Dear John

I was really looking forward to watching this movie - although, my expectations were not very high - but it turned out to be worse than I expected. I knew Channing Tatum was not the greatest actor - although, he is gorgeous - so I wasn't expecting very good acting. It was decent but I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two actors. The "twist" which I won't mention was where I thought the movie went completely downhill. It was very poorly executed and if you've seen the movie, you'll probably agree. Throughout, the movie was very slow- moving and not very exciting but there were a couple emotional parts! So far, the only people I've asked that did like the movie, seem to be the younger ones (12-15).

This movie is definitely NOT comparable to "The Notebook" like some people have been saying. It was nothing special, so I wouldn't watch it again, but I'd say it's good for a chick flick night. Another one of those movies like that looked SO much better on the commercials.

I saw "Dear John" at a special screening and I wasn't expecting much. I thought it was going to be a decent romance film. I hoped this movie came halfway as good as "The Notebook". My very low expectations of this film were pretty cynical. But I said Hey, what could happen? And when the movie finished, I was fulfilled. I didn't think it was going to be one of the best romance movies ever and it definitely wasn't. This movie is definitely for couples. The girls will like it cause they can connect with it.I recommend for everyone to see this film. It is touching, okay acting, and it does stick to the book. This film doesn't come close to the "Notebook", but people will like it no matter what. So if you want to buy a sad, romantic film. Then I'd recommend this film.

7/10 A Pearl

Not having read anything about the film (or book) beforehand, I went into the cinema with no expectations, (though I was worried it might be a soppy, pull-at-the-heartstrings epic like The Notebook).

This wasn't the case. There were so many times when I thought 'Oh, I hope this doesn't happen', or 'I hope they don't do what I think they're going to do', and they didn't. There are moments of sadness, but some of them could have been made a lot worse.

The story isn't unique, (neither is The Notebook) but it is executed in a way that makes you feel as though you're watching something new. Channing Tatum is the lovable beefcake reminiscent of Marky Mark, and Amanda Seyfried is cute, delivering well executed dialogue. And I did actually think they had good chemistry, despite what other reviewers have said. Channing's John is an army boy who had a lot of issues growing up, so you can't expect him to be overly forthcoming with his emotions.

Richard Jenkins gives a great performance as the father, and even Henry Thomas is likable as the neighbour (I must be the only person in the world who hasn't seen E.T. so I didn't recognize the name at first).

To me, this was acted out a lot better (and even structured better) than Twilight: New Moon, which I assume is meant to appeal to the same audience. I know to some that isn't saying much, but perhaps our expectations are a bit high these days. If you want to see a sweet love story with likable characters, then you might just enjoy this film.

I had mixed expectations when I was going in to see Dear John. I had never really given any thought about how good or bad it might be, because it was a night out with friends and I was unconcerned at the moment. Eventually, we started to watch the movie. At first, it was just dull. I mean, I know it was trying to build up the characters and establish a good story line, but I was a tad bit uninterested, just because the characters were so plain at the time. Though it does set up things rather well, it lacks in any really high appeal from the moment it comes on the screen, if that makes sense.

Anyway, on to the rest of the movie. Though there were times when I was very interested, it just overall was nothing special. The performances by each individual actor were extremely questionable. For instance, Channing Tatum was unable to display any real sense of emotion except for maybe two scenes in the entire movie, and Amanda Seyfried seemed like it was just too big of a role for her to play. While they both didn't do so hot separately, I have to say the chemistry between them when they were on set together was believable, intense and undeniably noteworthy; Certainly the best thing about the movie, in my opinion.

I do give Dear John a decent and satisfactory rating for it really strived to be a poignant and strong film, even though it fell a little short, and I was moved at times by the feelings Channing and Amanda expressed into their characters, though all together their performances were eh. It was interesting and entertaining, and I enjoyed it... lightly. With all that said, it again falls short of being rewatchable with it's extreme dullness throughout and lack of powerful, independent, likable performances. Not anything special, but certainly not anything bad, and I recommend you don't watch it with high expectations, because you'll be very disappointed, but if you're not an extreme critic and you're just looking to blow some time, or are extremely hard up for Channing Tatum shirtless, you can and will enjoy this in some way.

I have to admit I wasn't expecting to like this film. I don't hate this type of film, but I had heard mixed feelings on Dear John, there were those who said it was touching and others who said it was too clichéd. Well after been blown away by The Notebook(book and movie), I saw Dear John. After seeing it, I don't think it is as good as The Notebook, but it was surprisingly good in my opinion. The characters are clichéd, and the beginning was a tad too fluffy for my liking, while there are some pacing issues. But while the book is better, having more depth and emotional punch, I was surprised at how touching Dear John actually was. The story is nice and believable enough, and there is some decent scripting. The direction is good too, while the cinematography and scenery are breathtaking and the score beautiful. Channing Tatum(my sister kept raving at how hot he was) and Amanda Seyfried are great and are believable together, while Richard Jenkins is heart breaking as Tatum's autistic father(I immediately sympathised with him as I have real problems with communicating with people and feeling comfortable around people and places I am not familiar with). I also liked the ending, it was ambiguous but also clever and subtle, and I think an improvement over the ending of the book(the book's only weak link). In conclusion, touching and well made, definitely worth a peek. 7/10 Bethany Cox