Well, it looks like this is one film you are not going to want to waste your time on this weekend. The general consensus of Ross Katz's adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel 'The Choice' is that it's no different to any other Sparks novel/film, and certainly doesn't match up to 'The Notebook'.

The ChoiceThe Choice has had some bad reviews

Starring Benjamin Walker from 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' and Teresa Palmer from 'Warm Bodies', this tale of two young lovers named Travis and Gabby whose relationship takes a devastating turn when the latter falls into a coma after an accident, has failed to impress critics with its tear-jerking concept and instead has been labelled as blatantly formulaic.

The Hollywood Reporter criticized its clichéd predictability, suggesting that it's 'the cinematic equivalent of staring at a Hallmark Card for two hours', while the Washington Post called it a 'phony-feeling film'. The LA Times said that 'it's hard to do more than squirm and groan at the couple's ultimate travails', and the New York Times likened it to 'an ad for erectile-dysfunction medication'.

Watch the trailer for 'The Choice' here:



Even the actors didn't earn much applause for their efforts. New York Times also said 'Teresa Palmer and Benjamin Walker struggle to achieve not just chemistry but a single sincere moment' and KTIC Radio slammed Palmer's 'occasional enthusiastic but unnatural overacting'. 

However, there was a slither of positivity between the scathing reports. The LA Times liked action from Walker, whom they said proved 'a magnetic presence' and suggested that his future would include better movies. Omaha.com, while acknowledging the 'corny dialogue' and lack of surprises, admitted that 'you can expect some light welling-up of the tear ducts and a few laugh-out-loud moments'. Plus, it seemed Travis' dog Moby was still a hit with the critics, NYT recommending that he 'should be given his own movie immediately'.

So, in the words of KTIC: 'The Choice' is 'not terrible, but it's not great either.'