Global warming deserves a better movie.

Rating: 4/10 (7 July 2008)

My hands have been full these past few years defending M. Night Shyamalan. 'The Village' was a beautifully haunting stroke of genius and a personal favorite of mine. 'Lady in the Water', while certainly outlandish and a tad self-indulgent, was an enchanting fairy tale with a worthy message. While both of these films have been the target of an absurd amount of lashing, Shyamalan was made Hollywood's go-to whipping boy.
And here we arrive at 'The Happening'. Shyamalan's first R-rated venture. An eco-thriller which poses the question, what if Earth were to one day simply purge itself of mankind? It's a terrific set-up, thought-provoking in typical Shyamalan fashion. But unfortunately, I won't be taking up the task anytime soon to defend 'The Happening' as I have with his previous efforts. I didn't hate it, and I don't think it's quite as bad as some have claimed, but I simply cannot defend it.
'The Happening' would have made a great short story. The makings are there, the potential is great. But a good story does not always a good movie make. A promising and disturbing start ultimately gives way to something much less suspenseful as Shyamalan's script begins to tread water. For perhaps the first time in his career, 'The Happening' becomes a shoddy piece of work from the man who once brought us 'The Sixth Sense'. A few memorable scenes stuck in a poorly constructed picture. The film simply gravitates without much direction or insight.
Shyamalan, who has been able to draw some fantastic performances from actors in the past, instead seems to bring out the worst of this cast. Mark Wahlberg, whose career has been on the upswing since his Oscar nominated performance in 'The Departed', is at times painful to watch here. Awkward close-ups mixed in with awkward dialogue. He seems lost and confused, probably trying to remember what possessed him to take on this role. The rest of the cast, which includes John Leguizamo and a zoned out Zooey Deschanel, just doesn't have anything to work with. They're all wandering around aimlessly waiting for Shyamalan to explain himself.
If you've seen the trailers, you've seen 'The Happening'. In between frightening scenes of deranged suicide, there's not much to pass the time or make a movie with for that matter. This is Shyamalan at his dullest, his weakest effort to date and a sore disappointment. There's a great environmental message here worth listening to, but it deserves a much better movie. Something compelling, something worth seeing. 'The Happening' had potential, but Shyamalan ultimately leaves it to suffer.
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