The Happening
June 15th 2008 10:20
In an effort to make up for lost time, I've visited the cinema twice in the past 24 hours and also saw The Happening in addition to The Incredible Hulk (also reviewed, check the sidebar).
The Happening is M Night Shyamalan's newest science fiction effort. It tells the story of a young married couple's efforts to save themselves from an unknown threat that presents itself in mother nature. Elliot Moore (played by Mark Wahlberg) is a young school teacher who prides himself on being one with the kids. He is quickly alerted to a situation occuring in Central Park where scores of people have been killed by what is suspected to be a terrorist attack via a poisonous gas released into the air.
The film quickly builds momentum as he and his wife Alma (played by the always lovely Zooey Deschanel) do a runner with his best friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and his daughter Ashlyn. No one knows what exactly is going on and this premise remains throughout the film which revolves itself around the statement that "There is no truths there is only theories" when it comes to mother nature and science (the line was something like that).
A subplot is quickly built concerning extra-marital affairs and lost love between Elliot and Alma but it just reeks of the "we are binded together again through tragedy" cliche that litters every second action film released in Hollywood. The secrets are eventually realised for comical moments but feel somewhat out of place, as if M Night threw them in there for no real purpose.
The cinematography in the beginning when the bodies start to fall is outstanding and sets up the mystery quite well however there seemed to be no payoff at the end. It just finished and had the seemingly obligatory sequel-setup ending.
All of this comes from a somewhat tired and lazy writer who feels the need to wrap all of this up so I'll finish it off by saying this film is not exactly cinema material. Just wait for the DVD release, you're not going to miss anything (unless you watch movies on a 15" mono TV, to which I say 'get a job, sir!').
The Happening is M Night Shyamalan's newest science fiction effort. It tells the story of a young married couple's efforts to save themselves from an unknown threat that presents itself in mother nature. Elliot Moore (played by Mark Wahlberg) is a young school teacher who prides himself on being one with the kids. He is quickly alerted to a situation occuring in Central Park where scores of people have been killed by what is suspected to be a terrorist attack via a poisonous gas released into the air.
The film quickly builds momentum as he and his wife Alma (played by the always lovely Zooey Deschanel) do a runner with his best friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and his daughter Ashlyn. No one knows what exactly is going on and this premise remains throughout the film which revolves itself around the statement that "There is no truths there is only theories" when it comes to mother nature and science (the line was something like that).
A subplot is quickly built concerning extra-marital affairs and lost love between Elliot and Alma but it just reeks of the "we are binded together again through tragedy" cliche that litters every second action film released in Hollywood. The secrets are eventually realised for comical moments but feel somewhat out of place, as if M Night threw them in there for no real purpose.
The cinematography in the beginning when the bodies start to fall is outstanding and sets up the mystery quite well however there seemed to be no payoff at the end. It just finished and had the seemingly obligatory sequel-setup ending.
All of this comes from a somewhat tired and lazy writer who feels the need to wrap all of this up so I'll finish it off by saying this film is not exactly cinema material. Just wait for the DVD release, you're not going to miss anything (unless you watch movies on a 15" mono TV, to which I say 'get a job, sir!').
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