Zac Efron is long gone from his “High School Musical” days. He tackles a more mature role, demonstrating emotional growth and proving to audiences that he should be taken seriously, in the “The Lucky One,” an unimaginative take on another Nicholas Sparks novel.
At only 25 years of age, U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) has already completed his third tour of duty in Iraq. Somehow, he was the only one of his buddies to make it out alive. He credits it all to one thing—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know.
When he finishes serving his last tour of duty, Logan stops at nothing to search for the woman so he can thank her for being his guardian angel. He discovers her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and that she is a divorced single mom. He takes a job at her family-run kennel. Beth, because of her past, is skeptical at first of Logan’s intentions but quickly finds herself attracted to him.
Efron fulfills a very engaging performance as Logan, even grasping the little mannerisms of a war veteran who shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Logan seeks a quiet life post-duty and desperately tries to forget the chaos in the warzone.
Efron became a household name through the “High School Musical” franchise and has come a long way from starring in features targeted for young adolescents. None of his past roles can compare to the depth and complexities of this character Logan Thibault, in which Efron’s acting abilities have been pushed to the limit. Thankfully, he delivers.
