Movie review: The Lucky One

Zac Efron couldn't have moved much further away from his High School Musical days than taking on the role of a US Marine freshly returned from Afghanistan.

Obviously keen to put the days of Troy Bolton behind him, Efron is slowly but surely picking up some meatier roles that will determine whether there is substance to add to his boyish good looks.

And there couldn't be many more serious roles than that of Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault.

After three tours of Afghanistan, Logan is a broken man. He has seen and been through more than any man should be expected to.

Too many mates have died.

The one thing that has been keeping Logan going is the photo of a mystery woman he found in the rubble following a raid.

Unable to find anyone who knew the woman, Logan kept the photo.

Over the following months fate deals him a kind hand and he has some narrow misses, which he puts down his lucky charm photo.

Back home in the United States for good, Logan knows he must find this woman and thank her for keeping him alive.

Finding her in a small village, he develops an instant bond and takes on a job working for her.

Working with Beth (Taylor Schilling) and her animals is a wonderful healing environment for Logan and he begins to find peace again in his life.

But standing between Logan and Beth is her former husband, Keith (Jay R Ferguson), a redneck policeman.

Logan's wartime secrets may be enough to break up this relationship before it really gets started.

Efron shows enough in his role here to tell us that he will be around for a while yet.

He does a good job in The Lucky One, a movie that tells a heartwarming story about trying to rebuild a life after the horrors of war.

The Lucky One

(M), 100 minutes

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars