THE HAPPENING with Leguizamo, Buckley, Clark & Wahlberg *Review & Spoilers*

[EugLoven]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:41am

THE HAPPENING, M. Night Shyamalan's latest film, opens Friday June 13. Stars include John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley, Victoria Clark and Mark Wahlberg.

Anyone going? I'll be at Union Square 9:30PM showing. Gimme some chills and thrills, Nighty!


Updated On: 6/14/08 at 12:41 AM

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:19am

Wait...Betty Buckley and Victoria Clark??? I had no idea; I'm totally there now!

[LadyRosecoe]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:26am

The two of them will make it worth it even if it turns out to be crap and they don't appear for more than 2 minutes. The fact that she plays an eccentric and mysterious farm woman piques my curiosity to the limit. She is unbeatable!

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:49am

I'm seeing it tomorrow too.
Honestly after The Village and Lady in the Water the only thing making me excited for this is the cast.
John Leguizamo
Betty Buckley
Victoria Clark
Alan Ruck
and Dirk Diggler lol

but you forgot to mention Zooey Deschanel! Amazing actress (Hitchhickers Guide, Tin Man, Elf) and singer-songwriter of indie band She & Him. She makes me soooo happy :)

[folkyboy]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 9:03am

it's getting raked across the coals at Rotten Tomatoes.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 10:40am

Since it is Shyamalan, my favorite director, I'm seeing the first showing at my nearest theater in 50 minutes. If I wait any longer, someone will ruin it all for me and I'll be furious.

I've been looking forward to this for a year!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 10:43am

The NY Times mentioned Buckley as scene stealing...hated Zooey...called her loopy and clueless. I think it was Dargis who was the reviewer.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 1:11am

JUST GOT BACK FROM THE MOVIE TONIGHT

***SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS***

In a word: Crap-pening

The worst writing and directing Sham-a-lot has ever done. I'm a huge fan of Sixth Sense, The Village and Signs but this was just a disaster.

Wahlberg is adorable eye-candy but delivers his lines like a chorus boy (I've nothing against chorus boys! just metaphor). Zooey is clueless and loopy, as one publication put it.

Premise: Good Idea. Semi-feasible. Mother Nature (plants) adapts to fight off "threat" (Man) with deadly airborne toxin

Deliver of Premise: Like a solar-powered flashlight, just didn't work

You don't care about Leguizamo. You don't care about anyone, really. There's no chemistry, no humanity. Betty Buckley is f*ckin' insane (surprise?) Victoria Clark is SO great to see on a large-screen but not in this show (*SPOLIER* and not to die the way she did... people were laughing)

It's just.... GRAWwwRLll!! I didn't want to NOT like it so much. It's just funny. Not even disappointing. Like watching a 6th grade in-class student-made video on why Global Warming is scary... and having to be the "proud" mother watching her kids' work (but secretly gritting her teeth)

There were SOME good parts. Specifically, the construction-site scene in the beginning. The lawn-mower shot in the second-half. Betty Buckley at the dinner table.

But laughably not scary, not thrilling. AND THE WRITING AND DIALOGUE ARE JUST ATROCIOUS! Nobody speaks like that! Seriously, M.Night Shammylots, you can make scary ideas, dude, but pass the pencil to someone else!!!

Updated On: 6/14/08 at 01:11 AM

[CMoore]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 3:06am

I liked it :)

[goofy108]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 3:53am

probaby one of the worst movies i have ever seen.
it was laughable.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 4:23am

I agree with everyone else that this film was a wreck. However I loved Zooey. Her characterizations were adorable, quirky, and brought a life and genuine humanity to the lifeless script. Unfortunately by the scene in the science classroom, it was clear that Shaymahlahn still hasn't regained any screenwriting tact or adept versatility.

Buckey's character was nuts, but the most I can say for her performance was that she committed to the script. Clark I felt was great in her small role, and I'd love to see her on the silver screen more oft than not.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 12:44pm

I agree with this reviewer (I forget which paper it was in), who summed it up for me:

"For a movie called 'The Happening,' not very much happens."

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 1:09pm

It was NOT that awful. I think this could be a huge cult hit. I was really entertained and had fun...it's definitely better than LADY IN THE WATER and THE VILLAGE. UNBREAKABLE, SIGNS, and THE SIXTH SENSE are his best films and this movie certainly doesn't reach that level of mastery but it's entertaining and well worth seeing, I thought.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 2:33pm

Shyamalan is really a love-him-or-hate-him guy, isn't he? I don't think I've ever heard from anyone who was in-between about him. Personally, I love him. But unfortunately, I'm a huge chicken and could barely get through his PG-13 level of suspense, so I'll never make it through an R. I'll have to wait for the DVD to come out and rely on my trusty fast-forward button.

[misschung]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 2:40pm

I'll probably see it this week, but I'm not expecting much. Wahlberg is delicious, but does tend to sound as though he's reading his lines rather than delivering them.

Still, if it packs one or two suspense filled scenes, it's worth it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/14/08 at 2:40pm

I've loved (The Sixth Sense, Signs) and hated (The Lady in the Water, The Village) his movies. He definitely has talent, but it's been a while since he's come out with a really great film.