When a film maker hits really big with his first opus he has a long and difficult road ahead. He has to constantly come up with something bigger and better with each successive film. In order to maintain his standing as an auteur every movie he creates from the point of the initial success on will be compared to it and the expectations will be staggering. This is the case with writer director M. Night Shyamalan. He hit is big with a smash hit and a couple of strong follow up movies but then hit a slump. Two movies in a row failed to wow the fans or the critics. Now, he has returned to the cinema with his latest effort, ‘The Happening’. While it is better than the previous two films from this extremely talented and visionary man he is not yet back to the standards he set in the early days of his career. While there are a legion of fans, myself included, that want to see him succeed again this is a tough business to be in. In Hollywood you are only as god as your last movie. That may seem unfair and it is. The point is movies are a big business and in order to get a studio and distributor to front tens of millions of dollars they have the right to expect a sizable return on their investment. Shyamalan is on the right track with this film. In the opening weekend here in the States it made back half the budget of $60 million. The total gross should a profit large enough to keep the studio bean counters happy so it looks like he will have another opportunity to get back his former glory days. This was a highly anticipated film and now it is available on DVD through Fox. Just forget the last couple of films and try not to overly compare this one to his earlier works. If you are able to take this movie on its own merits you will greatly increase your enjoyment. It is not a bad film as mysteries go and while it will never be on a top film list it is worth while.

Most people are under the impression that the first film by Shyamalan was ‘The Sixth Sense’. This was actually his third. Previously he made a drama and a little family comedy. With ‘Sense’ he broke new ground by keeping the audience guessing throughout the movie. He left little clues for us to pick up to put the mystery in order. He also began a personal trademark of using color in an innovative fashion building it into the story. This was continued in his follow up film ‘Unbreakable’. There he used familiar motifs from comic books to weave his tale. He went back to the use of clues and misdirection with ‘Signs’ but after that started to falter. ‘The Village’ was too predictable and ‘Lady in the Water’ failed as both a story and a film. Now, with this film Shyamalan goes back to the more psychological approach to story telling. This is also a departure for him in that this is a more mature story and his first film to garner an ‘R’ rating. It does have some familiar themes; many we have seen all too many times before. This is an apocalyptic tale with a unique variation that is intriguing. The story is not conducive to elaborate special effects but instead relies on building a sense of unsettling tension in the audience. Shyamalan is the kind of writer that depends on letting the minds of the audience to do the work. He expects his viewers to get into the story and become emotionally involved.

As a director Shyamalan is highly visual. He crafts each scene with the eye of a perfectionist. He was best when he employed the subtle use of color to reinforce the plot but here shifts to a series of very disturbing an often unexplained images. The film has a creepy feel to it that works its way into the consciousness of the audience. Added by a strong and able cast he is able to pull you into to a world turned upside down. He is back to pacing his films in a slow but never plodding fashion. This film just misses the mark in the third act because the ultimate reveal strains to make sense. The audience needs some sort of closure to a film like this and little is done to provide it. Perhaps Shyamalan wanted it that way to leave the conclusion open ended and to the imagination of the audience. In the end you are left with an implausible conclusion that just doesn’t sit right.

Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is a high school science teacher in Philadelphia. While talking to his class about the ecological effect of honey bees disappearing something is starting to go wrong. In the Northeastern United States people are beginning to act extremely strangely. First they become disoriented, stopping in their tracks and some walking backwards. Then, for no apparent reason they look for the nearest way to commit suicide. This is not an isolated event as many are exhibiting this behavior. It seems to start in parks and move out from there. Authorities initially believe that there is a chance that this is some sort of bio-terrorist attack and many people begin to evacuate the cities. Elliot decides to take his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) and get on a train out of the city. Accompanying them are a co-worker of Elliot’s, Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian's eight-year-old daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). Suddenly the train comes to a complete haul as the crew tells them that they have lost contact with everyone. In a nearby town they discover that Princeton, New Jersey has been affected, the place where Julian’s wife is located. He leaves Jesse with Elliot and Alma and sets out on his own to find his wife. The trio find a ride with a botanist who tells them his theory that the plants are using a defense mechanism of some sort. He goes into details on how plants can affect the behavior of potential predator. Traveling through affected towns they encounter a private in the army (Jeremy Strong) who tells them what ever is happening is reaching smaller and smaller towns.

This film is in the tradition of many science fiction flicks. It takes the current fears of the population and grows them into something that would threaten the world. In this case those fears are terrorism and the ecological disaster that many experts state is just on the horizon. This is a departure for Shyamalan since the conclusion depends on a slower paced exposition instead of a shocking ending. Like any such major change in the style of a director and writer it will take time for him to develop. This is a work that makes its share of missteps but it is head and shoulders above the last two films he made. He is not back yet but Shyamalan is getting there. At least die hard fans will not have to apologize for their loyalty with this movie. The actors here are seasoned professionals and give it there all. Wahlberg shows up in the films you least expect. As a former boy band member has not taken the track so many such performers have. He has taken roles that help him stretch his acting talent nurturing it slowly. Deschanel was born into a talented show business family and has made her career on quirky parts. This has given her an expertise in providing performances that an audience can relate to. Leguizamo recently played opposite Wahlberg’s brother Donnie in the short lived Spike TV series ‘Kill Point’ he is one of the most versatile and interesting actors of his generation who has never encountered a part he could not master.

This is not a perfect movie but it does provide a solid piece of entertainment. It may not keep you guessing but it will keep you engaged and that is a lot to say. Fox provides the film on DVD and Blu-ray with their usual excellent audio and video. This is a good flick to watch with friends.

For the Blu-ray version of the film Fox has gone all out once again. Most of the extras are included in the DVD edition. There is an addition feature included here for those with D-Motion controllers. The video is spectacular; clearer than you could ever imagine. What is really noteworthy is the audio. It is DTS-HD and there is an amazing channel separation to this sound mix. You not only see but can hear the smallest details in the film. There is also a digital copy disc provided so you can move a copy of the whole film to your PC or MAC and from there to almost any other digital device.

Bonus View With Trivia Track
Deleted Scenes With Introduction By M. Night Shyamalan
Train Shooting Featurette
The Hard Cut Featurette
Forces Unseen Featurette
I Hear You Whispering Featurette
Visions Of The Happening: A Making Of
A Day For Night Featurette
Elements Of A Scene Featurette
Gag Reel
D-Box Motion Control