The Lucky Ones (2008)

How sad is this?

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this film. I always love a good story and THE LUCKY ONES is a great character driven story. This is my first IMDb review so I'm going to be very careful NOT to give anything away, so I'll leave it at this...if you are looking for a great story with engaging, believable characters and just scenically pleasant to the eye, this is the movie for you. If you need to see things "blow up", make another choice.

Three stars given strictly for three wonderfully talented actors - McAdams, Pena, Robbins - who, regrettably, had zero opportunity to display such talent in this turkey. Not to malign turkeys.As for the rest of the cast? They all "acted" like they had something better to do...which, in the case of this flick, they probably did. Regardless, for the simple fact of being paid, one should give more than a listless performance. Hey, maybe another three stars for "phoning it in."Writing: inane drivel. Directing: lacklustre at best. Most annoying: the constant "You OK? You OK?" filler dialogue. Film could have been good. Wasn't. IMO.

See this film."The Lucky Ones" (2008) is a true hidden gem. I wasn't expecting much when I put the DVD in my player but before too long I knew I had stumbled on to something great.THE PLOT: Three soldiers coming back from Iraq meet at JFK in NY where all flights are delayed due to a blackout. One soldier is older and getting out of the Army for good (Timothy Robbins), one has a serious groin injury and is trying to heal-up (Michael Pena) and the other is on leave to visit the family of a dead comrade (Rachel McAdams). They end up in a rental vehicle traveling across the country where they experience many sides of American culture and each other's deepest secrets, hopes and pains.All three stars have great chemistry and Rachel McAdams (who I've never seen in a movie before) is a total revelation as Colee. Although Colee isn't highly educated she's not dumb. In fact, she excels socially and is the catalyst to hope and healing for the other two. A more beautiful, spunky, stimulating woman could hardly be found! Both Timothy Robbins as Cheaver and Michael Pena as TK shine in their roles as well. Cheaver becomes the necessary father-figure in the trio and the others become increasingly concerned about the well-being of their temporary "dad." The film features a good balance of Eastern and Western locations, shot in Illinois, Missouri, Colorado and Las Vegas.FINAL WORD: I don't want to say anymore. If what I said perks your interest, be sure to check out "The Lucky Ones." RUNTIME: 115 minutesGRADE: A

Three soldiers back from Iraq team up and rent a car to drive to their respective destinations. Things happen to them along the way. When they get to their destinations, what they find is not what they expected.That's "The Lucky Ones" in a nutshell. But it doesn't do justice to this quirky, touching and funny film.Tim Robbins and Michael Pena give sturdy, soldierly performances, but the real story here is Rachel McAdams, who is mesmerizing as the blunt talking, somewhat naive, wounded (literally, in her thigh), deeply religious, sexually open minded and perpetually optimistic Pvt. Colee Dunn. She is a ray of pure southern sunshine and steals every scene she is in.Some highlights: A furious McAdams throws her soda on Pena when he insults her boyfriend, killed in Iraq, by saying he was unfit to be a soldier because he supposedly did armed robbery.McAdams lashes out in a bar when some valley girl-types mock her limp. "Good thing I didn't have my weapon," she says after.All three end up at an evangelical service and McAdams stands up to testify, blithely telling embarrassing secrets about her companions while they cringe.After locking their keys in the car, they trudge off for help and end up at a Hummer dealership. On the way back in a luxury Hummer, they compare this one with what they're more used to.When McAdams arrives at her dead boyfriend's family, she finds out his colorful depiction of them was somewhat embellished. What she decides to tell them about him is even more embellished to spare their feelings. In fact, this scene is so moving it is probably the highlight of McAdams acting career.Robbins is at a rich man's party and meets a beautiful woman who begins flirting with him. He asks if she's married and she says, "Umm." They both start laughing hysterically.This movie has many such moments.One lowlight: A contrived, cheap-looking tornado scene that's just in the movie to give Pena and McAdams a chance to huddle in a drainpipe, allowing a certain delightful discovery to be made. Afterward, the twister has blown the landscape to pieces, but their vehicle is untouched.Final thought: This is not an Iraq movie. This is an America movie.