Summary

We meet Logan (Zac Efron) a twenty-five year old Marine who has narrowly escaped the dangerous warzone of Iraq and has one thing on his mind, finding the girl from a photograph he picked up. Early in his deployment he stumbled upon the photo of a woman and carried it with him from that moment on, considering it his good luck charm. Flash forward to Logan trekking from his sister’s house in Colorado to Louisiana, where Beth (Taylor Schilling) is helping her mother run a dog kennel and raising her seven year old son – Ben. He goes in hopes of finding and thanking his “good luck charm.” The story is all t0o familiar and extremely easy to figure out from the first thirty minutes.

The Okay (Loosely Used)

Zac Efron

Zac Efron doesn’t really say much, which seems baffling as he is the main character of the movie. But his role is easily covered by moody sighs and some eyelash fluttering and we pretty much get the point.  He sure is a handsome man though, and if you are a girl (or guy ) who enjoys a light film with a hot main actor than look no further.  Logan is kind of a boring flat character that doesn’t seem to be too developed as an actual person.  I cannot say that this was one of his better endeavors and really hope that he can redeem himself with his next project.

The Bad

Plot Development

Now not only do I feel like I’ve seen this movie numerous times before, but it is completely lacking in anything really exciting.  Aside from a few moments of slight anxiety in the very beginning and the very end, I was completely bored watching our two main characters be stagnant for such a long period of time. There aren’t even many examples to give you because so little actually happened throughout this flick.

Plot Resolution

The conflicts that we did find our couple in seemed to vanish faster than they could be introduced.  In one scene Beth and her ex-husband are fighting about whether or not she can have full custody of Ben. Not even two scenes later we see her stand up to him and fight against his claims. Absolutely no time for any actual suspense or worry can be sensed by the audience.  This was part of the reason I found this picture so incredibly boring.  If asked to watch another movie based of one of Sparks’ novels I would politely decline.

Originality

While I have never personally seen The Notebook I did happen to read the novel and found it to be quite lovely and sweet. This seemed like a cheap knockoff of that wonderful love story he wrote, and almost takes away from the actual novelty of it all.  I am somewhat disappointed in the fact that they continue to create these carbon copies of the same plot.  I might seem like I’m being mean but this is just not what anyone should classify as a “good” movie.

Buy It Rent It Skip It

Skip It! Please, please skip it. Very much not worth your time. This is enough Sparks bashing for one day. But if you would like to sit around for an hour and forty minutes just to see something that’s already been done before, by all means have at it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you find yourself thinking “What did I just do to myself?”

Overall Rating: 2 stars out of 5

With it’s lack of originality, zero plot, and barely any character growth – 2 stars is being a little generous. Zac Efron’s hot body isn’t even enough to save this complete disaster of a movie.  I will think twice before sitting down to another Nicholas Sparks adaptation again.

Trailer for ‘The Lucky One’