Centering around the theme of New Year's Eve (obviously), we are introduced to people from various walks of life and how they face the looming start of a new year. We start off with pressure-ridden Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank), who needs to get the ball (which is unfortunately stuck for some reason) to drop at Times Square by midnight, or she'll have her job on the line. There's also Stan Harris (Robert de Niro), a terminally ill patient who's dying wish is to just see that same ball drop one last time, which unfortunately isn't allowed by his caretaker Nurse Aimee (Halle Berry). Performing at the New Year Ball, we have rock-star Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi) who's also seeking forgiveness from his past love Laura (Katherine Heigl), who happens to be the head chef for the exact same event.
Other than that there's disgruntled middle-aged Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) who hopes to complete her radical new year's resolution list with the help of her bubbly runner Paul (Zac Efron). At the same time overprotective mother Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) is dead-set on not letting her daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin) go out to enjoy the festivities with her boyfriend. There's also a couple of soon-to-be-parents set on out-doing each-other to be the first to deliver a baby in the hospital in order to win a big cash prize. And guess what, that's not even the whole list of characters, which also include among others Ryan Seacrest, Ludacris, Russell Peters, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele and Josh Duhamel.
Feel like there's too much going on? Well that's precisely the case. The sheer amount of big name presence coupled with various scenarios may seem overwhelming at first, but as each one runs its course it isn't that hard to follow. Just like Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve runs numerous story-lines that cross upon one another. However despite the number of A-listers and Oscar winners, the movie comes as a tad predictable. You could sense the stars giving it their best shot, but there's only so much they can do with such limited material to work on. Some certainly work better than others. Ashton Kutcher was in character as a young new year-hating comic artist, but then again he's just doing what he does best. It was interesting seeing him getting stuck in a lift with Lea Michele's character. The competing-parents scenario was excruciating while the mother-daughter one will make your eyes roll.
Halle Berry and Katherine Heigl had favourable performances, only spoiled somewhat by their mismatched counterparts. I certainly liked Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron's story as the mismatched duo do various funny and oddball things to complete their list.
The theme of New Year's Eve is mostly love and compassion, but sadly none of the stories seem pushed to their full potential, resulting in a lack of impact. There were also a number of really funny parts during the film and it helped balance things up. And if there's one thing the filmmakers got right, it's the singing.
Having two singers in the mix, it'd be a crime not to have the two - Jon Bon Jovi and Lea Michele - sing a few numbers. And boy did they sing well. Too bad it's just not enough to save a film that is just a huge compilation of movie plots you've seen before.
New Year's Eve isn't a bad movie - it's sweet, but just rather average, like how Valentine's Day was. If you're in it just for the celebrities, then this is for you. But if you're expecting a good plot or storyline, best to look elsewhere. While there aren't many 'New Year' movies around, catch this only if there are no other rom-coms to bring your significant other to. If not, best wait for the inevitable DVD release.
2 1/2 Stars (out of 5)
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