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Watch, Pass, or Rent Video Movie Review: The Vow

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:07:28 PST

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams take aim straight at your heart with this weekend's romance The Vow, but is the drama worth taking a trip to the theater? Watch the video movie review to find out.

The Vow: Channing Tatum Is More Memorable Than the Romance

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

It's no accident that The Vow's release date coincides almost perfectly with Valentine's Day. The film promises the kind of epic love story that many of us, like it or not, are more amenable to getting swept up in at this time of year: a man tries to make his wife fall in love with him again after a horrific accident leaves her with no memory of the last four years, or of him. Channing Tatum is endearing as Leo and though he has chemistry with Rachel McAdams's Paige, it almost goes to waste due to the film's lack of focus and uneven plot.

For starters, having a stranger for a husband is just the beginning of Paige's problems. Sometime in the four years she's lost, she went from being a preppy law student to a free-spirited artist. Naturally, when she wakes up, she wants an explanation for why she doesn't talk to her family anymore, what happened to her pretty boy fiancé (Scott Speedman), and why her hair is so "weird." It's understandable that she's a little different from who she used to be, but a complete life transformation is a bit hard to swallow - both for Paige, and for the audience.

To see why The Vow may not be the love story you're expecting, just

read more. Watching Tatum and McAdams play off each other is what keeps the movie engaging, and Tatum is particularly sympathetic. Though Paige is the one who has suffered the trauma, it's even more difficult to watch Leo quietly suffer as the love of his life continues to slip away in favor of the life she actually remembers. Leo represents a life that the new Paige is enticed by but can't imagine: he's goofy, laid-back, and immensely committed to her. But Paige can't come to terms with a life she doesn't feel part of, and instead reverts back to her former self. The sincerity and sweetness that Tatum brings to Leo are reflected in flashbacks of his life with Paige and in his current attempts to win her back, but the film isn't the epic romance that it's packaged to be. In fact, it's more depressing than it is joyful; not only are most of the characters in pain throughout the film, but with the exception of Leo, most of them are downright irritating. Paige's family and friends couldn't be more stereotypically conservative, which only makes Paige's decision to stay with them all the more frustrating to watch. As the film goes on, the love story starts to take the backseat to her family issues, and the crux of the film rests on a subplot that's both lame and contrived. The Vow is certainly watchable, thanks to the intrigue of the premise, and the mystery of how Leo and Paige will (inevitably, of course) find their way back to each other. But the film tries too hard to manufacture extra drama out of Paige's memory loss, when all the audience really wants to see is a love story to get swept up in.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams Pair Up For The Vow's LA Premiere

Lauren Turner — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:36:08 PST

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams posed side by side at The Vow premiere in LA last night. Rachel paired dramatic red lips with a strapless Vivienne Westwood dress and nude Christian Louboutin heels while Channing suited up in gray. Channing's wife, Jenna Dewan, hit the carpet in a bright mini, though Rachel's boyfriend Michael Sheen wasn't on hand to celebrate. Channing, Jenna, and Rachel followed the screening with an afterparty at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where guests snacked on a Ralph Lauren-designed wedding cake. The movie hits theaters on Friday, just in time for Valentine's Day, which we're already gearing up for with a look at 100 hot PDA pictures. Channing and Rachel's characters show plenty of affection in the film, and they chatted about their romantic tendencies when we sat down with the duo for their The Vow press day.

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum on Their "Drunk" Scene and Their Romantic Tendencies

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00:00 PST

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams tackle a true story in The Vow, playing a husband and wife trying to rebuild their life after a car accident leaves her with no memory of their relationship. I talked to the onscreen pair at the recent press day for the movie in Beverly Hills. Channing, who is married to fellow actor Jenna Dewan, said being a young husband made him especially connected to the role, and we also chatted about his and Rachel's shared tendencies toward romantic fare like The Notebook and Dear John. While the subject of their new movie might be dramatic, they also admitted to some lighter moments on set, and talked about a scene that left Rachel "borderline hallucinogenic." Check out our interview and catch The Vow in theaters on February 10.

Channing Tatum Shows Off His Dirty Dancing Moves For SNL

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:20:05 PST

Channing Tatum will be taking the SNL stage this weekend for his very first time, ahead of the release of his new movie The Vow. Comedy may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the beefy star, but after watching these promos (and the 21 Jump Street trailer), you might start to come around. Sure, he's a little stiff, but he's also got comedic timing - not to mention some sweet moves. Watch!

Rachel and Channing Rise Early in Germany For Their Vow

Allie Merriam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:29:17 PST

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams teamed up for a photo call supporting their movie The Vow in Munich today. The costars are just kicking off a European press tour in support of the movie, which opens in the US in three weeks on Feb. 10. Channing and Rachel just wrapped up a few days in London. While in the UK, they stopped to do interviews at various BBC channels and Rachel wore a cute coat from The Row. We'll get to see Rachel and Channing's romantic movie next month, but he's also on the big screen in a new picture today. His Steven Soderbergh-directed film is out, and the Haywire reviews are so far quite good!

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum Bundle Up For a London Night Out

Mackenzie Wagoner — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:20:58 PST

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum left their London hotel yesterday, where they were staying while in town to promote The Vow. The costars started their day with a visit to BBC's Radio 1 studios, and Rachel McAdams's black military-inspired coat by The Row turned heads for the appearance. Rachel took the coat from day to night, adding a blue scarf, jeans, and black wedges to stay warm in the London cold.

While Channing is across the pond, his latest costars were busy at the NYC premiere of Haywire last night. Ewan McGregor and Gina Carano joined director Steven Soderbergh on the black carpet for the film, which is already receiving great reviews.

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum Take Their Vow Overseas

Allie Merriam — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:51:04 PST

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum kicked off their press tour for The Vow today in London. She was decked out in an embellished coat and a pair of Brian Atwood shoes. The duo stopped by the offices of both the BBC 1 and BBC 2 channels to sit for radio interviews. The movie opens in the UK and the US on Feb. 10. It's a busy period for Channing, who also has Steven Soderbergh's Haywire out in theaters this Friday, Jan 20. We caught up with Channing at a recent junket for the latter film. Channing shared his admiration for Haywire's leading lady Gina Carano, and also revealed that there was pressure for him and costar Matthew McConaughey to look good shirtless on the set of their upcoming male stripper flick Magic Mike.

Channing was just in LA over the weekend to attend the Golden Globes. He hit the red carpet with wife Jenna Dewan, who looked gorgeous in a green Maria Lucia Hohan gown. He was a presenter during the show, handing the best animated feature film honor to The Adventures of Tintin alongside Jessica Alba.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Hit the Carpet For Their First Golden Globes

Lauren Turner — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:39:39 PST

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan posed together on the red carpet at the Golden Globes in LA tonight. It's the couple's first time at the show, where Channing will be presenting. He looked dapper in a tux and tie, while Jenna chose a bright dress by Maria Lucia Hohan. There are so many glamorous gowns to see, so make sure to vote on all of Bella and Fab's beauty and fashion polls!

Channing Tatum Felt Abdominal Competition on the Magic Mike Set

Allie Merriam — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:45:24 PST

Channing Tatum is one of the stars of Steven Soderbergh's latest thriller Haywire, which is a conspiracy-theory-type story centered around leading lady - and former MMA champ - Gina Carano. He spoke about what it was like going toe-to-toe with Gina in the movie, which is out on Friday, Jan. 20. Channing also shared about actually being ab-to-ab with a roster of hot costars like Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Bomer in the upcoming Magic Mike. Channing and Steven collaborated yet again on that film, which is loosely based on Tatum's experience as a male stripper back in Florida. Find out about the competition he and the Matthews endured while showing off their six-packs on film!