User reviews

As a disgruntledly (not a word, shut up) unemployed film critic, I must take drastic measures in concealing my opinion towards a movie you are going to wind up seeing regardless. This time, I have taken my single self to see Valentine's Day, to see if it can measure up to last year's star-sprinkled surprise-surprise hit comedy He's Just Not That into You. I wanted to see that if despite without the lovey-dovey person by my side (which has been a vacant position for a while) the movie can still deliver, entertain, and touch the soul.

Also, I wanted to see if people working at the theater would dedicate a bit of time from their ordinary day to point out that it's strange that I am watching a movie called Valentine's Day by myself. I approached the ticket counter and asked for my ticket. After momentary laughter the man at the counter presented me with my ticket. I then enter through the doors and approach the lady ripping the tickets and sending me in the right direction. After her laughter subdued, she pointed me to theater #1.

Valentine's Day works in the tradition of last year's February romantic success story, and Love Actually, a British dramatic rom-com that jump-started the technique of applying multiple love stories in a film. That way, if one story doesn't work, you have multiple other chances to still enjoy the movie. To spice things up, the movie contains one of the biggest casts of stars since the never-duplicated insanity of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. What other movie can boast the collaboration of Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, and even Shirley MacLaine?

But of course, when you have this many stars, that means so many stories; and less time for character development. This is where the film mostly disappoints, very little developing or changing from anyone associated with the movie. Without revealing too much, there is literally 10 or 11 (lost count) plot lines mixing and intertwining together in a span of just two hours. This equals an average of 12 minutes per story. In actuality however, some stories are actually shorter than others. Katherine Fugate had the right idea when writing the screenplay, but the execution wasn't the best considering that some stories worked and some were just boring to the core. Poor Garry Marshall can only do so much, even though his best days (Pretty Woman, Happy Days) are long gone.

The limited time for acting also diminished the performances of almost every single star in the movie. However, the acting performances of the younger tots (Taylor Swift, Emma Roberts, Taylor Lautner, Carter Jenkins) were much weaker when compared to the veterans Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Shirley MacLaine, and Héctor Elizondo. One other note: Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, and Bradley Cooper are three men that given the little time in this movie delivered swell performances that was undermined only by the writing. Their comic timing kept the movie afloat when the flick was threatening to totally flounder.

Like I said before, some stories worked, and other stories were absolutely dreadful to watch. The high school-based stories in Valentine's Day were the weakest, shortest, and the most pointless. In the meantime, the Anne Hathaway/Topher Grace story and the conflict involving Kutcher, Alba, Jennifer Garner, and Patrick Dempsey were the most entertaining to watch. Nearly all the stories had their share of clichés, with only one of them containing a surprise or two. The chemistry wasn't that intense, because there was no time for it to happen. The dialogue was never allowed to intensify or dwell deeper into the concept of love. A few good one-liners here and there, but nothing really worth remembering.

Bottom Line: The problem with Valentine's Day is very simple: we've seen it before and after 2009 being such a good year for romantic comedies, the expectations are higher. It takes more than just a bunch of big stars to propel a rom-com to quality heights; you need strong writing, good chemistry, strong direction, and a hintage of unpredictability. That's how The Proposal, He's Just Not That Into You, The Ugly Truth, and especially (500) Days of Summer made 2009 one of the greatest years for romance in a long time. This was also the issue with Couple's Retreat, the last blockbuster romantic comedy of 09. Valentine's Day has its moments indeed (Anne Hathaway is hilarious), but don't expect it to be anything better than mediocre. Simply there were too many stories and most of them with less depth than a puddle.

And none of this criticism has to do with the fact that I saw the movie by myself.

Honestly.

On the Valentine's Day in Los Angeles, the lives of several dwellers are entwined and affected somehow by love. The florist and owner of the Siena Bouquet Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher) proposes his insecure girlfriend Morley Clarkson (Jessica Alba) that says yes to him. His best friend Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner) is in love with Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey), but she does not know that he is married and celebrating his fifteenth wedding anniversary with his wife Pamela Copeland (Katherine LaNasa). The bitter TV sports reporter Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx) is assigned by his boss to cover stories of people in love in LA. The phone sex entertainer Liz (Anne Hathaway) hides her profession from her boyfriend Jason (Topher Grace). The grandson of the couple Edgar (Hector Elizondo) and Estelle (Shirley MacLaine), Edison (Bryce Robinson), has a secret unrequited love at school while his grandparents are facing a crisis in their marriage. The executive Holden Wilson (Bradley Cooper) befriends Captain Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts) that is eleven months away from home in the fourteen-hour flight back to LA. The contract of the veteran quarterback Sean Jackson (Eric Dane) is not renewed by his team and he schedules an interview to the press with his neurotic publisher Kara Monahan (Jessica Biel) that hates Valentine's Day. The teenagers Alex (Carter Jenkins) and Grace (Emma Roberts) are planning to have sex for the first time. The cheerleader Felicia (Taylor Swift) is in deep love with her boyfriend, the athlete Willy (Taylor Lautner). In the end of the day, revelations will fortify or end loves.

"Valentine's Day" is a sweet movie of director Gary Marshall with a constellation of stars in the cast. The concise screenplay succeeds in developing characters and entwined stories along 125 minutes running time. There are some excellent lines, with jokes (Taylor Lautner telling that he feels uncomfortable taking his shirt off in public is hilarious) and surprises (the revelation of Holden and Kate loves are among the best). I was surprised with the bad reviews in IMDb. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Idas e Vindas do Amor" ("Comings and Goings of the Love")

In the Los Angeles area, a multitude of people (all played by big names) have their lives intersect on Valentine's Day. A soldier, a football player, high school kids, a teacher, a florist and a doctor... among others. From daybreak to sundown, we follow each of them on their misadventures.

This film is getting trashed in the reviews with critics taking a collective dump on this film's face. But, you know what, I loved it. A film from the director of "Beaches" and "Pretty Woman" (Garry Marshall), with Julia Roberts and Ashton Kutcher... it should be crap. Especially since it's a romantic comedy. But this one is legitimately funny, and both Kutcher and Roberts give great performances. Even Topher Grace gives his best job yet.

You have to understand that this film is a romantic comedy, and as such isn't going to be as deep as other films. But it's very sweet, and well-written. It has been compared (rightly) to "Love Actually", but this is a strong film on its own. The way all the plots criss-cross and end up paying off so perfectly, it recalls the glory years of the 1980s, where so much could happen in one day. And there's a dance sequence towards the end! Taylor Swift has received a lot of criticism for her acting in this one. And I'm not a fan of Swift, but I have to defend her. She was playing a dumb blond and came across as a dumb blond. Some of her scenes were the funniest in the picture. If people missed that, they missed a lot. Is she a bad actress? Maybe. I don't know... but I do know she worked out well here and left a memorable impression.

Ebert, among others, slammed this film, and went so far as to say if your date likes this film, don't continue dating them. Boy, do I strongly disagree. The theater seemed to enjoy this on, and I cannot blame any girl (or guy) for thinking this a fun film. Sure, it's not high art... but it's fun and fluffy in the best way.

I went into this movie thinking it was just a juggernaut of a cast brought together purely to throw together a film to capitalize on V-day but i ate my words after watching it.

The movie is lovey-dubby to say the least but keeps track of each story arch very well and the twists that weave them all together are a lot better than you'd expect. The ensemble cast really shines in this light romantic movie, especially Ashton Kutcher, whose been absent from the limelight for a bit, makes a pleasant return as the florist who is as much of romantic as they come, and George Lopez is also great in his role of the family man with all the right views on love.

This review would go on forever if I broke down the whole cast but they all play their parts very well and portray the many types of love you see, young love, mature love, new relationships, and the also the type of love for someone you didn't realize you had. Love story as it may be its very entertaining and greatly portrays the randomness of love and how in its truest form is more important than anything else.

I don't make a habit of seeing chick flicks and had this movie shot down before I even saw it and was joking the whole time before how it would be awful, but here Im willing to say I judged to soon. I give the movie 3 out of four stars

I was the classic husband dragged to see this on Valentine's Day weekend as a goodwill gesture. It was every bit as bad as could be possibly imagined. Half of Hollywood's A List star as vacuous stereotypes, moronically obsessed with the holiday in question. This despite the fact they are all living millionaire lifestyles, with perfect tans and the whitest of teeth. It's Love Actually, without a sense of humour or any depth whatsoever. No- one and nothing is remotely realistic - every storyline has a trite and convenient resolution and none is convincing or interesting. There is a perfect and unlikely ratio of ethnicities and sexualities. The sex trade is entirely trivialised and sanitised. No-one stays upset about relationship breakdowns for more than one scene. People break into spontaneous dance sequences in which everyone knows the pre-rehearsed moves but the film doesn't have the conviction to show it for more than 3 seconds... Just utter pointless and patronising bilge...

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but I watched it anyway, because I like a lot of the people in the cast. My overall thoughts on Valentine's Day was that it wasn't terrible but it was very uneven and I do have to agree with anyone who says Love Actually did it better, it did.

Starting off with Valentine's Day, it does have a great cast. Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway especially are very charming, and I liked the little boy who had a crush on Garner. It was also really nice to see Hector Elizondo and Shirley McLaine again, same with Patrick Dempsey and I also thought Taylor Swift was delightfully ditzy in her debut. I didn't mind Julia Roberts either, however the only ones I didn't like so much were Jessica Alba, who doesn't have that much to do and Taylor Lautner who was rather bland, and it seemed ironic that his character didn't want to take his shirt off, when in New Moon(horrible film by the way) Lautner spends most of the time with it off. Asides from the cast, Valentine's Day was nicely filmed and had a lovely soundtrack. And I thought several of the stories worked, especially Garner's.

However, I wasn't completely sure about the phone sex idea and Eric Dane's story is painfully underdeveloped. The script also has its weak spots with nothing really sticking out in the mind, in fact there were only a few amusing moments as the film is more bittersweet than funny, particularly the one in the restaurant with the conversation about the pig's meal. The film also drags badly, while the direction isn't quite as focused as it would have liked.

Overall, it isn't terrible, but it is very uneven. Worth seeing once or twice, but it isn't a movie for me that is to watch every day of the week. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Did you read that cast list? Gives the term 'star-studded' a new meaning. Imagine what kind of film you could make with all that talent. Well, Valentine's Day is not that film. Far from it in fact. This who's who of a cast hampers any chance of real emotion due to the need to share screen time among them all. When you start getting interested in a character you'll most likely not see them again for another 45 minutes, pretty annoying when there are so few likable characters in the first place.

What is perhaps the scariest is that despite a plethora of plots, subplots and sub-subplots – all intertwining somehow – there isn't a shred of originality. Sure, you might be surprised who Bradley Cooper hooks up with at the end, but one small unforeseen twist barely counts. Bulge and fluff replace characterization and narrative development whilst the corny dialogue comes off as cutesy more than cute. It all goes back to the bloated cast: with over 20 stars that need their quota of jokes, sobs and happy endings filled, it's majorly difficult to dedicate any real time to exploring the unique intricacies of love and loss. See the far superior Love Actually for how it's done.

Saving it from complete dreadfulness is a handful of these big names – probably not the ones you would suspect – who manage to squeeze a laugh from their one-dimensional roles. The two Taylor's, Lautner and Swift, play their love-struck high school couple with a cheerful amount of tongue-in-cheek; Kutcher proves his charisma can go a long way as a heartbroken florist; and Cooper and Roberts (Julia, that is) are intriguing as plane passengers who don't know each other. Biel should hang her head in shame though, her standout woeful performance surely an early front runner for this year's Razzies.

Save your money and revisit its British counterpart on DVD instead.

1.5 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)

I just watched this romantic comedy that was released two days before the actual holiday and managed to be mostly charmed by the whole thing despite this movie being no great shakes. Still, there were plenty of charming performances, witty lines, and a good old-fashioned, well, maybe not too much of that considering some of the revelations, feel-good atmosphere that director Garry Marshall has often provided in spades during his long film and TV career. Of the all-star cast, Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway are the ones who really stand out though Ashton Kutcher, Hector Elizondo, and Topher Grace are also good here. Actually, Jessica Alba was the only one I thought was wasted. Like I said, no great shakes, but if you're in the mood for some entertaining fluff, you can't do any better than Valentine's Day.

All star cast, great premise and timely release unfortunately do not make up for poor script, tacky comedy and a general go nowhere film. Basically a Hollywood rip off of something that the UK has already done to glorious success. While each of the characters were stand alone acceptable the need for the script to somehow tie them all together in a Love Actually fashion became tiresome and somewhat irrelevant. After watching the film you'll find yourself counting how many of the stars and starlets on the poster were even necessary in the film and start realising that the number of 'name' actors in the film is directly proportionate to the number of dollars it cost you for the ticket. Had they dropped 8 of the major players out and actually investigated the remaining stories a little further, rather than jumping back and forward between around a dozen limp ones, it may have been two dollars well spent. Don't waste your money - $12 will buy cheap roses from the petrol station and will probably be a more memorable gift to your significant other.

First of all, i'm a guy. I'm into movies of all kinds, so I didn't have to get dragged to see a romantic comedy by my girlfriend. I was in two minds about this movie before we watched it, having so many big name actors all in one movie I thought might detract from the story somewhat, but I thought it might work if they do it right. Well, they did. This movie had me feeling for, well, MOST of the main characters. Ashton Kutcher was very good in this movie, he also had one of the bigger roles and he pulled it off really well. The others were mostly good too, Taylor Swift's character was kind of annoying, but I think she was supposed to be. The story had me intrigued from beginning to end, seeing how all the different characters were connected and the chemistry between each couple was very believable also. If you watch this with your partner, it will make you feel closer. If you watch this without your partner, it will make you miss them. If you watch this while single, it will give you hope that there's someone out there for you. I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a good valentines day romance or even just a good movie. 8/10

So, the Valentine's Day is just a week away and so is the release date for the movie of the same title. However, I had the opportunity to see it at a press release. I tell you! It was just the thing I was looking for. It might be a combination of several things that fell together on that day and made me feel about the movie the way I do. I love it! It is so funny and romantic! It is hilarious even. It is just the thing. If you have nothing spacial to do on the 14th of February do go see this movie. It will bring you the spirit of the Valentine's. It is perfect for everybody - lovers and haters, romantics and not so much. First of all, the movie has a bunch of well-known and really good actors staring. I say, there was hardly anyone that I couldn't name or point out a film he or she had been seen in. That is a real delight! Second thing is the really good humor. It is not just a cheesy, romantic movie. It has good quality jokes which combined with the sweet stories of people of different ages makes for a good entertainment. So, as I said before, it is perfect for this day of love. Even if you are alone and have no Valentine of your own, it will set the mood and you will feel the love that is in the air at this time of year.

So have a great Valentine's Day!!! :D

I don't think I've ever seen a more shameless attempt to rid the general public of some of there spare cash. This film is just awful from start to finish! The plot is virtually non existent which works in films where story is replaced with characterisation. Unfortunately for this movie there are far too many stars trying to fill the screen time that you never really care for a single one of them. Virtually none of the characters are developed at all, Ashton Kutcher is about the only person you really learn anything about.

The two Taylor's (Swift & Lautner) are blatantly just put in the film to attract the teenage girl fan base which has worked. Just look on any FaceBook group to read how many teens are falling over this film because Taylor Lautner is hot. This wouldn't be so annoying if it wasn't for the fact his part in the story is totally irrelevant and so short that if it was removed in a new edit nobody would notice.

I don't remember watching a comedy film that doesn't have a single funny moment within the entire film. Coupled with no plot, no character development, poor acting and a barrage of Rom-Com clichés you end up with one of the worst films in recent years… And it was still a number 1 box office smash…. God help us all

I took my wife to a preview screening of this movie as I thought it was going to be a chick flick that she'd enjoy and that I might be able to tolerate.

Much to my surprise, this is actually a good movie. Guys, you won't be bored or cringing all the way through this movie in fact you'll probably enjoy it. The cast, as you have probably seen, is fantastic and all the big stars give compelling performances, apart from Jessica Alba who looks bored and unenthused in the movie, thankfully she only has a small part.

The script is quite clever and manages to keep you guessing as to who will end up with who all the way to the end, its well done too.

The best part of this movie is the humor, this is one funny movie. I hope all you guys will take your ladies to see this, you'll both enjoy it.

I don't really understand why people are being so harsh about this film. OK, so it's not anything we haven't seen before but it isn't trying to be. I went and saw Valentine's Day with my friend earlier today, just for something to do and I thought it was fine for what it is. It's just completely harmless and innocent. OK, so it's really cheesy but that's what you would expect from a film called Valentine's Day. There are a lot of story lines going on in this film so none of them go in to much detail which I didn't mind really because if there's a storyline or characters that you don't like, at least the film doesn't stay in one place for too long! And there are a couple of really cute little twists near the end. I'd say go and watch it if you like romantic films and aren't expecting some deep and meaningful film- it's just a bit of fun. I'm not going to rush out and buy this as soon as it comes out but I would happily sit through it again and think it's a great film for a girlie night in.

This is one of those films where a big bunch of actors and actresses get together and make this pretty wonderful film about a lot of stories (in this case, love stories) that, somehow, get laced showing us a one story plot (such as Love Actually and He's Just Not That Into You). In the case of this film, this dynamic becomes more complex given that all of these stories must get laced during just one day: Valentine's day. The actors (or, at least, most of them) give lovely (yet not amazing) performances, especially Bradley Cooper, Ashton Kutcher, Eric Dane and Anne Hathaway who played characters they are not so used to play... On what comes to the younger cast, i gotta say Bryce Robinson is the most memorable one, but the teen cast? Emma Roberts and Carter Jenkins were fine, and i'd probably have to say the same about the Taylors (no need to "last name" them)but the lines were really cheesy and dumb, and i would love to believe that's only due to their characters and not due to self stupidity, cause i'm 17 years old and i bet you i've never talked like that, folks. Now putting that aside (and the fact that some things are quite predictable on everyone of this films)I feel myself almost obligated to point out that some of the endings of this laced stories were quite moving because of being so unexpected and unimaginable, and that, i believe, had given a total new meaning to this movie. Very good job, Gary Marshall. Man, i don't know how you managed such a big cast in such a short story time.

Take 2 dozen stars. Mix in a dozen plots. Add a dash of horribly unfunny and painfully unrealistic dialogue. NOw top it off with every romantic comedy cliché in the book, clone it a few times and top it off again.

The end result is worse than it sounds.

It physically pains me to hear that people came out of this movie having enjoyed it . This is no doubt the biggest pile exploitive tripe that I have ever seen.

Not only is it poorly written and laugh-less, the abundance of different stories that are going on ( there is honestly about 9 or 10 main stories) leads to terribly underdeveloped characters and a choppy, dishevelled pacing that allows the movie to reach it's climaxing point 10 different times throughout the movie.

Not only are there too many stories but half of them are god awful and absolutely POINTLESS. Taylor Swift/Taylor Lautner's story for example, added NOTHING to the over all plot and it was just another way of cramming more familiar faces into the movie. Also half of the stars that are first billed appear in the movie for only minutes. It's pure exploitation and an obvious attempt to snare a huge audience. Unfortunately for the world and for the sake of film, it WILL snare that audience and most will come out liking it.

The movie had a few (only a few) nice tender moments and plot twists but the amount of bad overshadows this by a long shot.

A god-awful mess. Don't fall for it.

(Synopsis) February 14th, Valentine's Day, is not a national holiday, but it is one of those days that must be celebrated. There are "special someones" in your life who expects to receive romantic gifts from their lovers. Commercialism has put a tremendous amount of pressure on men to give their lovers a romantic day with all the trimmings. Women are under pressure to have a man, or they feel desperate and unloved. "Valentine's Day" follows the lives of several couples during this day. Their stories are told through the interconnections they have with each other. Some will find romance in their relationship, and others will feel the heartbreak of ending a relationship. In this Russian roulette world of finding love, everyone in the film is asking for advice on how to find and keep true love.

(My Comment) What timing! The producers are releasing "Valentine's Day" two days before the real event. Under Valentine rules, the movie is right on target. As with life, the story tells of the pitfalls men and women endure in finding love. Some will succeed and some will fail. The movie has a large cast of well known actors and actresses looking for love. To name a few, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Lautner. The movie includes sweet stories of young love, new love, and long lasting love. It is not just a romantic comedy, but good entertainment with lots of humor and romance. (New Line Cinema, Run Time 2:05, Rated PG-13)(7/10)

My wife wanted to see this movie because there were so many of her favorite stars in it. That's about all she got to see, her favorite stars on screen. There were just too many story lines and none of them were really developed fully. The movie was slow, the story lines predictable, and, for us, the movie didn't get interesting until the last 15 minutes, which is how I ended up giving it 2 stars. I originally was going to give it 1 star (awful). The movie was dragging and I kept looking at my watch and hoping the movie would end. I asked my wife several times if we could just leave. If you want to catch it, wait until it gets to Red Box and rent it for a dollar. It sure was not worth paying full admission for it.

There are good romantic comedies and there are bad ones. Of course for some there are only good or bad ones out there. And even me saying that I liked this one, will be almost an offense to some people (the rating at this moment indicates this).

Still, if you are going to watch a movie with a title like this, you should be aware, what you are getting yourself into. If you expect something else, even without having read at least the summary line, you are in for a big bad surprise. Yes the characters are not getting that much screen time (which can be a bad or good thing, depending on your view of things) and yes there are quite a few clichés. But this is not here to re-invent the wheel. It's here to entertain. And in that, it succeeds!