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VALENTINE'S DAYMovie Reviews
Romantic comedy that follows a diverse group of Los Angelinos as they try to negotiate a single Valentine's Day, the common denominator being a local flower shop. Cast:Julia Roberts, Emma Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Jessica BielDirector:Garry MarshallRelease Date:February 12, 2010DVD Release:May 18, 2010From:Warner Bros.Rating:PG-13Length:2 hr. 5 min.
Valentine's Day played to weak reviews. • Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "...you'd think Marshall and screenwriter Katherine Fugate could scare up an interesting plotline or two, but no such luck... rarely genuinely funny or moving." • And Bradley Jacobs wrote in Us Weekly, "...feels too darn crammed.... The good news? Some performances do stand out: Taylor Swift... And Jessica Biel..." More Reviews Below...
Valentine's Day Positive Reviews (42 Reviews, reviews below)
Galina Espinoza, People: MODERATE(cg) "...there's no mistaking the movie's cynical center, as captured by a radio deejay signing off his broadcast with 'the three words we all want to hear: Let's get naked.' "(See all of Galina Espinoza's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 165 words, 02/11/10
Mary Pols, Time: FAIR "...we never grow particularly attached to any of these people, but we'd like them to at least have a nice day.... that's the kind of mood the movie puts you in."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 722 words, 02/12/10
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "Not only does it ooze stars like clowns spilling out of a clown car, but it's gauzily wrapped in roses and red-and-white cards.... an overdose of sentimentality."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 02/11/10
Bradley Jacobs, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...feels too darn crammed.... The good news? Some performances do stand out: Taylor Swift charms as a ditz... And Jessica Biel..."(See all of Bradley Jacobs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 180 words, 02/11/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: MODERATE(cg) "...feels like a parade of famous faces, not a motion picture. And, while a few of the skits show glimmers of promise, many are time wasters."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 870 words, 02/12/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: WEAK(cg) "...all the awkward tedium of a bad first date, without the promise or excitement of a good one.... the interconnected tales are overwhelmingly predictable."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 02/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...so desperate to keep all the characters alive, it's like those Russian jugglers who run around, trying to keep all their plates spinning on poles."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 02/11/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: POOR "...neither romantic nor remotely comedic... stuffed with an astonishment of clichés.... comes across like bad television... grim grim grim..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 02/12/10
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: MODERATE(cg) "The cinematic equivalent of a box of chocolates and a Hallmark card... sugary, sappy and totally predictable. It's also what a whole lot of women are likely to want."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 02/12/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...merry-go-round-like, producing a sort of dizzying collage that no doubt some will adore, while others will just get nauseous..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 965 words, 02/12/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...like consuming a 5-pound box of cheap chocolates at a single sitting.... Less funny or romantic than your average colonoscopy... meandering, corny..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 02/12/10
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "Too many Valentines for this 'Day.' About as sincere and creative as the heart-shaped greeting cards being purchased in pharmacies right now."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 293 words, 02/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...so desperate to keep all the characters alive, it's like those Russian jugglers who run around, trying to keep all their plates spinning on poles."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 02/11/10
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: WEAK(cg) "Ashton Kutcher stars as Reed Bennett in this tangled mess of interconnecting stories, all of which involve his small Los Angeles flower shop in some way."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 617 words, 02/12/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "You don't fall for a movie like 'Valentine's Day,' but it's just the sort of squishy thing you might accidentally step into."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 02/12/10
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "Everyone's a stock figure as flatly drawn as a child's handmade valentine. The only actors who have some fun are Hathaway... Kutcher... and Jennifer Garner..."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 02/11/10
KEY CITIES (16 Reviews)
Jen Chaney, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...largely relies on stale gender stereotypes and tired comedy routines... runs around the same old romantic-comedy bases, never daring to truly change the game."(See all of Jen Chaney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 547 words, 02/12/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...pleasant, undemanding... takes place over 18 hours on V-Day and considers Very Attractive People whose romantic destinies converge, diverge, and cloverleaf..."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 02/12/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there are moments of fake sincerity and even flat-out dishonesty... But these flaws are more than balanced by an appealing atmosphere that pervades the whole movie..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 680 words, 02/12/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: WEAK(cg) "It's an American 'Love Actually' without the warmth that writer-director Richard Curtis stuffs into his all-star confections, without the wit, without much love, actually."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 02/12/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...has no higher agenda than keeping you in a good mood for two hours... When it's over you're giddy and dazed and amazed at where the time went."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 547 words, 02/12/10
Christopher Kelly, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "High art? Maybe not.... there are also moments of surprising warmth, courtesy of actors lending the screenplay by Katherine Fugate far more credibility than it deserves."(See all of Christopher Kelly's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 743 words, 02/12/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: MODERATE(cg) "Charmingly cast and phenomenally so-so... The movie is like a box of chocolates. Don't care for the confection with caramel? How about this one with nuts?"(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 624 words, 02/12/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: WEAK(cg) "For those who prefer their romantic comedy in bulk, this is a steal. But attention Costco shoppers: Quantity here runs a distant second to quality."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 921 words, 02/12/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: FAIR(cg) "As if Valentine's Day wasn't overloaded enough with anxiety, manipulation, contrived sentiment and unrealistic expectations, now there's a crummy movie to go with it."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 02/12/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...you'd think Marshall and screenwriter Katherine Fugate could scare up an interesting plotline or two, but no such luck... rarely genuinely funny or moving."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 594 words, 02/11/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "This overstuffed turkey has too many characters, and none of them is believable, let alone likable.... as watered down and colorless as instant milk."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 405 words, 02/12/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: POOR(cg) "...a 20-star pileup of romantic cliches that were groaners when 'Love, American Style' used them on television 40 years ago.... doesn't have a plot..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 693 words, 02/11/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...feels like surfing through the channels of an all-chick-flick cable service.... Here, finally, is a date movie for couples suffering from attention deficit disorder."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 621 words, 02/12/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: POOR(cg) "If you love somebody, one lesson goes, you love every part of that person, not just the parts you like. I didn't like any part of this movie. I hate 'Valentine's Day.' "(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 169 words, 02/11/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: POOR(cg) "...explores love in all its myriad forms, from the sickeningly sappy to the cornball to the groaningly precious and obnoxiously cute.... overstuffed..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 327 words, 02/11/10
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "Everyone's a stock figure as flatly drawn as a child's handmade valentine. The only actors who have some fun are Hathaway... Kutcher... and Jennifer Garner..."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 02/11/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: POOR "...director Garry Marshall's latest atrocity... With enough sticky sweetness to make your teeth ache, 'Valentine's Day' deploys every rom-com cliché, minus the com..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 02/12/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: POOR "...neither romantic nor remotely comedic... stuffed with an astonishment of clichés.... comes across like bad television... grim grim grim..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 02/12/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...merry-go-round-like, producing a sort of dizzying collage that no doubt some will adore, while others will just get nauseous..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 965 words, 02/12/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: POOR "...this would rate high on any list of pictures featuring the greatest number of talented actors given the least interesting things to do..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 961 words, 02/07/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...merry-go-round-like, producing a sort of dizzying collage that no doubt some will adore, while others will just get nauseous..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 965 words, 02/12/10
Tim Grierson, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...ultimately too superficial and slick to really touch the heart.... inevitably leads to simplistic characterizations and rushed emotional revelations."(See all of Tim Grierson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 979 words, 02/09/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: POOR "...neither romantic nor remotely comedic... stuffed with an astonishment of clichés.... comes across like bad television... grim grim grim..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 02/12/10
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: POOR "...director Garry Marshall's latest atrocity... With enough sticky sweetness to make your teeth ache, 'Valentine's Day' deploys every rom-com cliché, minus the com..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 02/12/10
22.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Valentine's Day's reviews are separated by an average 22.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Valentine's Day (42 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Valentine's Day's reviews cover 88.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,405 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 557 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Valentine's Day Coverage, Volume & Length (42 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 9.7 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Valentine's Day's reviews on average broke 9.7 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Valentine's Day's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Valentine's Day (42 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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