Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Happening (2008) R - 3½ Stars

I had to check the rental box a few times to make sure I didn't see the name Stephen King on the outside. It sure had the look and feel of one of his movies. And while I enjoyed the movie, I have to say I was sort of disappointed in the NON happening. I think the movie had a great storyline up until the end, but some the characters give such poor performances, I wish they could have come of with a better explanation of the event to help the movie out. However having said that, I still feel it's worth the cost of a rental.

Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is a high school teacher living in Philadelphia. He and his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), have been having problems and their marriage is falling apart. As an escape, he wraps his life around science. As he lectures to his students about theory's behind the disappearance of honey bees, strange things begin to happen outside in a near by city. It's decided that everyone will leave school and flee the city before they are affected too.

Elliot leaves for home to get his wife and pack a few things to leave the city. They meet up with their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). It's decided the best way out is by train. But as the train stops at one last small town, they can go no further or they will be driving into their own demise. Something is affecting the people in large cities to cause fatal chemical imbalances in their brains. Now they much try and make their way out of the city in time before the happening effects them all.

20th Century Fox
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Producer: Barry Mender, Barry Mendel, M. Night Shyamalan
I viewed 10/08

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are far too kind, but to be fair, it was interesting until the hugely disappointing end which was awful. You left me hanging there Mr. Shyamalan.

Reel Whore said...

I had no love for this film at all. Just painfully long and the expectation of something 'happening' was never realized.

It reminded me of Hitchcock's The Birds, except more unsatisfying.