What do you expect?

Rating: 7/10 (29 August 2014)

It's Richard Curtis. You'll hear Richard Curtis jokes. You'll see Richard Curtis 'embarrassing' situations. You'll experience all the usual Richard Curtis kooky characters. Anyway who's watched Love Actually, Notting Hill etc. Will not be surprised. Not one bit.
Fortunately, our man Curtis is a bit of a virtuoso at this ol' romantic comedy game, and he deftly juggles the love story between this nervous but likable little twerp and his heart-on-sleeve Yank girlfriend, with the more science fictiony type stuff regarding time travel. Sure, there a few plot holes here and there (that whole thing about not being able to go back before your last child was born is a tad confused) but overall, it's an original spin to staple on a bit of Groundhog Day style ingenuity into what could have been a standard formula.
And sadly, like the aforementioned Bill Murray starrer it does get more than a little corny towards the end, and the long speeches about 'making the most of every day' and how 'life is such a precious gift' made me reach for my patented *MOVIE BARF BUCKET* (It even has my name emblazoned on it!!) and the unbelievably sentimental montage that accompanied them well and truly filled it. There's a way to handle these no doubt imperative messages in a subtle, underhand way... NOT by slapping it on with a trowel complete with 'mood music' in the background.
Still, it's a true pleasure for the most part. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll hurl. Especially the last one. 7/10