The Happening

The Happening (2009) Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, Ashlyn Sanchez and John Leguizamo.

Before...If I am honest I hadn't heard a good thing about this film, all of the reviews highlighted its shortcomings and none praised it at all, so I wasn't brimming with confidence about what it would be like. But as always I was looking forward to watching another film!

Elliot Moore (Wahlberg) is a high school science teacher who quizzes his class one day about an article in the New York Times. It's about the sudden, mysterious disappearance of bees. Yet again Nature is doing something inexplicable, and whatever science has to say about it will be, in the end, only a theory. Scientists will bring out more theories, but no explanations, when a more urgent dilemma hits the planet. It begins in Central Park. Suddenly and inexplicably, the behaviour of everyone in the park changes in a most bizarre and horrible way. Soon, the strange behaviour spreads throughout the city and beyond. Elliot, his wife, Alma (Deschanel) , and Julian (Leguizamo), his friend, Jess (Sanchez), Julian's young daughter, will only have theories to guide them where to run and where to hide. But theories may not be enough.

Where to start...the acting in this film is flater than a freshly cooked crepe. It was awful. Until this film I rated Wahlberg as good actor, but there is not only no emotion in his performance but the interaction that he has with other characters is stumbled and very messy. I wished for nothing more than a bit of heart to be added to this film, but I never got it. I didn't care for the characters throughout the film and I lay the blame at the feet of the acting for that.

If I didn't care for the characters due to the acting what does that say about the plot. Well it was confusing, jumbled and had no real direction to it. The whole concept of trees being the bad guy just doesn't do it for me, there just aren't that sinister at all. At one point in M. Night Shyamalan's career he was considered to be a highly accomplished director and writer. Then Lady in the Water came along, he moved to being just an accomplished director...and now this. He has created a movie devoid of characterisation and devoid of plot. In looking at the poster it is almost as if he knows he is on a losing streak, he is trying to remind people of the great movies he has made. A man desperate to pull back good memories. The only thing that he has going for him is The Last Airbender, a stunning film that looks like it could be something real special!

All in all I found this movie lacking in anything...plot, awful. Acting, dreadful. Scenery, clichéd. Again this is another movie that I could not find a single thing good about it...and so welcome to the second movie that recieves...

☆☆☆☆☆