The starriest cast you may ever see sparkles in a hilarious and heartwarming romcom from the director of Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries. Stories crisscross, collide and boomerang in this look at a day in the life of love. There’s a proposal. Flowers that didn’t get sent. A big fat secret that’s finally told. The “I’ll show up and surprise him” that ended up surprising her. Fights, kisses, wrong turns, right moves and more. Whether new to or through with love, you’ll fall in love with this 19-star, funny-side-up celebration of romance.For those in love with love–and even for those who think they’re jaded and over it–Valentine’s Day and its superb cast are the uplifting elixir that’s called for. Director Garry Marshall must have called in every favor he had in Hollywood to line up this amazing cast. Much as Robert Altman does in his best films, Marshall follows intertwining and intersecting couples around Los Angeles as they hook up, break up, and act up as Valentine’s Day–with all its intense expectations–looms. Bradley Cooper plays one half of a couple struggling to get back on track. Julia Roberts plays an army officer en route from Iraq (!) to visit a lover halfway around the world. Jennifer Garner is appealing as the girlfriend of a cad (Patrick Dempsey), who managed to overlook telling her he was married; will Garner’s character go all Fatal Attraction? Standouts include the always-charming Anne Hathaway, whose character supplements her income with a freelance gig that, shall we say, involves using multiple accents over the phone–much to the consternation of her beau, played by Topher Grace. Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo play a long-married couple whose strong marriage may be rocked by an old and very inconvenient truth. And young stars Emma Roberts, Taylor Lautner, and Taylor Swift sparkle enough to draw in younger viewers. And if love doesn’t always go as planned for these couples (and singles), it’s Marshall’s deftness as a director that keeps the scenes moving along crisply to the next lovers, or victims. Marshall seems to be aiming to achieve for Valentine’s Day what Richard Curtis did for Christmas in Love Actually–and if he falls a little short, it’s not due to any lack of star power or onscreen dazzle. “Love is the only shocking act left on the planet!” exclaims Ashton Kutcher’s character. If so, viewers of Valentine’s Day can expect to be shocked–into a warm romance with this, yes, valentine to love. –A.T. Hurley
Rating: 
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June 4, 2010
#1
Review by Pumpkin Man
Rating:
In honor of today actually being Valentine’s Day, I wanted to see this movie. I actually liked it. It is very funny, and very romantic. All the characters are interesting and you care for them. There were a few twists that I didn’t expect. This movie is filled with a lot of great actors.
On Valentine’s Day, we see the lives of different couples and how they deal with love and friendship. Some hearts are broken, and some will find true love on this magical day.
Ashton Kutcher plays a florist named Reed Bennett who pops the question to his girlfriend. Jennifer Garner plays a teacher named Julia who falls in love with a doctor who is unfaithful. Anne Hathaway plays a receptionist named Liz who tries to hide the fact that she is a phone sex operator. A kid in Julia’s class named Edison tries to send flowers to his Valentine. All this and much more happens on the day of love. I highly recommend VALENTINE’S DAY!!!
June 4, 2010
#2
Review by Steven Carrier
Rating:
Garry Marshall takes a play from the Robert Altman handbook with “Valentine’s Day”, a romantic comedy about interconnecting people on the famed holiday in Los Angeles. It’s a cheerful but shallow picture to say the least. While the film is packed with stars (23 in total) and a few good laughs, this modern day romance has nothing important to say, hell, it has nothing to say at all. The main lesson learned is that everyone needs to make their own definition of love… okay, thanks. Regardless, it’s a really breezy film. It’s bright, the stars plays to their strengths and it’s just long enough to have all the stories resolved. It is what it is and “Valentine’s Day” makes for a good film to accompany the holiday.
June 4, 2010
#3
Review by Brad Baker
Rating:
The reviews said “Valetines Day” is a flop. I’d say it flops pretty good. Very good. But, then I love Taylor Swift..Old pro Garry Marshall directs this spring-time valentine to southern California. The Hollywood sign looms in the distance, as a truck-load of intertwining couples make-up and break-up, all centered around sending flowers on “Valentines Day”. They meander down Sunset Boulevard, cruise by Rodeo Drive, and check into the Beverley Wilshire. At the center of this under-rated romantic comedy is Ashton Kutcher as Reed, who proposes to Morley, played by a luscious Jessica Alba. Morley says “yes”, but later changes her mind; an immature young woman unable to love somebody else. Of course a chick-flick, “Valentines Day” has room for the men: You can ponder Ms. Alba half-dressed in her bed, Jennifer Garner in her underwear, and a good dose of young Hollywood hotties like Jessica Biel and Anne Hathaway. But it’s Kutcher who makes the movie. Finally almost acting, Kutcher is touching here, as a heart-broken lover, who decides to turn his sorrow into saving his female best friend. The movie starts slow, and gags fall flat, but the second half lights up. It will melt the hardest heart. Supporting actors are good; including George Lopez, Queen Latifah, Kathy Bates and Paul Williams(somewhere). Very talented Jamie Foxx is mis-cast as a black TV announcer; strangely out-of-place around so many young white hunks. And Jessica Alba is shaky and insecure, perhaps too close to the character she portrays. 42-year-old Julia Roberts is lovely and restrained, as Capt. Kate Hazeltine; on a 24-hour furlough, coming home to see the most important man in her life. Shirley MacLaine is memorable. An argument with her husband drives him to the classic-movie-night at Hollywood Cemetery Forever; an actual location containg the caskets of June Mathis and the movie star she created: Rudolph Valentino. Taylor Swift is very funny as a ditsy Valley Girl. The dialogue is fast, but you don’t really mind. “My only real love is my blackberry”. “Oh. I’m sorry. I really have to take this..” Surely no classic, “Valentines Day” will be remembered. It should have been called “Love Story”, but some movie already has that title.
June 4, 2010
#4
Review by Mark Eremite
Rating:
Oh, the schmaltz! It’s so hard to escape on Valentine’s Day. Some people (usually female and betrothed) love it. Some people (usually uncreative males and singles) dread it. Both groups feel different ways for the same reason: it’s a publically sanctioned way of demanding that people account for the strength and honesty of their emotions. Hence the schmaltz.
Some people call that schmaltz “romance.” I think romance has its time and place, but my experiences have led me to a place where, while not jaded per se, I’m a bit more skeptical of the giant teddy bears and heart-shaped chocolates than your average Swoony McTenderHeart who happens to be in love. If you ask me, the genre “romantic comedy” is either redundant or an oxymoron; I rarely voluntarily go to watch movies of this variety. Keep that in mind as you read the rest of this very short review:
This movie isn’t bad. It is about 90% predictable (shame on this website’s staff reviewer for giving away Bradley Cooper’s secret!), but the stories aren’t overly sweet (for the most part) and there are some good one-liners and rejoinders (although many of the jokes have been done over and over again in past movies). Ashton Kucher’s acting is the worst I’ve seen from him, but others (Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts, and the tow-headed little boy) make up for it with funny and sometimes subtle performances. And although this has to be the seven hundredth time I’ve watched Jennifer Garner find true love (It was right in front of her this whole time! Again!), she manages not to make the obvious script any more overbearing.
The film follows the lives of various people (talent agents, sportscasters, mailroom boys, elementary school teachers, ditzy blonde cheerleaders) as they find, lose, and find love again. It works a lot like Altman’s SHORT CUTS or the more recent LOVE, ACTUALLY. The star-studded cast is nice to see in a movie of this breadth, but it’s stale, uninvigorating material.
One character quotes a poem that says that love is not gentle, it is meant to be devastating. This is why, he says, people fall head over heels into love. Well, this movie contains almost no devastation at all, just some gloomy people who (almost) all end up finding their warm fuzzies. It would’ve been nice to see that devastating love in action, but for a movie that is so obviously trying to capitalize on the schmaltz of this holiday, it’s forgiveable (if not regretable) that the devastation was set aside for the traditional teeth-rotting sweetness of it all.
June 4, 2010
#5
Review by SciFiChick
Rating:
Aptly described as “a celebration of romance,” Valentine’s Day follows the lives of an array of characters throughout one romantic holiday. The star-studded film includes about 19 different actors and actresses. As we follow each character, it is soon apparent that all have some connection to another, and all are touched (in positive or negative ways) by their relationships.
A virtual who-who of romantic comedy, the cast is the highlight of the film, each with their own scene-stealing performance. As almost all romantic comedies are, the plot lines are blatantly predictable. Yet that’s why we watch them – for the happy endings. From young, puppy love to tender, long-lasting love; Valentine’s Day covers it all. There are also plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this light-hearted feel-good flick. I have to admit that before watching it, I thought that there were going to be too many characters and storylines going on. I didn’t think it was possible to tie them all together. I am happy to be proven wrong. Director Garry Marshall is king of romantic comedy. And his latest is just as fun and full of magic as some of his previous hit films.
Since this is a romantic comedy, I don’t think the Blu-ray edition added much to the film viewing experience. But the Blu-ray combo back does come with loads of extra bonus features.
The Blu-ray Disc Combo Pack includes:
* Exclusive Sex and the City 2 sneak peek trailer
* 14 Deleted Scenes with Intro from Garry Marshall
* “The Stars Confess Their Valentine’s Day Stories”
* Gag Reel
* Jewel “Stay Here Forever” Music Video
* The Garry Factor
* Audio Commentary
* Standard definition version of the movie and a digital copy