DVD REVIEW

Signs  (2002)

Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix
Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Disney

Review Posted: 1.25.03

Spoilers: Minor

By John Teves

Everything that farmer Graham Hess (Gibson) assumed about the world is changed when he discovers a message - an intricate pattern of circles and lines - carved into his crops. As he investigates the unfolding mystery, what he finds will forever alter the lives of his brother (Phoenix) and children (Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin). Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan takes moviegoers on a new journey this August with his film SIGNS, a unique story that explores the mysterious real-life phenomena of crop signs and the effects they have on one man and his family.

SIGNS is a masterful piece of suspense and cleverness. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, I won’t give away it’s ending, but in its own right the film is to be determined by each viewer and their own personal belief of the film. Is it about aliens? Yes and no. Shyamalan didn't directly point that out but I suspect that there’s more to the be judged than what our director Shyamalan vocally places in front of us.

This film commands your outmost attention. Director Shyamalan likes a sluggish pace so if your looking for an exhilarating piece, this may not work for you, for all you thinkers out there, prepare yourself for a brilliant film.

SIGNS appears in an aspect ratio of  1.85:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The film presentation looked decent but not exceptional for such a new film. Sharpness was adequate. I noticed signs, no punt intended, of softness. No concerns related to jagged edges, I did however notice some edge enhancement at times. A few moments of grit and grain popped at times, somewhat disappointing considering this is a brand new film transfer.

Colors looked a bit obscure at times however this only occurred during certain scenes, the rest of the film demonstrated an accurate and clear palette. Black levels were deep and solid; shadow detail was a bit inconsistent. SIGNS looked fine for its overall video transfer, but I really expected an extraordinary Vista presentation – not in this case.

SIGNS is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Contrary to it’s video transfer, the DD 5.1 mix faired exceptionally well. The rear speakers really supplemented the film during its more dynamic scenes, giving the film a more spine-chilling sound. Dialogue sounded natural. The special effects were daunting, the effects made this film what it is frightening. The music score was forceful with no signs of alteration. To conclude this DD 5.1 mix worked well for the film and it really enhances the overall creepy presentation.

• Making Signs - Exclusive six-part documentary taking you on a journey of filmmaking, exploring Signs from the birth of the idea, to writing the script, to building the sets, to realizing the creature and other effects, to the scoring and innovative marketing of the film.

• 5 Deleted Scenes

• Storyboards: Multi-Angle Feature

• M. Night Shyamalan's First Alien Film

SIGNS is an eerie and thrilling film. The DVD features a weak film presentation with a somewhat solid DD 5.1 mix, with reasonable extras. The DVD presentation is not Vista's best, however the terrific storyline and ghostlike DD 5.1 mix makes this one merit a spot in your video collection. This DVD comes highly recommended.

TOP