Review of Dear John (2010) by Tyler C — 02 Apr 2011

What a good movie with such a bad ending. It starts off with a very distinct "Pearl Harbor" vibe, but in the end develops a strange, awkward cliffhanger, that leaves me confused, and almost tarnishes what potential this had. A low budget war romance got crazy, there is a good, albeit complex, story too it, and I must say Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried deliver some good acting. There really isn't much to say here.

The movie opens to John talking about coins, and his dad's obsession about them. He later goes reveals he's in the army, and is visiting his dad. He goes to a beach party, and rescues a dropped purse for a girl named Savannah. He spends the next two weeks having the tine of his life with her, and later resumes his job, mailing letters between the two of them. Things seem well and dandy until 9/11 strikes, and John is re-enlisted for another three years. They continue their relationship through letters, and they meet each others families, until John is sent a letter that Savannah is engaged to someone else, and that his dad has passed away. Things get worse when he is shot twice, and everything spirals out of control from there.

The movie tries to have a powerful, bold, deep base, but it fails. Where the movie succeeds are in it's happier moments, in the good perfomances, and in it's lush landscapes. I watched this while at the cottage with my sister and some of her friends, and I can say we all, including myself, cried at the end. It is a sad movie, not only because people die and it has a twisted, mushy ending, but also because you feel slightly cheated. At the end of the day, Dear John is okay. If you're a teenage girl, you'll love it. If you're a teenage boy, then you're probably watching it with a teenage girl.