I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Lasse Hallström, the Swedish director who gave us Chocolat (2001), Gilbert Grape (1993) and Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009) is at it again - making chick flicks for guys. This means, unlike your stereotypical chick flick whose leading man is a hollow beefcakey stud with as much personality as the scenery, here we get a complex beefcakey stud whom the chicks can swoon over whilst the bros say "duuuuude he's cool."In this case the protagonist is "John" (Channing Tatum) who plays an Army Special Forces character who can kill you with a toothpick but has total control over his emotions. Until, of couse, he meets "Savannah" (Amanda Seyfried) over his 2 week furlough before going back to war.As you might guess, the story explores the ultimate long distance relationship as John completes his 1 year tour as a soldier while Savannah waits at home. Sounds boring? Well wait, there are complications. John's father is autistic and his mother abandoned them years ago. So John is forced to be the responsible one, but the whole war/love thing throws him out of whack.Meanwhile Savannah has a few secrets of her own (and I gotta admit I totally didn't see it coming). And on top if it all, 9/11 hits and this forces John to make a decision whether to stay with his platoon and most likely get his butt blown off, or retire once his initial tour is over. Oh, and the movie begins with John getting blasted by gunfire, meaning the story unfolds in a huge flashback leaving us wondering the whole time if John dies or not.This is a very sentimental flick, much like the other Hallström movies I mentioned, but it doesn't get sappy or predictable. In fact at least 3 plot twists took me by total surprise. And I'm talking like "whoa duuuuude I never saw THAT coming" surprise."Dear John" focuses on interpersonal relationships when duty comes into play - and I'm not just talking about duty toward your country (a cleverly woven parallel), but duty to parents, children and those who need help. This is juxtaposed against selfish happiness, or the storybook love. Pay close attention to the characters' choices & sacrifices, and how these choices are based on duty/selflessness rather than "getting the girl". I think that's what makes this a unique romance. Whereas most Hollywood romance flicks focus on the problems of 2 lovers, "Dear John" presents us with an ideal love that is complicated by external loyalties.The trademark of Hallström movies is some other issue (not just love) driving the characters, and that's why these films aren't sappy or predictable. Another trademark is is use of gorgeous scenery, in this case the beaches of Charleston SC. He achieves a very nostalgic beach feeling, even for those of us who have only been to the beach once or twice in our lives (see also his film "Safe Haven" filmed in Southport, NC)."Dear John" is a quiet, sentimental film, so don't expect action, car chases & robots. But it delivers a few tricky plot twists, so it's never boring. If you're not familiar with Hallström's style, I'd say it's artistic without being over-the-top artsy. Think of Kieslowsky (Blue, White, Red trilogy) or Wim Wenders (Paris Texas, Wings of Desire) or possibly even Steven Soderbergh (Sex Lies & Videotape, Solaris, Magic Mike) and you'll have a general idea of how this film feels.

It's amazing and a great movie based off of an even greater book!!

The story of the movie is extremely good. Sparks also showed the skill in this case. Still, I can not say that I liked this almost two hours. According to me, the main and serious lack of performance occurs when John receives a letter from Savannah that she believes. This is something that in my opinion the whole movie was taken in one direction that is completely wrong. First, I can not imagine that you love someone and you believe in the other way you have sworn in love. Second, more importantly. I'm sure it would be absolutely unrealistic to expect that they will be together after its release. Let's not forget, the two of them decided to return to the field and practically she betrayed him at the moment when he needed it most. As hard as it was, it was harder for him. He is a soldier, whose head was in his bag every day. Every letter from her, for him was the light in total darkness and chaos. It would be much better if the film was made to follow their common story while it is on one side of the earth, and it is on the other. And so until the final merger. There was room to do something like that and make a story that is happening in reality. Music in the movie is extraordinary. The movie would surely have gotten a much higher rating, only that the action was first found in the last third of the film.7,1/10

Nicholas Sparks writers another novel that was adapted for film production entitled Dear John.It stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried together with Henry Thomas and Richard Jenkins which tells the story of a romance between an idealistic woman and a male soldier who gets deployed at different places.Only the love letters they exchanged with each other starting "Dear John" sustained their romance.John Tyree is a young soldier that is currently serving on the U.S. Army Special Forces.He is currently on leave on spring vacation.He meets and falls in love with a college students who is full of idealism named Savannah Curtis.Things start to become worrisome in their relationship when they could barely see each other due to John's increased overseas deployments.They sustained their romance by exchanging letters.But their inability to see each other led to fateful consequences with Savannah as she started seeing Tim.This was made painful when Tim was known to have a terminal disease.Savannah become married to Tim and took care of him until her husband died.In the end,we get to see John,who is no longer part of the army after his father suffered a stroke and now a civilian citizen,re-unite with Savannah.Well,this was basically a romantic story wherein the viewers are treated to a U turn in the end when both lead romance couples John and Savannah had to go through with some respective incidents in their life before they could go through their happy romance in the end.Some may find it funny and a bad soap opera especially coming from Nicholas Sparks as viewers are normally treated with many of his novels that get adapted on film.But for others looking for a love story,they will definitely enjoy it especially those who are still hopeful in their relationships that have ended.