits or something?
And when it comes to suspense, aliens aren't that suspenseful.. I mean they are in the giant alien bug ALIENS sort of way, but not in the bi-pedal, bad X-files episode way.. Now dead people, that's some scary sh*t.
All in all good flick.. and yea, I didn't like the cop dissapearing.. she was a cool character. I think it could have used a little more falling action.. I like how m. night shyamalan does a cameo role in all his movies. He is a really great movie-maker.
Did anyone catch the M. Night Shyamalan cameo? I was surprised that he gave himself such a large role. But maybe it only seemed that way because of the limited setting and cast, who, by the way, all performed excellently.
<strong>I'm going to say that the movie was TOO m. night shyamalan. Meaning the whole plot was FULL of strange occurances that all tie together in the end, trying to give a surprise ending.. But the strange occurances, (for example "swing away" and the daughter with the water) were kind of dumb.. The movie was saved by the humor, tho.. I laughed my ass off when Mel Gibson was running after the alien screaming those curses.. lol..
And when it comes to suspense, aliens aren't that suspenseful.. I mean they are in the giant alien bug ALIENS sort of way, but not in the bi-pedal, bad X-files episode way.. Now dead people, that's some scary sh*t.
All in all good flick.. and yea, I didn't like the cop dissapearing.. she was a cool character. I think it could have used a little more falling action.. I like how m. night shyamalan does a cameo role in all his movies. He is a really great movie-maker.</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, No, NO! There was no "surprise ending." If anything, M. Night intended not to have one to avoid criticism that he's only a one-trick-pony.
Do any of you find yourselves looking over your shoulder to see an alien standing silently?
<strong>
No, No, NO! There was no "surprise ending." If anything, M. Night intended not to have one to avoid criticism that he's only a one-trick-pony.
Do any of you find yourselves looking over your shoulder to see an alien standing silently?</strong><hr></blockquote>
ok, maybe there wasn't a surprise at the end, but the whole plot was based around things that were all tied together at the end.. Like swing away, the whole fate idea, and the water glasses..
This morning I was afraid to turn around in bed for fear of seeing an alien.. and I have been half expecting to hear that clicking language at any moment.. Not cool..
What is the deal with all of his movies forcing the characters to constantly be whispering?
What the hell is a farmer doing with all that corn and not having ANY farm equipment or hired hands? Oh, he's going to pick it all himself? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
What was the deal with the final alien? Notice it was missing fingers because it was the alien he cut in the pantry? Why did he come back to their house, revenge?
Shyamalan's cameo was terrible. If we only saw him in that one scene where he didn't speak and then again in the flash back by the side of the road, it would have been great. Now that he's all over the news doing interviews, having a speaking part in your own movie is LAME.
This movie could have been MUCH scarier. I think he blew it. He showed the aliens too quickly. He should have edited out the Brazilian home video scene.
After seeing all 3 of Shyamalan's movies I'm convinced he got lucky with Sixth Sense. He's nothing special and I've lost my faith in him (guess I'm a type 2 person
The aliens were stupid. What kind of advanced race can navigate across the galaxy but then needs ****ing crop circles as road signs and also uses two way radios. They wanted to grab people? How hard is that? The best idea they could come up with was "Hey lets leave some crop circles, then hover over some cities, then just you know go down there and grab us some humans." PLEASE!
I'm sick of the whole "tragic even scars this person and they have to over come it" plot theme.
<strong>This movie was just okay. Yes I did "get it" wrt one family?s reaction to this event and the whole average guy struggles with shattered faith .... blah blah blah. Too bad that part of the move was the boringest part.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
The part you consider "boring" comprised the movie's core. What else is left? Action. Well, rent Independence Day for that.
I don't think anyone missed the point about the movie showing one family's reaction (actually it's really all about Gibson's reaction and his faith in God / fate / etc.), but I feel you can definitely make the argument there weren't enough confrontations. And I don't mean Independance Day confrontations - more like investigative ones. Here a noise in the barn, tractor starts but no one's on it...shadows, etc. Just a little more tangible suspense.
Didn't notice the cameos because I don't know what the guy looks like.
As for the farm, is it possible he rents the land the house is on but the farm is actually worked by someone who say, lives down the road a ways? I know there are farmers who do that in Iowa and elsewhere - rent out part of their land. No?
and, the movie isn't really about aliens/crop circles...there's a fundamental theme behind it, so i don't see the point of the argument of the aliens not carryings weapons, etc.
[ 08-05-2002: Message edited by: shatteringglass ]</p>
<strong>
This morning I was afraid to turn around in bed for fear of seeing an alien.. and I have been half expecting to hear that clicking language at any moment.. Not cool..</strong><hr></blockquote>
HAHAHAH!!! same here!!!! :-D
moog::: m. night shyamalan was the guy that drove off in the car & told gibson that he "trapped one of them in the pantry".....
as for the movie: honestly, i thought the 6th sense was okay. i thought this movie was very well plotted & the videography was AWESOME! I think it was a good idea to put as little of "aliens" into the movie. Instead, concentrating mostly on human reactions, with little/no action [as in killings, etc. etc.].
I like movies that give, what I call.... a "mindf*ck"
it wasn't as scary as i though it would be, but it still scared me quite well. the coal vent scene definitely got me
i didnt' like the ending very much, or rather how quickly teh ending came. It seemed like they decided that they'd messed with us (the audience enough) and now the aliens will leave. I guess it was all because the movie was less about the aliens and more about the human side. Either way i think they could have ended it better.
<strong>oh wait...when the family first came out of the basement, the door was riddled with cutouts of stars, moons, and other stuff. see...weapons! i thought that was kind of funny. under the tough, homicidal skin of those aliens lie the warm tender heart of a teddy bear.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The aliens didn't do that, that was from the wood they used to board up the door. It was probably something one of the kids made. It definitely wasn't from alien "weapons".
<strong>I agree, decent movie.
The aliens were cool, although the water story was a little funny. The water is contaminated </strong><hr></blockquote>
The water was NOT comtaminated. Water is simply caustic to the aliens.
The little girl, at some level, groked this and subconsciously armed the house by leaving half full glasses of water everywhere. It was suppose to be one of those "random" coincidences that was not random at all.
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
Also if these aliens don't like water, why would they come to a planet thats 70% water? IMO, the whole alien part of the plot could have been thought about much more.
But I still liked the moive and give it 3.5/5