I Hate Valentine's DayMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 17 out of 100 Overwhelming dislike Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
12 OK for kids 12+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter |

    Although the movie was clearly made on the cheap, cinematography, sets and costumes belie the modest budget. No one will be thunderstruck by the insights buried in "Valentine's Day," but couples seeking romantic fluff probably will find just enough humor and heart to satisfy them. Read full review

  • 42
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    A charmless rom-com. Read full review

  • 40
    Variety |

    A plodding mediocrity with an almost mercenary adherence to formula. Read full review

  • 38
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    The movie is set up as a valentine to Vardalos. She should try sending herself flowers. Read full review

  • 30
    Salon.com | Stephanie Zacharek

    I Hate Valentine's Day is a horror show masquerading as a romantic comedy. Maybe Vardalos is just in the wrong line of work. Read full review

  • 30
    Los Angeles Times |

    This is a film with a mission: Get to the grand-gesture climax without disturbing any clichs in its path. Read full review

  • 30
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    You might blame Nora Ephron, whose screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally" established the formula that I Hate Valentine's Day runs into the ground. Compared with this, Ms. Ephron is Chekhov. Read full review

  • 25
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    This is probably the year's worst romantic comedy -- and that's saying something in a year that includes "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" and "Whatever Works." Read full review

  • 20
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    Unfortunately, Vardalos has no one else to blame for a shockingly amateurish effort that goes from bad (her oddly insincere performance) to worse (consistently sloppy camera work) to make-it-stop (it would be an insult to television to call the script sitcomish). Read full review

  • 0
    The Onion A.V. Club | Nathan Rabin

    An unspeakable nadir in the career of its writer-director-star. Read full review

View more reviews for I Hate Valentine's Day on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+ Uninspired romcom is no My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this tepid romantic comedy reuniting the stars of My Big Fat Greek Wedding is actually quite tame in terms of age-appropriate content. There’s no swearing or violence, only a little bit of social drinking, and not much sexy stuff aside from some kissing and one scene showing a couple in bed (only shoulders and legs uncovered). But while the movie's friendships are portrayed as sweet and supportive, it perpetuates corny, superficial ideas about romance and relationships.
  • Families can talk about how the movie portrays relationships. What impact does parents' relationship have on their kids? How important is romance in long-term relationships? Do you think the movie takes a realistic view of love?
  • Families can also discuss the movie's gender expectations and stereotypes. Are guys really the only ones who should do the wooing in heterosexual relationships? Do women need to be pursued?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: The movie's friendships are quite enduring and very supportive; its ideas about romance are less refreshing (see Role Models section).
  • rolemodels true0 Positive role models: Everyone behaves as nicely as can be, given their relationship insecurities and individual peccadilloes. That said, there's some stereotyping (the men working as florists are gay, etc.) and Genevieve’s ideas about love start out superficial, highlightingromance but not the hard work that goes into keeping relationshipsgoing. Ultimately, the film perpetuates romantic myths and assumptions (including somediscussion about how women need to be wooed with flowers and presentsand wined and dined to keep the romance heated), which makes for cutesyscenes that aren’t entirely realistic.
What to watch for
  • violence false1 Violence: Some scenes of couples arguing.
  • sex false3 Sex: A couple kisses passionately; they’re later shown in bed, ostensibly after having had sex, under the covers with bare shoulders and legs revealed.
  • language false1 Language: “Suck” is about as salty as it gets.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some social drinking; no drunkenness.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

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I Hate Valentine's Day Movie Ratings + Reviews

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