A Review of "The Happening"

In M. Knight Shaymalan's movie "The Happening," new to DVD, an airborne toxin causes people who are zooming along in their regular life to first lose their way, become confused, start walking backwards and, ultimately, kill themselves. I cannot think of a better metaphor for Shyamalan's career and use of his abilities than that right there.

It is hard to believe that the same man who created "The Sixth Sense" has unleashed this dazzling mess upon the world. Do you remember that movie when it came out? Recall how well done it was. Remember how brilliantly the surprise twist at the end was held in check until just the right moment. Remember how well-acted it was and how powerful the performance Shyamalan was able to bring out of little Halley Joel Osment.

I also greatly enjoyed his take on the entire idea of superheroes with "Unbreakable." I know several people who did not like that movie, but I feel that movies like "Batman Begins" and television shows like "Heroes" owe a debt of thanks to "Unbreakable" and its attempt to look at what it would be like to really be a super hero in a modern world. While the ending for that movie didn't work, I felt the rest of the movie was also well-plotted, well-acted and well done.

I feel he slipped with "The Village" but even thought I didn't think the movie succeeded as well as it could have, I appreciated the attempt. Even though I rolled my eyes at the end, the performances were still well done and the movie showed a craftsman at work.

Shyamalan returned to what I felt was championship form with "Signs." The only slip-up for me in that movie was the ending when the aliens went from being barely-seen shadows, arms and legs, into a person standing in a room looking like a guy in a rubber suit. Despite that, I felt the movie was tense, scary, well-acted, well-plotted and well done.

Then something happened. I am starting to worry a bit for M. Knight. Did he receive some kind of blow to the head? Did he get involved with things that were unhealthy for his creative mind? The horrific disaster that was "Lady in the Water" I prayed was an anomaly. I hoped that it was just him trying to take a story he told to his kids and making it into a movie and that it was just a mistake and maybe he would get over it.

I had high hopes for "The Happening." I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters and really wanted to be a voice in opposition to the criticisms I read about it. I like zigging when others are zagging. I like being contrary. So, when the movie finally showed up on DVD, I was anxious to form my own opinion.

Oh, my friends, I am so sorry to report that this movie is a disaster at least on par with "Lady in the Water" and maybe even worse. Shaymalan manages to do something he has always avoided even when he was at his worst: he cannot even get a decent performance out of any of his actors.

Why did he allow Mark Wahlberg to speak in that perpetual whiny, high-pitched, mousy voice throughout the entire movie? His character is the least convincing scientist since Denise Richards in that James Bond movie and, quite honestly, I bought her as a nuclear physicist more than Wahlberg as a high school biology teacher. He's supposed to be the smartest guy in the movie and yet he can't deliver a single line that sounds natural.

Zoey Deschanel is a gorgeous actress who managed to even turn a major misstep like "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" into something amusing to watch. She has turned in terrific performances in movies like "Elf" and she can be very funny such as in her appearances on "Weeds." In this movie, her acting is off the entire time. She overacts. She seems like she is mugging wildly like some kind of silent film actress. She delivers lines as though taking lessons from Keanue Reeves at his most wooden.

By the end of the movie the characters are literally running from...wind. Yes, they are fearful and sprinting to escape...the breeze! It was at this point that I threw up my hands and asked the universe what had happened to the man I once enjoyed so much - M. Knight Shaymalan.

The most frustrating thing about this entire movie is the feeling that there is a decent concept hidden beneath this mess. There is great potential for an exciting thriller or an outright horror film. The idea of something in the air causing people to kill themselves is a good one. The problem is, the entire movie is clumsy, ham-handed, poorly plotted, ludicrously acted and painful at times to watch.

I hope that Shyamalan manages to find his muse again. I hope that he goes back to whatever it is that made "The Sixth Sense" as exciting, thrilling, terrifying and brilliant as it was and tries again. I do worry that he is going to run out of chances, however. I fear that, at some point, Hollywood just has to say no to something that he wants to produce. Then again, Hollywood can be very forgiving at times.

I just fee like, maybe, if he had just taken the script to "The Happening" back to his writing room one or two more times, maybe he would have worked out the problems. If he had taken a step back and looked at it again, maybe he would have seen the problems, tightened the story, and maybe eased up a bit on the ecological premise that seems far-fetched and strange at best.

I hope he makes a comeback. I hope he does it soon.