Dear John Review

Dear John is a story about an American soldier, John, (Channing Tatum) who falls in love with a girl in his hometown, Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) while on leave. The film is based on the novel by Nichlolas Sparks who also wrote The Notebook. Sparks is known for his strength in writing tear-jerking love stories.This film delivers on one of those promises but fails on the other. Surprisingly, the film is a tear-jerker and develops it’s intense, heavy-themed side-plots much more than the actual love story that is expected.

The film’s thematic elements and multi-scene format make clear that it in an adaptation and makes the film rich in emotional impact.
In terms of a romance film, the progression of the romance does not require any real emotional investment from the audience. That said, Seyfriend and Tatum do have good chemistry on screen.
Tatum does a wonderful job as an American soldier in the middle of a post- nine/eleven war. He breaks out of the pretty boy mold he’s been in for this role. Seyfried’s character, however, isn’t relatable and makes audiences wonder why she makes the choices she does.
All things considered, the film does provide the dramatic storyline its preview suggests. If your look for a romantic, valentine’s day movie though, your better off renting Romeo and Juliet because Dear John falls short in this respect.
Star rating: 3.5