Director M. Night Shyamalan
Staring Mark Walhberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
I just happened to catch this one on tv so I can not say what the dvd or blu-ray have to offer so if someone wants to fill us in that would be helpfull.
Walhberg plays teacher Elliot Moore who begins the movie by positing to his class a question as to why all the bees are disappearing. The day is disrupted by a supposed terrorist attack on Central Park where people inexplicably start killing themselves in the quickest method they can accomplish. Jumping off buildings, shooting themselves, driving their cars into obstructions...you get the point. The effect spreads so fast that it soon becomes apparent that it is not terrorists but natural causes. Walhberg manages to escape the effects with his wife and a friends child, but only just, and eventually waits out the worst in a remote farm-house. It is determined that the plants where or may have been the cause but everyone is skeptical because it only happened in the US Northeast.
Now Shyamalan could have left it right here and left you wondering and thinking and generally agreeing that though derivative at least the movie made you think. But the director just can not resist picking at the ending like a child at a scab until he bleeds every bit out of the idea.
"Happening" is at best a retread "Day of the Triffids" with a sprinkle of "the Birds" - with Night depending more on the horror aspect or the suicides. He not only telegraphs the ending but tells you point blank that he is going to do it! Nothing new here. We have the bad ole humans destroying Gaea and must be stopped - yawn.
If its on tv and you're too damn lazy to change the channel, then go ahead and watch, but rent? Own? nope. pass. Give it a 4 for some of the acting and visuals....
Staring Mark Walhberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
I just happened to catch this one on tv so I can not say what the dvd or blu-ray have to offer so if someone wants to fill us in that would be helpfull.
Walhberg plays teacher Elliot Moore who begins the movie by positing to his class a question as to why all the bees are disappearing. The day is disrupted by a supposed terrorist attack on Central Park where people inexplicably start killing themselves in the quickest method they can accomplish. Jumping off buildings, shooting themselves, driving their cars into obstructions...you get the point. The effect spreads so fast that it soon becomes apparent that it is not terrorists but natural causes. Walhberg manages to escape the effects with his wife and a friends child, but only just, and eventually waits out the worst in a remote farm-house. It is determined that the plants where or may have been the cause but everyone is skeptical because it only happened in the US Northeast.
Now Shyamalan could have left it right here and left you wondering and thinking and generally agreeing that though derivative at least the movie made you think. But the director just can not resist picking at the ending like a child at a scab until he bleeds every bit out of the idea.
"Happening" is at best a retread "Day of the Triffids" with a sprinkle of "the Birds" - with Night depending more on the horror aspect or the suicides. He not only telegraphs the ending but tells you point blank that he is going to do it! Nothing new here. We have the bad ole humans destroying Gaea and must be stopped - yawn.
If its on tv and you're too damn lazy to change the channel, then go ahead and watch, but rent? Own? nope. pass. Give it a 4 for some of the acting and visuals....
