Comments for M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening: the critics will hate it at http://sffmedia.com , comment 0 to 11 out of 11 comments http://sffmedia.com Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:44:36 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_214 (Warning - spoilers) The Happening is without a doubt the worst movie I have seen in years. At best it was an idea for a movie, but the script failed entirely to realise that idea. The dialogue and acting were quite literally and unintentionally laughable. For a while I thought that perhaps the acting was stylised, that Shyamalan was maybe using the actors to convey something subtle and clever, but no, it was just crap acting and awful direction. Though god only knows how any actor would be expected to work with the appalling dialogue and failure by Shyamalan to instil his characters and their relationships with an ounce of psychological truth. Within half an hour I was rooting for the trees. Wipe everyone out, I was praying - then it'll be over and we can go home! Maybe Shyamalan's other movies had more substance (although from first to most recent that's increasingly debatable - don't mistake style for substance) - but this one has no depth and nothing whatsoever to recommend it (except maybe for the unintentional laughs). - Gerard Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:59:47 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_212 to be honest after seeing The Village, i was shocked that as many people didnt like at as there were, but then again i guess i wouldnt have liked it either if i expected a standard monster movie and not something more. its just ironic how hollywood shovels out a HUNDRED of crappy movies a year, making a trip to the movie theater like a walk through a minefield. at least with his movies i know im seeing something original..something he put his heart into..as opposed to some cash cow movie. but to be fair, his films do seem to follow the same kind of formula...but unlike a lot of people i do not consider that a bad thing. His movies require a whole different level of thinking..its like with each one of his films he challenges you to see the whole picture, and i love that. - Steve Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:35:34 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_211 I hope this film restores his lustre in his films, 6th sense, great film, Signs, Loved it, the Village great twist, his last one stunk big time so I am hoping for good things in this however if the details relating to the plot are true then we 'may' be in for another yawn fest. I would love to see him get one together around some urban myths or so ancient legends, I think he is suited for that: fingers crossed - Ray Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:55:37 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_206 there are only a handful of films that unfold slowly allowing the viewer to think deeply. the majority of films rely on stereotypes, bodily functions and sounds to bring in receipts. mks is a storyteller. and to be a witness to the story, requires quiet and patience. - victoria g Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:27:39 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_188 If you do not understand that Signs was an alien movie that really wasn't about aliens but the nature of doubt and faith; if you do not understand that the Village was a 'monster' movie not really about monsters but rather the non-existence of innocence in history and humanity; if you do not undertand that Lady in the Water was not about a lady in the water but rather a microcosm of the different races/faiths of the earth, represented by the tenants of the apartment building, coming together in a film mainly about healing of bodies, souls and the earth; if you have no idea what direct and indirect symbolism, pathetic fallacy and how to gradually deconstruct a film while watching it: a) the first time and b) subsequent viewings, please go and see a film in a) the American Pie series or 2) directed by Roland Emmerich. Shyamalan is clearly not for you... - Jaime G. Fri, 23 May 2008 06:26:04 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_172 The first time I saw the Village, I thought it sucked. It was a huge build up to nothing! The end was a cop out! But then I had a few days to sit with it and I actually think it's a damn good movie now. A great love story... the scene with Joaquin on that girls porch... every girl melted! - L Sat, 03 May 2008 04:04:56 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_140 His movies aren't all that bad, and they aren't all that good either. I would never say Sixth Sense was one of the best movies of the decade, gimme a break. I think it's more like, some people have over-inflated the guy in the first place, and now, big surprise have grown up and want more. Many of us were already grown-ups and we realized that pretty much all his movies were "meh, that was ok." If this next one is good, no complaints here, and if it's bad..still no complaints. Mature reviewers don't sit around pondering if somebody has lost their juice. That's just too stupid to even consider. - ms Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:34:43 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_139 Webster, have you been lobotomised? Blink twice for "Yes". - F.O. Noddy Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:24:10 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_138 Have to admit it looks pretty disappointing, which is a shame because I thought "Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" were fantastic. "The Happening" seems like a rehash of "Signs" which I wasn't a real fan of, with the same unconvincing stretches in the plot. - Tam Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:28:27 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_137 I thought Signs and the Village were two of his best films! "Mediocre at best" is way too harsh. >:( - Webster Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:55:12 +0100 http://sffmedia.com/content/view/175/37/#pc_135 Actually, The Sixth Sense was the only good one, even Unbreakable was rubbish. Too sentimental and slow. Didn't understand what Samuel L Jackson was doing in it either. Waste of talent. If Shyamalan can make a film that's as good as The Sixth Sense, fine, if not, forget about it. - Slider Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:48:14 +0100