Star-studded cast can't help "Valentine's Day"

From the first 10 seconds of the trailer, “Valentine’s Day” was destined to be the date movie chosen for the iconic holiday the film was named after. The question, however, was if it was meant to follow the fates of successful star-filled films such as the British favorite “Love Actually,” or if it would be another romantic comedy where the best lines were already provided in the advertisements.
Following the intertwining lives of several Los Angeles natives, “Valentine’s Day” follows the same patterns as “Love Actually” as it tells the stories of passion and heartbreak on the day devoted to love. Whether it be the floral shop owner proposing to his girlfriend or a young boy dedicated to making his third grade teacher his Valentine, the film examines the various takes on love and the fervent efforts people make to find that “special someone.”
The film consisted of famous cast members, such as Bradley Cooper, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts and Queen Latifah. However, filling up the screen with that many celebrity faces is always a gamble (recall “Mars Attacks” and “Rat Race”) to see if it would be of any quality. On the other hand, the women will enjoy seeing their McDreamys and McSteamys on screen no matter what, while the boyfriends they dragged with them get to marvel at the beauty of Jessica Alba.
At the heart of the film lies the friendship between Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner’s characters while they struggle to find happiness in their respective relationships. Through the threads of their various acquaintances and friends, the audience experiences over a dozen different Valentine’s Days, some more special than others.
Like many romantic comedies, the script was predictable and the film seemed to base their money and hopes for success on the cast rather than leaving the audience wholly interested.
However, anyone who has seen a Garry Marshall film should come in with an idea of what they are going to see. While this film is no “Pretty Woman,” Marshall serves up what he normally does with his trademark cast members, like Hector Elizondo and Larry Miller, that are dependable and made their small scenes more memorable than some of the major film stars did.
It could be said that there were too many for the audience to really connect with any of the characters for very long. It was also unfortunate that the only characters that had any chemistry or appeal were the ones that barely had any screen time. In the case of Emma Roberts’ character, it was nothing beyond what anyone who has watched a teen comedy would expect – a couple of high school students wanting to lose their virginity.
All in all, the film served its genre’s purpose as a romantic comedy by providing fluff and good feelings with some laughs on the side.
While the film did not fulfill its goal to be the American version of “Love Actually,” Marshall provided a pleasurable film that will do well at the box office but not necessarily go down in the books as an earth-shattering film since, frankly, the ground barely moved.