Still, Mel Gibson is a decent enough substitute, and a good demonstration of the sort of muscle Shymalan wields after only two outings. Gibson plays a middle American Preacher who has lost his faith and hung up his white collar after the death of his wife. He lives with his oddball son and daughter, and strapping younger brother (Joaquin Phoenix, much less incestuous than in GLADIATOR). The son is asthmatic, distant and reclusive, the daughter is obsessive about clean water, and Pheonix is only there to help out after the Mother's untimely death from a car accident. All is rolling dysfunctionally along, until one fine morning Gibson hears his children shouting from the cornfields. When he dashes out to see what's up, he discovers a gargantuan series of circular patterns, mysteriously hacked into the landscape virtually overnight.

At first, Gibson is more than happy to dismiss the circles as the actions of some local pranksters, until other events begin to build upon one another. A mysterious rooftop visitor rattles the brothers one night, and an old baby monitor starts picking up odd noises out of the ether. Finally, other crop patterns start popping up on the news, dozens upon dozens, and now the world starts to get a little antsy. Everyone develops their own pet theories and worries, and their naturaly instinct is to turn to the local religious leader for a little guidance. Gibson, however, is having none of THAT.

SIGNS plays out like a claustrophobic, low-key version of INDEPENDANCE DAY. As things in the world get crazier and crazier, the action on screen becomes more and more confined, allowing us to see how an event such as this impacts on everyday, horribly messed-up families like this one. Fitting and oh-so subtly ironic for a film of this nature, circles become of increasing importance, if in a metaphoric sense. Things from the past start to bring meaning to the present, hidden meanings are explored, and yes, there's even kind of a twist at the end.

For the most part I thought SIGNS worked pretty well. Creepy, subtle, corner-of-your-eye kind of dread is a nice change from the usual scary monsters and cgi explosion tactics. And a few of the people in this movie actually act like normal human beings, kind of a first for Shyamalan's almost zombie-like regular characters. One character I'm hoping he retires REAL soon is the damaged, too-smart little boy. Three movies in, i'm quite ready to let any passing alien invaders probe his ass all they want, as long as it shuts his whiny mouth. At least the daughter in SIGNS was cute as all get-out.

So, yeah. Crop circles, and it's spooky fun. A good addition to the Shyamalan roster, though I'm not sure how anxious I am for his next movie, whatever it may be. I get the feeling that all the things that have become his hallmarks (ultra slow pacing, dysfunctional characters, tragic little boys, cameos by himself, surprise endings) are going to seem like little more than creative crutches if he uses them much longer. Here's hoping that for the next one, he tries something new...maybe have a surprise BEGINNING, or something.

Review copyright 2002, the Visitor.

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