Dear John is about a boy and girl — they meet, fall in love over the span of two weeks and then are separated by war. To keep in touch, they write each other letters and manage to make a Spring Break fling last over a year.

Does the plot sound familiar? Nicholas Sparks, the man who penned novels like A Walk to Remember and The Notebook — which turned into sappy, romantic blockbusters — is the author of the book on which this film is based, and it’s obvious. Many might find comfort in these similarities, but the story is cliché and predictable.

I COULD SMELL YOUR HAIR ALL DAY. Tatum and Seyfried share a moment as they contemplate the future in Spark’s latest chick flick.

The film attempts to tackle too many issues. However, by throwing in a wide range of heavy themes like war, loss and health issues, Dear John captures the audience’s attention. There is something for everyone — especially for those looking to shed a few tears. This allows for escapism and entertainment, which seems to be the primary intention of this film.

The acting is mediocre with flashes of decent performances from a few characters. Jenkins (Mr. Tyree) was by far the most impressive actor, and Thomas (Tim) gave an adequate performance as well.

Leads Tatum and Seyfried were bland for the most part, though the chemistry between them is believable, allowing the viewer to accept the unorthodox premise for their romance. With that said, the relationship is still stretched and somewhat unconvincing, considering the amount of time the narrative gives them to develop their love.

The relationship, however, just doesn’t seem plausible in a modern day context. However, it may appeal to the audience thanks to years of Hallmark cards idealizing love-at-first sight relationships and heavy emotional sequences.

The music selection was good, and worked well with the premise of the film. The soundtrack was comprised of mainly contemporary songs, by artists like Joshua Radin, Ryan Adams and 311, which likely appeals to the intended demographic — the young, naive teenagers who think outlandish love stories like Sparks’ could actually happen in real life. Seyfried also has a track in the film called “Little Houses.”

Dear John fared well with the opening weekend audience, and was the film to finally bump Avatar from the top of the box office, raking in $30,468,614. Much anticipation was placed on the film — especially with Valentine’s Day just around the corner.

It may be a good movie to drag a date to, or a film to catch if you’re in the mood for mindless, unoriginal entertainment. Guaranteed, this movie will hit an emotional chord.