'Signs' of intelligence

First, the conclusion: Signs is the best movie of the summer thus far. M. Night Shyamalan is three-for-three with his new alien suspense thriller that oddly passes as a comedy. He continues to captivate audiences after his critically acclaimed debut The Sixth Sense and the comic book-based, trilogy-slated Unbreakable.

Signs is solid evidence of Shyamalan's close study of the great directors before him. He utilizes the full frames and deep space of Kurosawa, the tracking of Welles, the patience of Hitchcock and the framing of Ford, while leaving the unique and unquestionable fingerprints of his own high-octane imagination. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix give superb performances alongside a duo of youngsters ideal for the piece, making every moment sincere in its hilarity, suspense and fear.

The movie comes full circle, wrapped watertight with its director's particular flair without overflowing with alien absurdity, founding a very real texture to the picture. The story is held together with brave elegance, and as much as the movie points to the stars, the attention is redirected to the more magically lit centers of the characters, and consequently, to those of the audience. Shyamalan returns in perfect form with impeccable execution; the film is painstakingly crafted, and with perfect pace, drops from the tree fully ripened.