What works in WOTW favor is how matter of fact the destruction is, it's often in the background. For example, after the ferry escape, the shots of the tripods vaporizing the hundreds of people on the hillside.

The thing that shocked me that I missed in the theaters, is when Robbie, Dakota and The Last Samurai come up on that hill after the ferry thing (like you say) and the SOUND of the people screaming as they are destroyed.

If you purchased the DVD at BB and received the book, Koepp talks a bit about how humane the aliens method of extermination is. Which I totally agree with, outside of those chosen few who are relieved of their blood.

Also, the ferry escape on paper, is different than what was shot (in the screenplay, the water boils).

Nah, I don't shop at Best Buy.

I don't think "humane" is the right word. I think the aliens were looking for clean and fast

Humane is definitely not the right word, being that they're aliens. They knew humans were mostly water and found the quickest way to deal with it.

Thus the aliens in Signs have been PWNED by the aliens in WotW.

Bird Flu is just a media ruse to keep the aliens from invading.