Whether you are a supporter of the Hallmark holiday or not, “Valentine’s Day” is expected to be one of the largest blockbusters this weekend.

The explosive cast includes everyone and their aunt (Julia Roberts and her niece Emma both star in the film), as well as two handfuls of A-list celebs, including Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift, Kathy Bates, George Lopez and Shirley MacLaine.

The plot revolves around couples and singles in Los Angeles and how they deal with all the pressure that surrounds the infamous day. Although potentially not the most original of storylines, one thing is for sure: the cast of A-listers will definitely allow for a major hit at the box office.

Directed by Garry Marshall, the romantic-comedy guru responsible for chick flicks such as “Overboard,” “Beaches,” “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries,” it’s pretty clear there will be a lot of girlfriends dragging their boyfriends to the theater come Feb. 12.

With such an amazing cast, it would seem that this movie should have no problems. However, is a cast filled with so many celebrities the ideal way to go, or does it only cover up a movie that is solely fluff? It’s a fantastic marketing ploy, yes, but is it the means of a remarkable movie? Not necessarily.

Binghamton University professor and cinema expert Chantal Rodais points out that the cast of a movie influences the way we watch it and feel about it.

“The use of well-known actors is a powerful advertising vehicle for a film,” Rodais explained. “The aim is to create, in advance, specific expectations that will draw the viewers to a film. The presence of well-known actors, stars, celebrities not only attracts viewers and creates particular expectations, but also affects the audience’s response to the film and to the characters they play.”

Rodais also pointed out that movies with such well-known casts will draw a large number of viewers, making the movie itself less important.

“Viewers [can become] sensitive to this world of celebrities, to the point where the plot or quality of the film becomes secondary,” Rodais said.

However, having a largely famous cast doesn’t automatically make it a bad film. Some movies can successfully put together a phenomenal cast of powerful movie stars while keeping the integrity of the movie intact. Movies such as “The Departed” and “Ocean’s Eleven” each consist of large, famous casts where the acting is great and the movie is even better.

Films with famous names may lead audiences to develop high expectations. A movie like “He’s Just Not That Into You” also had success with lots of famous names; however, it wasn’t necessarily the best romantic comedy of all time. “Valentine’s Day” also comes with very high hopes, and audiences will expect it to deliver, putting more pressure on it than movies with one or two of their favorite stars.

Like many overly hyped films, “He’s Just Not That Into You” raked in over $25 million in its opening weekend, but quickly fell to under $20 million the weekend after, and then down to a measly $8.5 million by its fourth weekend, according to www.boxofficemojo.com. This quick and rapid fall could signify that fans were disappointed with the film and their bad reviews spread through word of mouth.

But as to whether “Valentine’s Day” is the next box office bomb or the next “Love Actually,” only time will tell.