The Happening (2008)

[ZapRowsdower]

This movie certainly wasn't.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo.

I defended M. Night Shyamalan through The Village (a poorly marketed masterpiece) and Lady in the Water (a very flawed but refreshingly original and ambitious project, with a great performance by Paul Giamatti). Watching this, my heart began to sink. I can't defend this. Aside from a couple of prominent shots that resonate because of their overall creepiness and a great, original concept... there's really nothing going for this picture.

The dialogue is shit. I mean, total, utter shit. The acting is not good, either. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel were just... lifeless. The closest Wahlberg came to acting was that stupid face he'd make when got scared. Zooey really disappointed me here. I was left dumbfounded by just how bad her performance was. Think Shelley Duvall in The Shining. It's unclear whether that was their interpretation of their characters (which judging from their past performances I find difficult to believe) or if Shyamalan told them to act like that. But all I know was I was cringing through most of the dialogue. I don't often exaggerate, but the dialogue was just soul-crushingly bad. I mean, by comparison... the Star Wars prequels are fucking Shakespeare, and Jar Jar Binks is both Rosencrantz AND Guildenstern.

Here's what I think happened: Shyamalan made The Village. It was received poorly because of its misleading marketing campaign (because who would want to see a romanticized costume drama - unless it's being directed by the master of terror himself?). I'm sure this pissed Shyamalan off. Because I'm sure The Village was something he was proud of. And you know what? If I were him, I'd be proud of the Village too. It was really good. Next, he made Lady in the Water - and as revenge to his critics, he threw in a character who was, himself, a pretentious film critic. The writing was awkward, and there were a few cartoonish characters - the screenplay could have used a couple rewrites, and of course, Shyamalan pays shameless tribute to himself. Critics hated it. Now, that project had sentimental value to Shyamalan. So imperfect as it was, I'm sure it meant a lot to him. So he said "Fuck you guys. You want a bad movie? I'll give you a fucking bad movie." Alas, here comes The Happening.

I can almost picture it. "M. Night, this writing is really hard to work with. No one talks like that." "It's fine. Work with it." "But how?" "Look, Mark... What face would you make if you were scared? ...Okay. Now say that line while making that face. And whatever you do... I know it's hard for an Oscar-nominated thespian such as yourself... try not to act." You see what happens, critics? You see what happens when you're too hard on a guy? Just apologize for your harsh treatment of the Village, and find something nice to say about Lady in the Water (I know, that one's a little harder). Maybe then, we'll get the old Hitchcockian Shyamalan back.

Score: 3/10

Note: I don't really blame critics for how bad this movie was. Shyamalan should know better.

[Bartwald]

Agree 100%. This is a bad, bad movie. And I, too, liked The Village a lot and was quite entertained by The Lady In The Water. Never would have suspected Shyamalan can stumble so badly. The dialogue is hilariously bad, the plot is totally uninvolving, the acting sucks (perhaps with the exception of Leguizamo, but his character is disposable anyway) and there are no thrills or scares whatsoever here. Let me say that again: NO thrills, scares or jumps in a M. Night movie. What's it good for then, huh? 2/10

[Quorthon]

I liked this movie.

Hey, I didn't love it--it was no Unbreakable, but I felt it was good.

Primarily because of what it was that you just don't get anymore. It was a modern Twilight Zone episode. No, I don't mean like those half-hearted attempts from the 80's or the relatively awful series from recent years, I mean classic, 1960's Twilight Zone.

The Happening rolled along with the same kind of pacing, same kind of music, and same kind of atmosphere and I, for one, really enjoyed that. Granted, the acting wasn't, overall, as good as most of his films, but the characters were set up in a similar "dry" manner. To me, it felt like classic Twilight Zone, and I did get into the film and the tense moments. Not his best work (which again, is Unbreakable and Signs), but I don't think it's terrible.

There were a couple moments (most notably, the lion pen) with sub-par special effects, a couple annoying actors, and much less gore than I had heard was in it--but aside from that, I felt it was a good movie and about on-line with his usual offerings. Unique and interesting story, which, again, was very much in line with classic Twilight Zone. And let's face facts here: Mark Walberg and Zooey Deschenal are not the most lively of actors in most of their other films, either. Granted, she's fucking gorgeous, but of the 3-4 works I've seen with her--not a whole lot of variance from her performance in The Happening.

[Fenril]

This is one movie that lots of people, critics or not, seem to love to hate...

That is, I enjoyed it --wasn't impressed by it but didn't absolutely hate it, either. But IMHO the way it keeps getting trashed in reviews is excessive.

Perhaps the real problem here is that it's a Shyamalan movie, so people were expecting it to be unique. But Shyamalan himself stated that his sole intention with The happening was making a "fun B-movie" (those were his actual words); the problem is that a movie with a polished look, top billed director and actors, and a large (?) budget cannot get away with the same things an actual B-movie can.

The lion scene is a good example: the low-quality special effects and the awkward way it's presented to the audience would be excused it this were a no-budget indie movie, but here it just looks cheap.

SPOILER WARNING!

The other main problem is actually the problem that ALL of Shyamalan movies have (including The sixth sense and Wide awake, yes): the more you go over it in your head, the less sense the plot makes. I can buy plants going toxic as revenge. I can buy an unexplained phenomena making people kill themselves. But plants ordering people to commit elaborate suicide? Not so much.

SPOILER END

As a P. S. The acting is better left unmentioned, but I'll admit getting a kick out of seeing Wahlberg asking a houseplant permission to use the bathroom

[Quorthon]

Jul 19, 2008 18:00:58 GMT -5 Fenril said:

SPOILER WARNING!

The other main problem is actually the problem that ALL of Shyamalan movies have (including The sixth sense and Wide awake, yes): the more you go over it in your head, the less sense the plot makes. I can buy plants going toxic as revenge. I can buy an unexplained phenomena making people kill themselves. But plants ordering people to commit elaborate suicide? Not so much.

SPOILER END

Plants and other creatures do these kinds of things all the time in nature, making complex chemicals with very specific reactions. There's a tiny parasitic organism that controls the brains of ants that causes them to put themselves in harm's way so they can be eaten by larger animals, such as cows. Then, the parasite simply moves into the cow in the next part of it's lifecycle. There's another parasite that controls the brains of snails. Many plants are specifically poisonous to certain creatures.

I can buy it.

[Bartwald]

Jul 18, 2008 14:11:22 GMT -5 Quorthon said:

...And let's face facts here: Mark Walberg and Zooey Deschenal are not the most lively of actors in most of their other films, either...

Deschanel is a bad actress, period. Wahlberg, however, is one of those actors who can be great (like in The Departed) or incredibly bad (like here), depending on a director. Not a very good job on Shyamalan's part then.

[Pulpmariachi]

Deschenel is not a bad actress at all. She's usually okay. Enough to watch her without really thinking of horridity.

My Mom saw this movie. She didn't know it was supposed to be a horror film until I told her.

[Fenril]

Jul 25, 2008 12:35:03 GMT -5 Quorthon said:

Jul 19, 2008 18:00:58 GMT -5 Fenril said:

SPOILER WARNING!

The other main problem is actually the problem that ALL of Shyamalan movies have (including The sixth sense and Wide awake, yes): the more you go over it in your head, the less sense the plot makes. I can buy plants going toxic as revenge. I can buy an unexplained phenomena making people kill themselves. But plants ordering people to commit elaborate suicide? Not so much.

SPOILER END

Plants and other creatures do these kinds of things all the time in nature, making complex chemicals with very specific reactions. There's a tiny parasitic organism that controls the brains of ants that causes them to put themselves in harm's way so they can be eaten by larger animals, such as cows. Then, the parasite simply moves into the cow in the next part of it's lifecycle. There's another parasite that controls the brains of snails. Many plants are specifically poisonous to certain creatures.

I can buy it.

You know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction... I concede it's possible (not probable, but possible) in real life; in the context of the movie, however, it still seems too elaborate a plan to get rid of mankind. At least that's how it felt to me.

[ZapRowsdower]

Jul 26, 2008 9:41:47 GMT -5 Pulpmariachi said:

Deschenel is not a bad actress at all. She's usually okay. Enough to watch her without really thinking of horridity.

My Mom saw this movie. She didn't know it was supposed to be a horror film until I told her.

I usually love Zooey. It's weird, though. It's as if Shyamalan told the actors not to act.

[Quorthon]

Jul 28, 2008 1:34:25 GMT -5 ZapRowsdower said:

Jul 26, 2008 9:41:47 GMT -5 Pulpmariachi said:

Deschenel is not a bad actress at all. She's usually okay. Enough to watch her without really thinking of horridity.

My Mom saw this movie. She didn't know it was supposed to be a horror film until I told her.

I usually love Zooey. It's weird, though. It's as if Shyamalan told the actors not to act.

She wasn't that great in Sci-Fi's awkward "re-imagining" of Wizard of Oz, Tin Man. But that whole mini-series was rife with bizarre problems.