Everyone loves a good chick flick… except if it’s Dear John. The trailers had me expecting too much and I am still reeling from the disappointment of seeing this film I was so looking forward to.
The film does actually have a decent idea and storyline behind it, however this is let down by shoddy acting, a really bad script packed full of cheesy over used clichés and sub standard directing. Dear John is the story of John Tyree (Channing Tatum) and Savannah Lynn Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) who quickly fall in love after two weeks but then have to deal with extended separation as John re-enlists for the army after the 9/11 attacks.
Both Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried have starred successfully in chick flicks before (Step Up, Mamma Mia and Mean Girls being some examples) however they do not seem able to make it work here. There is no believability in their relationship, although this is in large part down to the aforementioned unfortunate script. After rocking beginning however the film does get slightly better for the middle before quickly deteriorating again for the end. Tellingly the middle is when the couple are no longer together.
Overall, even worse than the acting, the script, the directing, the most annoying thing about this film has got to be the names. Channing Tatum seems so far from a John (although probably a lot closer than anyone is to a Channing) and I am still convinced that the absurd Savannah cannot really be a name.
Save your money, watch something else.
Frederica Dixon