The only thing "happening" was audience disappointment

Rating: 3/10 (14 June 2008)

I have been a fan of M. Night Shyamalan's since The Sixth Sense. I've enjoyed all his films and even enjoyed - and defended! - Lady in the Water. But there's not a whole lot to defend in The Happening.
The basic overarching premise of the film is a good one. But that's where it ends. It's a one-note film that goes on and on with little plot or character development. And the script is embarrassingly sophomoric, filled with unnatural comic-book style dialog. It honestly sounded more like someone's college project than a professionally written script. It was painful watching Mark Wahlberg trying to make something out of the poorly written lines he was given. The only successful moments of the film were the ones where Wahlberg injects some humor into his delivery.
If Shyamalan doesn't want to hire some good writers, its time for him to find another line of work.
Addendum 7/10/08: I've read other reviews since I wrote this, both on IMDb and other sources. I have taken into consideration others' views and opinions and the notion that Shyamalan was "trying to make a B movie." I still stand by my first review. Even if that's what he was trying to do - actually, ESPECIALLY if that's what he was "trying" to do - its still a poor attempt. If you want to see a successful homage to a classic genre, see "Far From Heaven," (a nod to the 1950's director Douglas Sirk) or "L.A. Confidential," (a tip of the hat to the film noir/detective genre). But if "The Happening" is supposed to be an homage to the B movies of the 50's and 60's or even Rod Serling's Twilight Zone series, it is still profoundly lacking.