Since I quite enjoy movies, and I have a blog, writing reviews seems like a natural connection (plus Rick has been not-so-subtly suggesting I do this for a while). My plan is to not simply write about new releases, but movies that I’ve seen, no matter how old. But, I’m going to start this first one off with a new release.
*Warning* I cannot guarantee that the following will not have spoilers, in fact, I’m pretty sure it will. So, only keep reading if you’ve already seen it, want to have potential things ruined, or simply cannot stop reading my wonderful writing.
The Happening has gotten some negative critiques. In fact, I’ve not met anyone else who likes it. But, I did. Basic premise: Northeastern United States is hit with a sudden seemingly random phenomenon that switches people’s “survival instinct” causing them to suddenly want to end it all. Thus leading to many chilling suicide scenes. The part where I think most people were let down was in the fact that there really was no twist ending, a plot element that’s made Shyamalan famous. Another part where people seem to be dissatisfied is in the explanation of the reason for the potentially toxic air: the plants were fighting back because they felt threatened by us. And so, the movie has been labeled an “eco-thriller” and cause such comments as the one from my husband: “I think he’s seen An Inconvenient Truth one too many times.” However, I seem to be the only one who believes that this is not the reason behind the epidemic. Earlier in the movie, Elliot Moore (aka Mark Wahlberg) was teaching his high school science class. He tells the class that bees are disappearing all over the world and elicited ideas from his students as to why this was happening. After several typical responses, one kid finally said that it was just a scientific phenomenon that we will probably never understand, but someone will come up with something to “put in the books.” And that is precisely what I think happened in the movie. This phenomenon happened, and the attack-of-the-plants theory was what they came up with to explain it.
But…maybe that’s just me.