THE HAPPENING (2008)

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"It's Official This Time: Shyamalan's Worst Yet."

I have never disliked any of Shyamalan's films. I even liked Lady in the Water which the general populous seems to have deemed "horrible." That said, The Happening doesn't do anything for me.

The idea of the plants taking back the earth is great. Very intriguing. Especially in today's climate urgency surrounding our environmental attention. SO, I get it. I understand where M. Night was coming from, but the way this whole thing played out onscreen was very cheesy. I mean we didn't even get the signature Shyamalan twist at the end. Maybe that's the point. I don't know.

Nonetheless, Wahlberg was great, but way too "nice guy". He's looking at the end of the world and seems to give off this whole "golly-gee-shucks" attitude towards the whole thing. I don't think the director played to his strong suit. Teachers can be pissed too.

As for Zooey Deschanel. .Horrible. Didn't buy her character. Didn't buy her sincerity, and I think it was throwing off Wahlberg's game. Honestly, I think most realistic "human" interaction going on in the film was that between Wahlberg and John Leguizamo's character.

So, I'm not sure if it was the "summer time movie" time constraint put on the editors or what, but there are some serious flaws the direction the movie takes in making us care about these people. I couldn't care less if they lived or died, I just wanted to know what the twist was going to be.

I think M. Night Shyamalan may have pigeonholed himself into a corner.

What a bummer!