The Lucky One: movie review

Release date: 2 May 2012
Certificate: 12A
Director: Scott Hicks
Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

What's the story?
Logan (Efron) is a US Marine who has returned from three tours of Iraq but has trouble fitting back into normal life with his family. Traumatised from seeing his friends die during the war, his only motivation on returning home is to find the girl in the picture he discovered while away on duty, a picture that he believes saved his life more than once. She is, to him, The Lucky One.

What did we think?
After putting on an impressive 20lb of pure muscle for the role, Zac Efron has well and truly transformed. He plays Logan, a warm-hearted, caring tough guy. He's playing the lovable hunk every girl in the world wishes him to be in a drama high on Zac and low on subtlety.

It's all a bit predictable, but not bothersome. If you want to go see a romantic flick with an edge, don't opt to watch a Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Dear John, A Walk To Remember) adaptation. It's bound to be filled with beautiful people, in this case Efron and newcomer Schilling. The pair has adequate chemistry and their love scenes are comfortable to watch: their growing romance is just about believable.

After Logan treks across the country to find this mystery woman in the photo (yes, he walks a lot, offering us the chance to truly admire that well-earned physique), the story begins to take shape. We learn that the woman is Beth (Schilling) a teacher who also runs a dog kennel with her mother Ellie (Danner). She's in a complex situation involving her son and her ex-husband, who is more controlling than a pair of Spanx on a chubby celebrity.

Things are certainly a tad predictable as Zac sets about saving the day. But in the meantime we enjoy a few raunchy love scenes in a shower and a few dramatic moments in which it seems that Logan and Beth aren't going to end up together after all. There's a gun involved too. And a falling tree house! Tense.

We don't need to tell you where it goes from here. And we won't predict any Oscars. But hey, there's something to be said for two hours on a sofa with buffed up Zac. It's basically a warm, cosy onesie of a movie.

Verdict: Add a star if buffed up Zac Efron is on your 'want' list.