Since Valentine’s Day is always packed full of surprises, roses, heartbreak, chocolate and, of course, love, a movie of the same title would naturally reap of the aforementioned ingredients.

While “Valentine’s Day” easily took the top spot at the box office this weekend, audiences with high expectations should be prepared to succumb to the cheesiness of a cliché romantic comedy. Seeking to please with an all-star line up for a cast, the first holiday movie of 2010 backfires on itself, with a plot drawn too thin due to an overload of characters and storylines.

The movie is set in Los Angeles, an immediate indicator of the fast-paced scenes that fill the movie. It opens optimistically with Ashton Kutcher’s character, florist Reed Bennett, proposing to his girlfriend who responds with a triumphant, “Yes!” Kutcher serves as the movie’s main protagonist opposite of his best friend, Julia, played by Jennifer Garner. She and Kutcher serve as the only leading roles that whole-heartedly captured the essence of a unique love story and were versatile in their emotions throughout.

The plot line continues to cater to every type of romantic, including the hopeless and miserable lonely ones. Jessica Biel plays Kara Monahan, who, in a depressed state of mind, stuffs her face with chocolate as she plans an anti-Valentine’s day party that no one RSVP’s to. Co-star Jamie Foxx is a career-driven sports journalist who remains cynical about the day but finds a friend in Kara. There are a variety of smaller characters played by America’s favorite actors and actresses but for the most part they serve as minor and, honestly, unnecessary additions to the movie.

Queen Latifah, Kathy Bates, George Lopez, Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift were fun to watch and listen to but didn’t progress the story’s plotline at all. It was understandable to have teen love represented, especially when portrayed by heartthrob Lautner and country superstar Swift. Their scenes poke fun at high school lust and the stereotypical dream couple, and are good for a laugh at Swift’s amateur but humorous acting attempts and the (at-the-time) off-screen romance.

Also contributing to the teen romance was Emma Roberts, who played a high school senior more than ready to take it to the next level with her boyfriend. At the end of the day, Roberts comes to her senses and realizes the importance of waiting instead of rushing because of external pressures. And where would we all be without the strong ties of family love? Not only was it present within the movie, but Emma Roberts’ aunt is actually award-winning actress Julia Roberts who has a small role in the movie as well. She plays a visiting soldier sitting next to the charismatic Bradley Cooper’s on a flight who share fun banter but hint at relationships from elsewhere. Again, the movie pieces together every possible romantic connection. Keep in mind that Hollywood is tolerant of all forms of love –- you’ll just have to watch the movie to know exactly what that means.

For the record, “Valentine’s Day” is not a horrible movie. It only proves to be exactly what you’d expect it to be -– a typical romantic comedy that will leave you with nothing but a reinforcement of exactly what Valentine’s Day is. The climactic events of break-ups and marriage proposals bring sentiment that is both genuine and expected. While we aren’t dealing with more recent movies that have dealt with romance much more successfully like “Love Actually” or “The Holiday,” the movie still satisfies with juggling the ups and downs of a very emotional day. The dialogue is funny and quotable with scenes of vibrant and unique character.

Just when you thought Cupid’s favorite holiday wasn’t cheesy enough, grab your friends and enjoy what one review called, “a Hallmark card of a movie.”