As a movie fan, I reckon the optimum age is mid 20s and gender is female.
Why? Because they are the people who can enjoy any type of film and not be ashamed. They could even get away with Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2 which comes out next week (I'm still considering my options for that one).
Anyway, tonight on Twitter, I wrote that I had seen The Vow and the immediate response was from ... a female student.
To quote her: "McAdams and Tatum know how to rock a tear jerker.''
I'll forgive her for not making tearjerker one word (those kids and their grammar nowadays) but her sentiment is not far wide of the mark but not something I would have written without feeling like I had just said goodbye to my manhood.
The real reason that I quite enjoyed The Vow but also found it frustrating is that I know it's storyline has been replicated in real life in Derbyshire in recent years. One of our reporters at the Derby Telegraph has tried to stand it up for ages but hasn't been able to.
Anyway, The Vow is based on the true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. They were involved in a car accident ten weeks after their wedding and her brain injuries were such that she had no recollection of the man she married.
The couple live in Las Vegas but the McAdams/Tatum adaptation of their story has moved to Chicago where the screen couple have been together four years before the accident.
Afterwards, she is left in a coma and when she comes around, she doesn't know the man who has been in love with her for the past four years.
This means not only does she have to rebuild her life but he has to get used to the idea that his wife may never love him again.
As my Twitter mate says, Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum make a fair fist of jerking the tears and even this hard-hearted old hack couldn't stop thinking how awful it would be if Mrs W suddenly wasn't the woman she is now.
The added dimension in the movie is that McAdams' character has been estranged from her parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) but can't remember why and they try to take advantage of the situation.
Needless to say, Mrs W enjoyed The Vow more than me. Let's be honest, it's a chick flick. But there is enough in it, for any fella not to be too embarrassed to consider it for a Valentine's Day date.
Laughs: a couple of sniggers
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: a quick flash of Tatum's rear end will please the ladies (and gay guys, I guess).
Overall rating: 7 from Mrs W and 6 from me, so a compromise 6.5/10
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