Don't see the problem

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2008)

Let me start the way many of these comments have by saying I am a huge M. Night fan. Now here is the twist which will set my post apart from many of the others...I fully enjoyed The Happening. I have followed MNS movies from The Sixth Sense, as have most people, and oddly enough (or so it appears), I have yet to be disappointed. The problem MNS faces is that The Sixth Sense set such a high bar with the twist it presented, that moviegoers have expected the same type of film every time he releases something, so much so that the twist of his films have now become that there is no twist. When Lady in the Water was released it was bashed, however when was the last time we were presented such an original story, twist or no twist? The same can be said for The Happening.
The Happening revolves around an unexplained phenomenon in which people are killing themselves left, right and center, with zero cause. It is believed to be the act of terrorists, until the event has spread so quickly that terrorism is ruled out. Shortly into the film, one of the supporting characters suggests he believes the plants are responsible, to which he is greeted with obvious doubt. As the film progresses it becomes clear that plants are indeed the cause...this is the part of the film in which I believe people mostly stopped paying attention and began waiting for it to end...and I have heard many people state that the plot is just too ridiculous to take seriously.
However, I do not believe this makes a bad film. Why is it we can see a film about a bunch of cars that transform into Robots sent to protect the Earth ( I loved Transformers as well btw, and do not mean this as a negative ), however plants attacking the Earth is seen as completely unbelievable. Hello....movies are works of fiction, and are not always supposed to be taken literally. What MNS presents in this film is a "what if" scenario...and I think on that what he delivers is highly entertaining. The death sequences are original and visually dazzling, and the camera work is impressive, illustrated brilliantly in the car wreck scene. Yes there are some spots in which I felt a little let down by Mark Wahlbergs performance...however I have noticed that throughout all of MN films, he has provided us with unconventional characters and directs them in a way that presents characters unlike any we see in any other films. The DVD also has many added features which provide insight into the film as well as its characters. MN has never shoved everything into our faces ( these are my characters, they are in love, they are going through a rough time, this is why, this is how its resolved), but gives us subtle and short insights into his characters and plot lines, leaving our imaginations to do the rest. This type of film making is not for everyone, but I feel that anyone that is going to go into watching this movie with an open mind and not just to prove that MN has gone down hill (which I strongly believe he hasn't), or better yet an MN fan who truly gets his work, will find satisfaction in The Happening.