While Hough and Duhamel have chemistry, the pieces of "Safe Haven" just don't match up.

The film definitely has all the trappings of a classic Nicholas Sparks plot: boats, rainstorms, and unrealistically spontaneous dance scenes. However, this so-called suspenseful film fails to live up to its hype and pales in comparison to Sparks' classic The Notebook.

In an all too confusing opening, Katie (Julianne Hough) is on the run for some mysterious crime. A series of disconnected flashbacks mixed with scenes from the present that confusingly turns out to be only hours later fail to clear up an unsatisfying amount of questions for the viewer before the movie’s setting is even established. Through this disjointed period Katie goes from a mousy brunette to a blonde bombshell, which begs the question why she never considered dying her hair in the first place. While on the run she finds herself in a sleepy town on the North Carolina coast—one that has avoided all modern technology and mainstream culture—where she meets her future love interest Alex (Josh Duhamel), who happens to be the town’s widower.

The two embark on possibly the slowest starting, but fastest moving love story that will have single viewers fuming with frustration within minutes. The tied in melodrama of a Boston detective (David Lyons) who is on the hunt to track down Katie only adds to the movie’s strangely organized timeline. Unfortunately for viewers who thought this was going to be a film about Josh Duhamel’s shirtless bod (spoiler alert: this only happens once) there are very few romance scenes.

The movie has its moments, but where it attempts to mimic the best parks of The Notebook it comes off more as a bad contemporary remake of a classic romance melodrama. There is no denying the chemistry between Duhamel and Hough, but the script sets their romance up for failure when they fall in love in what seems like two dates, making the whole scenario painfully unrealistic in a modern setting.

Just when everything seems to be moving along, the creepy detective in search of Katie returns, this time with a sudden alcohol addiction. No spoilers for people who are still planning to see the film, but his journey becomes more and more absurd as he continues to interrupt the flow of the movie. The film also has some continuity issues because for some reason he is the only character blatantly drenched in sweat in almost every scene, despite the fact that it is summertime.

Another random character whose storyline does not get resolved until the film’s closing, and of course in a very unsettling way, is Katie’s neighbor, Jo (Cobie Smulders). While it is hard to tell if she is just a pathetic loner, a creepy stalker, a kind-hearted person looking for a friend, or simply obsessed with Katie or Alex, Katie has no problem letting her into her life despite the fact she is attempting to keep a low profile.

Newcomer Mimi Kirkland plays Alex’s adorable daughter Lexie, who delivers the highlight performance of this film. Although the script fails to do her character justice, she delivers her lines spot on in a sassy and sweet demeanor that is sure to land her roles in the future.

Safe Haven might not be the most believable film of this year or even of its genre, but it provides a few light-hearted laughs and ‘aw’s’ among its glaring flaws. Should you go see it? Maybe if you have nothing to do on a random night with the girls, but viewers should not waste their Valentine’s plans fitting in an evening show time.

Reach Staff Reporter Elisabeth Roberts here.