So-so movie with so-so acting.

Rating: 5/10 (20 October 2011)

Considering the progressive decline of M. Night Shyamalan's movies, I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that this movie was only so-so. The fearsome "happening" occurs because of something that is about as scary as my neighbor's bark-happy terrier. Even so, some of the moments did make me jump, if only for contrived movie experiences like sharp sound and quick visual takes. The characters are pretty well-developed, but the acting...could have been better. The hype about its being his first R-rated movie is really just that -- hype. I have a feeling it just toed the line over into R-rated territory. The violence, granted, is there, but it could easily have been toned down for a PG-13 rating. It was entertaining enough, but, overall, it suffers from what should usually be a positive thing -- a surfeit of expectations that it does not quite live up to.