Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers
Take the theme of love, spice it up with Valentine’s Day specifics, and add in 20 or so big-name actors and you get the movie “Valentine’s Day,” which premiered in theaters on Friday, February 12.
This may sound like an instant success at the box office, if for no other reason than because couples around the country will go to swoon over each other while comparing their own relationships to those shown on screen, but to anybody who goes to the movies for quality rather than quantity, however, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
The main problems of this film rise from its haphazard pacing and small appeal to most viewers. “Valentine’s Day,” while stocked full of love and misadventures, is certainly a target-audience film. Unless viewers happen to feel like seeing a mushy film or romantic comedy, the film holds little appeal. While theaters were presumably packed, the reception was not complimentary overall.
“Valentine’s Day” puts together a montage of relationships, weaving quickly from one to another in a rather episodic fashion. As stated in its obvious title, the film takes place on everybody’s favorite holiday to love (or hate, depending on your relationship status). The film drops viewers into sunny California and, partially, in a plane on its way to said locale. Ashton Kutcher, as a flower shop owner on his busiest day of the year, serves a sort of touchstone for the various stories but he has his own romance tale too. Other stars include Jessica Alba, Topher Grace, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway and several other recognizable names in the star-filled cast.
The film’s attempts to rush from one relationship to another seem rather hectic from time to time, often causing viewers to turn to a neighbor to ask what they just missed despite having stared at the screen the entire time. In addition, its overuse of character archetypes is sure to upset many a critical viewer, and maybe even some more casual theater-goers.
That being said, the film has its pleasing moments. If the viewer can manage to juggle the spider’s web of emotions and plot twists throughout the movie, they will find that the film actually does a decent job of portraying many of the stereotypes attributed to couples the world round on Valentine’s Day. The couples range from teens struggling with the stress of a first sexual encounter, to admitting sexual preferences, to dealing with the faults of a long-time partner, all the way to a child experiencing his first crush. Whether you have ever experienced any of these, or simply watched your friends make fools of themselves while experiencing them, this film is easily related to.
In addition, the film does have its share of witty one-liners and comical plot twists. These will not be ruined in this article but it is fair to say viewers who enjoy romantic comedies will not be disappointed by this film’s blend of comedy and heavily foreshadowed plot devices.
To sum things up, “Valentine’s Day” will likely succeed with its target audience. If viewers are madly in love or trying to impress somebody by showing their sensitive sides, this may be just the film. However, anybody not fitting into one of the aforementioned categories is likely to find this film a waste of their money. Moviegoers might want to save their money for a film more likely to make a statement that is life-changing, rather than hoping to save a reputation by planning a last minute trip to the theater because someone forgot to plan a Valentine’s date.
