The Happening: Shyamalan's entertaining B-Movie

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2008)

Better than LADY IN THE WATER and THE VILLAGE, but doesn't touch the likes of THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE, and SIGNS.
THE HAPPENING is indeed a minor work from the very inconsistent Shyamalan, but I found myself enjoying it more than I should have by coming to the conclusion that it was a glorified B-movie. It plays like a 90 minute episode of the Twilight zone, and it has a preachy message to match.
The acting and dialogue were pretty awful throughout, but I felt this aided the B-movie feel nicely. The film also has the most moronic and uneven blend of shock and humor (yes...humor) I've seen in any film, but somehow it managed to work here (in context of course). I know moviegoers ever where are going to hate the film for these very reasons, but I admired the film for it's goofiness,, it's b-movie charm, and the fact that you never know exactly where it's going next.
THE HAPPENING is proof that Mr. ''Shyamalamadingdong'' can make an entertaining picture without a twist ending; without jump-scares; and without pretension. It may not be the film he set out to make... hell it may not be the film that many people will expect to see, but in a time when most films in release are dull and by-the-books, THE HAPPENING is neither.