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

Extraordinary Measures – Film Review

Alright, so here is the first of what I hope will be a weekly thing. I’ll try to post a movie review at least once a week of new movies (provided I see one).
This week: Extraordinary Measures
The film stars Brendan Fraser (yes that guy from the mummy) who plays John Crowley, the father of two children with a rare genetic disorder. When Crowley and his wife (Keri Russell) are told by well-meaning doctors that their children won’t live past their ninth birthdays, the pair refuse to accept this fate. Cue in Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), the eccentric, out-of-sorts doctor who makes his own rules.

The film presents a series of hurtles for Crowley and Stonehill and gets lengthy at points because it seems to follow a repetitive pattern with no real linear storyline.

The tone of the film also falls short with scenes being either jovial or tragic and the addition of humorous moments by Ford’s character doesn’t help its case.

That said, Fraser outdoes himself in this out-of-character role proving something very few people knew: he can actually carry a movie as the lead.

The film centers itself around some heavy themes but, considering its based on a true story, handles them well.

All in all, a good family film that makes you feel that some things are worth fighting for.

With a tagline like, Don’t hope for a miracle. Make one., What else can one expect?

3.5 stars out of 5