The Happening is like a microcosm of M. Night Shayamalan’s career, such a promising beginning, and then a precipitous drop off. There is such potential at the start. The first scenes in Central Park and a construction scene are knockouts. I thought at that moment that Shayamalan had reversed his downward trend, but this was not the case.
The movie just loses it way, the premise does not hold water, and the effects are just hockey. Perhaps my science background makes me question the idea but it just seems too far out there for me.
The movie just loses it way, the premise does not hold water, and the effects are just hockey. Perhaps my science background makes me question the idea but it just seems too far out there for me.
The performances are wooden and who would have expected that out of these top-notch actors.
Shayamalan still has a lot of cinematic chops, even those the premise does not work the movie is full of suspense. There a numerous jump out of your seat moments and the camera work is great. He really knows how to frame a shot I think its time for him to try to direct a screenplay he did not write.
While were on the topic lets rank M. Night Shayamalan’s movies (at least the ones I’ve seen)
1. Signs (2002)
2. The Six Sense (1999)
3. Unbreakable (2000)
4. The Village (2004)
5. The Happening (2008)
3 comments:
Nick, completely agree on your points. I think we should put a moratorium on the "next Spielberg" talk that began in 1999, at least until Shyamalan gains some consistency.
Rent "Lady in the Water" when you have a chance. Critics panned it, but I think it's one of his best.
I'll give it a look when I get a chance
I'll have to rent that one too and Sixth Sense and Unbreakable and Signs. Put that after the massive Harry Potter marathon Evan is going to make me go through in November.
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