Romance blossoms, reconciliations occur and resolutions are made and fulfilled as midnight approaches on New Year’s Eve in New York in this star-studded ensemble comedy-drama. Robert De Niro is the dying hospital patient hoping to see Times Square’s famed Ball Drop one last time and Hilary Swank is his estranged daughter, who just happens to be in charge of the event. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi wants to win over angry ex-girlfriend Katherine Heigl. Ashton Kutcher’s slacker gets stuck in a lift with backup singer Lea Michele. Cycle courier Zac Efron helps mousy record-company worker Michele Pfeiffer tick off the items in her list of unfulfilled dreams. And so on and on. The stories are cheesy, all the stars overact and the direction (from Garry Marshall, maker of previous ‘date’ movie, Valentine’s Day) is disgracefully slack, but if you’re watching in a spirit of holiday goodwill then its fuzzy warm-heartedness is passably entertaining.
Released on Blu-ray, DVD & Triple-Play by Warner Home Video on Monday 3rd December.
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