When I saw the tease trailer for The Happening I was interested. It looked like the classic, post-apocolyptic flick with a little horror mixed in for good measure. And, although Mark Wahlberg isn’t exactly a fabulous actor, I’ve enjoyed movies like, Three Kings, The Italian Job, and Invincible. Honestly, he makes a far better action star than his portrayal of a high school science teacher. So, this Tuesday I rented The Happening on the first day of release. Errrrr, mistake.
Now, fair warning, this will contain a spoiler but the bottom line is The Happening isn’t. Get it? Yeah, the premise is people start randomly killing themselves for no apparent reason. They shoot, stab, and toss themselves off tall building, all with a resounding finality but it does little to build the suspense. Initially the reports claim this is some sort of chemical attack by terrorist but as you ponderously endure the plot, it becomes evident the enemy isn’t some radical Islam sect, or a splinter group of Russian communists.
Nope, the plants (i.e., the trees, shrubs, and grass) start releasing a toxin which inhibits the self-preservation instinct of people thus causing to act on latent feelings of suicide. The reason? Because the Earth is giving man a warning… Allow me to spend money so you don’t have to. Bottom line: don’t bother.