Grade: B

Although “The Lucky One” was based off the book by Nicholas Sparks, who was also responsible for hits such as “The Notebook” and “Dear John,” this movie lacks the magic that captivated those audiences.

The film stars Zac Efron as a Marine who finds a picture of a woman (Taylor Schilling) during his time in Iraq and credit’s the picture for saving his life. After his tour ends, he goes in search of the woman and they ultimately fall in love.

The casting was the film’s major weakness. Although Efron (“Charlie St. Cloud”) and Schilling (“Mercy”) are supposed to be the same age, Schilling appears to be older. This age difference makes the love scenes slightly uncomfortable.

Efron’s performance was average. It might be difficult for the viewer to imagine him as an embattled Marine rather than the “High School Musical” character that made him famous.

Schilling’s character comes off as unloving in the first half of the movie, but her acting improves as the film progresses.

However, the mise-en-scene of the film was incredible. The lighting with the sunsets and the Louisiana landscapes paints a very pretty picture for the audience.

The theme that everything happens for a reason is also a plus for the movie.

Filmmakers also made careful attention to honoring those in the United States military and that respect really shined.

This movie was intended to be deeper than it came across, but it still works as a romantic film. “The Lucky One” is good for fans of other Sparks’ movies, but don’t be surprised if the quality isn’t as good.