Interesting...

Rating: 6/10 (17 June 2008)

I saw this movie yesterday and I have to say that this was a good movie by M. Night Shyamalan. It's not his best but definitely not horrible or bad like "The Village". Instead of focusing on science-fiction and fantasy that he has done in the past, his eyes are on Mother Nature.
The film opens with Mark Wahlberg's character Elliot Moore instructing a class about the honey bees' populations that are dramatically decreasing across the world. I've never heard of such a case, but after doing a little inquiring and research, I learned that this is known as CCD or Colony Collapse Disorder. It is unknown why this is happening. If the bees go instinct, it could very well cause the extinction of the human race.
The film's plot brings in the question: What if plants and nature can turn against us by our abuse and hate? As an airborne toxin sweeps through the Manhattan, making people kill themselves, Elliot Moore, his wife (Zooey Deschanel), his friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez) are forced to flee Philadelphia and travel cross country to avoid the toxin.
"The Happening" is a very interesting movie that captures suspense, mystery, drama, and character development that is well in Shyamalan's capability. He once again proves to be one of Hollywood's most daring and unusual directors. The score by James Newton Howard is haunting and the work of the cinematographer helps plaster the landscapes that bring the winds of destruction.
Sure, "The Happening" may seem unrealistic like many Shyamalan movies are, but is it? Could nature turn against us? I'm probably one of the few who appreciate this movie, but again, it is not Shyamalan's best work partly because of the R rating. It was rather shocking to watch the explicit scenes of violent suicides and murders that made me jump and at time gasp. To me, it did not seem like Shyamalan's style since all his other movies are PG-13 or lower. The other thing I did not like about this movie was its pace. The film seemed to go by too quickly. There is some character development but not enough to make it moving like "Signs" or "Lady in the Water". I was also hoping for Shyamalan to make his appearance in the film like he does in his other ones, but he doesn't. 7/10 -Give it a chance; it's better than what most critics say.