Safe Haven Review

Julianne Hough (Rock Of Ages) stars in this romantic drama based on a novel by one-man-weepy machine Nicholas Sparks. She’s Katie, a mysterious girl on the run who conveniently ends up in a small town populated by beautiful, friendly people including Alex (Josh Duhamel), who also happens to be a widower. Thanks to their spirited performances, this is superior to other recent Sparks adaptations — the extra dash of mystery doesn’t hurt either. But it’s still firmly on the side of sentiment and implausible plot developments — perhaps secure in the knowledge that’s exactly what the fan base wants.