New Year's Eve

What? It's not a sequel to Valentine's Day? 

Let's be honest here. There was absolutely NO reason to make this movie. Well, maybe one: money. During a viewing of this excruciatingly painful melo-dramedy, one will find absolutely no artistic value, underlying message, or actual creative backbone. This film is just an excuse to slap a couple of famous face in front of the same camera, within the same period of time. You know what that's called on the set of a good movie? Bad casting. 

I can't believe someone made the same mistakes that were made just a year or two ago! When I first saw the poster, I thought "Is this a  parody?". But then I saw who was directing this prick of a film. 

Garry Marshall: Probably the single most desperate man in America. I am convinced that his last and final wish (let's be honest, he's not exactly in his twenties) is to meet as many famous people as he can; and what does that leave the helpless moviegoers with? The atrocities that were (and still are) Valentine's Day and New Years Eve. 

Looking for a fun holiday film to put a spring in your step, and a sparkle in your smile? Then spend your ten bucks elsewhere, because this movie is not worth the dough. 

The whole thing is a jumbled mess of popular actresses of today, and a few familiar faces that we all know. Then of course your Ashton Kutcher and your Jessica Biel who insist upon us that "Yes look, we're still famous! We promise!" 

Well I don't need it. I don't need it, and I encourage everyone to stray far away from this badly written, far-fetched, soap cushion of a love story that sincerely wants to be literally everything that it's not. It's a drama for people who don't like dramas, a comedy for people who don't like comedies, and a romance for people who don't like romance. Not worth a second of your time.

Films like Garry Marshall's New Year's Eve are hard to talk about in terms of story because this one has so many different stories weaving in and out of the narrative. This one is like Crash many different characters weaving and out of the film and no real central story. In fact the appearance of characters from one story in another film is tangential almost coincidental.

If I had to pick a favorite of any of the stories it would be the reporter story with the reporter Hillary Swank and the man who makes it all happen Hector Elizondo. Apparently Hector is one special maintenance man who is in charge of that Times Square ball that marks the coming year the world over. You'd think we'd all be stuck in the previous year if Hector does not keep the ball in working order. Anyway it gets stuck on the way up to come down and Hector's been laid off. Swank is the one who has to send out a clarion call so New Year's Eve can reach its climax officially. But Hector has his pride and this sequence easily outranks the others.

Michelle Pheiffer has an interesting sequence when she walks out of her job with an arrogant boss and has a New Year's Eve with messenger boy Zac Efron that promises to rock their worlds. Life ends for dying cancer patient Robert DeNiro and begins for new mother Jessica Biel at midnight. Someone I think is trying to give us a subtle hint about reincarnation there.

Jon Bon Jovi gets to play a rocker like Jon Bon Jovi the central attraction of New Year's Eve the way Guy Lombardo used to be. And New Year's Eve threatens to be a bummer for Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michelle trapped in an elevator.

Gary Marshall may have tried for a grand-slam with all the stars he managed to fit into this urban panorama. But he got a double with runs scoring with New Year's Eve.

There were so many stars in this film that it felt like a Hollywood casting office. This film was a jumble of story lines that somehow crashes together in the end. I really like all the actors in the film, but the film itself lacked substance. I think that director Garry Marshall took it a little too far when he got Matthew Broderick to make a cameo appearance as Mr. Buellerton. Really, Garry? This film reminds me of the other slapped together film that Garry directed (Valentine's Day). What happened to the brilliance that Garry displayed in films like Pretty Women and Beaches? There were a lot of Oscar-winning actors in this film such as Hillary Swank (Claire Morgan), Robert De Niro (Stan Harris), Halle Berry (Nurse Aimee) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Ingrid). I know that these people did not need a paycheck, so why would they want to add this film to their resume? Ashton Kutcher (Randy) is a man who hates New Year's Eve (as we can tell from the trailer). I think he hates New Year's Eve because he read the script. And another thing…. Why was Ashton wondering around New York City in his pajamas? I've been to New York City in the winter and this is not even close to being believable. I do have to make a comment about Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Kim. I can understand her having a teenage daughter, but what I cannot understand is the inappropriate love interest she ends up with. He is much too young for her (but who am I to talk – smile). I love SJP from way back from her Sex In The City days, but come on!!! The only character that was slightly believable was Hailey (Abigail Breslin), who acted pretty much like a typical teenager. The rest of the story lines were just pure nonsense. Emma's daughter-in-law brought her baby to the film and he slept through the whole thing. I felt like I could have done the same thing. I hate to say it (not really) but the best parts of this film were the outtakes at the end of the movie. If you feel like you need to see this film, I recommend that you wait until it comes out on DVD and rent it. I am not celebrating and I refuse to do a count-down for this film and am giving it a red light.

I don't think I understand people at all. I watched it despite all the bad reviews and I didn't regret it. I'm starting to think people are really bitter, it's a really sweet movie about new years and how people feel around that time of the year, it actually gave me a warm feeling, so yes, it's not a deep smart full of effects movie, but sometimes people need a movie like this, I'm all against unchallenging movies, but I don't think this was the case at all. It's the perfect new year movie, that gives you hope for the year to come and live everyday fully. The variety of characters is okay, as you get to know them enough to see a little bit of yourself in them or not,and it's really interesting to see what different people go through at that time of the year and how they feel and what they hope to change. It really is a warm,hopeful movie, at least that's the way I saw it.Sometimes we need to take a break and take a deep breath, that's the movie.

Why does everyone have to look at every movie with an oh so critical and cynical eye?

This is a great seasonal movie to go and take your family (I did yesterday) in amongst all the pre-Christmas madness and just sit down,take a load off,relax,smile and enjoy... Sure it's no Citizen Kane..but it never purported to be!

It's a nice feel-good movie

so go and take off the cynical glasses and enjoy..we wouldn't enjoy half of great Christmas movies if we all took this jaded view of movies!