The Happening Movie Review Fixed - Good Bad Flicks Episode 59

[lordofnightmares]

After going through your stuff on a friend's recc, something got to me in this review. You've probably have had this pointed out a few times, but I feel I need to do it again, since this is October and there isn't even an annotation correction.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American-made cartoon (not even a comic book, the A:TAS comics came out after the cartoon became popular). Other than an ascetic drawn from Anime, it has no connection to Manga (with an a-sound like that in "Ah!").

[trachenburg]

@lordofnightmares Nobody's perfect. In doing a new episode weekly, unfortunately sometimes mistakes are made. You are actually the first person to point this out.

[EffectiveKill]

@lordofnightmares also his movie adapting this great cartoon was terrible

[trachenburg]

@EffectiveKill This is a case where I never really watched the show so I can't say how accurate his adaptation was. I know a lot of fans of the show were not happy with the adaptation but I have a feeling that they wouldn't have been happy no matter who did it. (unless it was animated)

Something like this is incredibly tough to do to make the fans happy and still draw in the crowds.

[EffectiveKill]

@trachenburg the fact that he messed up the names characters and even the general bending (how they move the elements around) most people were pissed, it was worse then eragon if you have ever seen that (i did read the eragon book).

[trachenburg]

@EffectiveKill Yeah, it seems it wasn't as close to the source as it should have been. (from what I heard)

Ugh, Eragon was so-so. I never read the books but I heard they were good. I know they wanted to set up a new series like the Harry Potter books but the whole thing felt phoned in. At least the rifftrax was funny.

[lordofnightmares]

@trachenburg No, a live action movie could have been done well. However, terrible casting, terrible pacing and an overwhelming degree of dull and slow exposition ruined what could have been a good movie.

[trachenburg]

@lordofnightmares Not saying it was impossible just really, really hard. Not saying M Night did it right either...I think that one may have been doomed from the start. I personally didn't think it was all that bad but I've never seen the show so I have no comparison.

It's tough to say how fans and people will react. Look at the last Indiana Jones movie. The fans hated it but it still made 720 million dollars.

[lordofnightmares]

@trachenburg I can say without doubt that if the movie was even half as good as the show, its first 4 episodes not withstanding (took some time to hit its stride like most TV shows do) it would have been gleefully accepted by the fans. American cartoon fans tend to come into live action adaptations expecting less than spectacular. Don't blame the fandom for a painfully boring, albeit very pretty (earth bending dancers aside), movie. Do yourself a favor and watch the cartoon.

[trachenburg]

@lordofnightmares I disagree. It seems that whenever something new is released or an adaptation in the works there is so much "this is going to be awful" or "what the hell are they thinking?!" well before the project even gets off the ground. With M Night at the helm, people were going to hate it regardless. There was already 1 or no star ratings before it was even released.

[trachenburg]

@lordofnightmares I personally didn't find it boring but I can understand folks that did. There is far worse that gets a pass. This has such a dedicated fan base and fans tend to scream the loudest. I enjoyed it but I have no interest in watching it again. Definitely my least favorite of his films. I've seen a little of the show but honestly I wasn't all that into it. Not saying it's bad, just not my cup of tea.

[lordofnightmares]

@EffectiveKill yes, pointing out the painfully obvious on a week old comment. Thank you, that was so needed.

[EffectiveKill]

@lordofnightmares yep

[freddy3911]

I'm surprised you didn't put Perry Andelin Blake or Bo Welch on the worst directors list in the opening. One thing Hollywood should know is never hire a production designer to direct a movie. I actually like THE CAT IN THE HAT movie Bo Welch made but you can tell he care more about the look of the film rather than the storyline.

[trachenburg]

@freddy3911 I had quite a list but I had to condense the bad directors to keep the pace from dragging. Only a couple were needed to get the point across. Yeah, you could tell that the look of the cat in the hat was way more important than the plot, the acting, etc.

[TheGoldenKing20]

Actually, you're wrong about one thing: there WAS a twist in Lady in the Water, remember how in that movie everyone was supposed to be one of the characters in the fable? Well the twist was that the main guy who first encountered the girl was actually a different character from what the one they thought he was. I can hardly blame you for not remembering you though, it was so minor and insignificant. That the story and characters in the movie were so underdeveloped made it even less noticeable.

[crazyleg2006]

Great episode Trach!

[trachenburg]

@crazyleg2006 Thanks!

[brianskirk]

I'm a big fan of Night's early films but never saw this because of the negative reviews of friends...though I've always wanted to give it a try. Now I will thanks to your thoughtful review. I agree with you that, say what you want about his films, they always give you plenty to think and talk about.

[trachenburg]

@brianskirk Thanks for watching and thanks for the complement!

When you watch the movie think of it like an extended episode of the Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. Hope you enjoy it.

[Tysto]

Cinematography is different from directing. But Night's problem is that he's become a terrible writer. Yes, those films were financially successful, but audiences hated the later ones and felt cheated. And the Happening IS stupid. It's stupid that people kill themselves because of a wafting plant toxin, stupid that numerous plants develop the toxin simultaneously, and completely idiotic that plants communicate with each other. Worst, the movie is DULL.

[trachenburg]

@Tysto While I will admit that sometimes his dialog could use some punching up, it is hardly in the realm of what I would call "terrible". However, this is just my opinion. He is leagues better than anything Diablo Cody has ever written. I've never felt cheated from an M Night film. I don't think the idea of plant toxin was stupid. Why is it so far out of the realm of possibility? The whole thing had a sort of old school B movie feel or like a lost episode of the Twilight Zone.

[reecord2]

@Tysto yes, but in the video he's not talking about cinematography, he's talking about the framing of the shots, which is the director's job. The cinematographer's job is to light the scene.

[Tysto]

@reecord2 In the US, the cinematographer (aka director of photography) makes most of the decisions of how to shoot as well as light a scene. It's a little different in the UK, but in neither case does the director typically choose lenses and filters, frame shots, etc. In the US, the director can't even touch the camera.

[reecord2]

@Tysto with all due respect, I'd research your botany before you make claims like that, cause you're completely wrong. Don't take my word for it, look it up.

[Tysto]

@reecord2 Look what up? The idiotic idea that plant toxins can make humans commit suicide, the idiot idea that different plant species can develop such a toxin almost simultaneously, or the idiotic idea that plants can communicate across great distances and come to a consensus decision about killing all humans?

[userjayson]

no twist ending.

why is it necessary to mention if a movie has a twist ending or not?

[userjayson]

@userjayson other than that: pretty interesting stuff!

[trachenburg]

@userjayson Thanks! :)

[trachenburg]

@userjayson I was just trying to prove the point that M Night doesn't put twists in every movie.

[userjayson]

@trachenburg oh ok, I did not get that this was the general opinion - never mind me then ;)

[trachenburg]

@userjayson it's ok, thanks for watching :)

[PostmanPat854]

I watched this movie with my family, and apparently I was the only one that even remotely liked it. I haven't seen it in awhile, so I guess it's time to watch some old Shyamalan movies.

[trachenburg]

@PostmanPat854 Thanks! It's good to know there are other people out there who enjoy the flick ^^

[Smo17]

Happened to come by this by chance... I'm one of those people who hated this movie. You made some pretty damn good points though, which has me thinking about that movie in a completely different way. Whereas the thought of re-watching The Happening originally made me cringe, I now feel like a re-watch is exactly what's needed. Good luck on getting more exposure, man. You deserve it.

[trachenburg]

@Smo17 Thank you! I really appreciate the compliment, you just made my morning. :)

I hope you enjoy the movie more the second time around.

[Xxsuperdude13xX]

dude, your reviews are awesome. its too bad you don't get more views.

[trachenburg]

@Xxsuperdude13xX Thanks so much, I appreciate it :)

I'm trying to market the show a bit out there so hopefully the views will pick up at some point. ^^