The Lucky One

There seems to be a consistent trend in the movies based on Nicholas Sparks' romance novels. They all contain sappy clichés and a lack of substance. There are two main elements that are repetitive in these novels: the relationship between two soul mates and the sickness/death of a loved one. From what I've heard, the books are exceptional, however, the movies always fall short.

Logan (Zac Efron) is a marine who serves three tours in Iraq. During the war, he happens to find a photograph of a beautiful girl and "keep safe" is written on the back. Directly after he picks it up, there is an explosion right where he had been standing before he found the picture. Logan asks around, desperately trying to find whose picture it is, but nobody claims it.

Now that he has the picture in his possession, he is invincible and his luck in the treacherous circumstances of war is incredible. After surviving his three tours, Logan is determined to find the girl in the picture to personally thank her for the good luck she brought him. He recognizes a tower in the picture and walks with his German shepherd, Zeus, from Colorado all the way to Louisiana.

Of course, Logan and the woman, Beth (Taylor Schilling), fall deeply in love, but struggle through the conflicts that arise. Sadly, most of this movie is revealed in the trailer, which seems to happen quite often these days.

Zac Efron does a decent job playing the character of Logan, however, he just can't pull off the tough-guy look that is essential in this film. He will always be remembered as Troy Bolton from "High School Musical". In any case, this is a tear-jerking, cheesy movie that most teenage girls would enjoy. It's not terrible, yet nothing special. I give "The Lucky One" a 6 out of 10.

Oh yes, this is a chick-flick. One that is a proper showcase to prove Zac Efron has grown up to be a heck of a hunk! Also, you can never, ever find anything to fault with any performance turned in by Blythe Danner. She has been perfect in any role I've ever seen her in, this one is no exception. I have to say that logic does step in and you want, desperately, to say, "Oh for goodness sake, just do what you came to do!" But if that should have happened, it would have ended up a short movie, indeed. There is enough action, romance, gentle humor, wonderful Louisiana scenery, good people, bad people, decent story-line, fine acting.…it's a pretty good movie. Nothing earth-shattering or Oscar-worthy happens here, perhaps, but it's a film I'd recommend and one I enjoyed watching.

Logan (Zec Efron) is a marine who just returned to the USA from some harrowing missions overseas. While he was there, he found a photograph that a fallen marine carried with him for protection. The lady pictured was his beautiful wife, Beth (Taylor Shilling). Finding the likeness very appealing, Logan feels compelled to go to Louisiana, where the couple lived, and tell Beth what he knows of her husband's situation. But, when he arrives at the kennel Beth operates with help from her bright young son and her grandmother (Blythe Danner), the lovely lady thinks he is there to apply for a job and hands him an application. Stunned, Logan does so and when Beth learns he is a marine, she hires him on the spot. Naturally, she is still grieving the loss of her husband. Surprisingly, the deceased man is not the father of Beth's child. That awful man is still around, an ex-football star who got her pregnant during their senior year. Now divorced and a police officer, this man is unbearable, always creating problems and dreaming of the day that he will get Beth back. Everyone knows its not going to happen, except him. Proving he is a hard worker and good company, Beth wants to ignore Logan's vibes but finds she can't resist them. Will a romance ensue and will it last? What will the abusive ex-husband do if he finds out? This is a fair romantic drama, with an attractive and talented cast. The setting is also a major asset, for it is very scenic and beautiful. But, the story is just not strong enough to set it apart from countless other romantic dramas. This is surprising, for Sparks usually writes great material for films. Also, here is another tale of first husbands that truly are monster-like, which occurs in quite a few of Sparks works. So, it might seem too familiar as well. All in all, if you like the author or are searching for romantic movies that are fewer and fewer in number, you should give this one a try. While not outstanding, it has some passionate kisses that will please fans.

I watched this movie on Memorial Day, and was reminded all over again that freedom isn't free. So if you are a past or present member of any branch of the US Armed Forces, or if your loved one has paid the ultimate sacrifice with their life, fighting for our freedom, please accept my heartfelt thanks.

I LOVED this movie. Everyone did an excellent job with their character – especially with Logan. So much feeling and emotion in his expression and actions, even when no words were needed. I felt like I could see into his very soul. I saw a young man who still can hardly grasp the fact that he has survived 3 tours of war in the middle east, when many of his comrades didn't come home. You can sense the depth of emotion and turmoil, and can easily understand why it was often hard to just find words to express himself. You can see the military training and discipline, the steel resolve to control his reactions, even when harassed by the town bully/ex-husband. There's also loyalty, concern for others, tenderness, selflessness, willingness to work hard – he's the man of every woman's dream!

It's easy to see that Beth is a survivor of an extremely abusive marriage. Even though she's now divorced, she's still not free from the abusive and controlling ex-husband. She's very careful in how she responds or endures his abusive threats, in order to keep him from going into a greater rage… and I cheered for her when she finally found the courage to speak up and take control of her own destiny.

Keith, the ex-husband, is easy to despise, for his hateful, snarly, manipulating character… and yet in the end we saw a little glimpse of good in his soul as well… a little glimpse of what he might have been if he'd only been willing to humble himself and get help much earlier.

I loved the happy ending, I loved the story, and I very much appreciated that the producers kept it clean. I can't wait for the DVD – this is a keeper!!

This movie contains eye-candy (Zac Efron) and stunning scenery. It's almost like the director is counting on that to rescue a very weak script. This movie spent over and hour and a half trying to make us "feel" the angst of the main characters but instead I kept wanting to slap them into having some sense. I kept thinking that the actors needed more lines and less music to tell the story. It was melodramatic and entirely predictable. I do not recommend this movie in the theaters unless you have money and time to throw away.

I must add that I was impressed with Zac Efron's acting and also the boy in the movie. I was surprised that Blythe Danner lent her talent to such a weak vehicle but I'm sure there aren't many options for older actresses in this day.