There’s nothing wrong with romantic comedies that don’t reinvent the wheel, but audiences expect a little innovation or spark once in a while. But films like “A Lot Like Love” prove that it’s possible to completely screw up all the elements of this beloved genre in one movie.

The film follows seven years of the romantic misadventures of Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) and Emily (Amanda Peet, “Identity”). The two originally meet on an airline flight, where they, er, join the mile-high club. When they arrive in New York City, Oliver spots Emily on the street and the two spend the day together on a whim. Then, their budding romance comes to a halt — and they reconnect again. The cycle repeats over and over as they face the usual ups and downs of twentysomething romance, up until the film’s hackneyed, easily foreseeable climax.

It may all be cookie-cutter material, but what makes “A Lot Like Love” impossible to believe is that the story doesn’t give a single reason for Emily and Oliver to be together. The two don’t have a single meaningful conversation during their seven years, not even one to show them connecting on a basic level.

Even worse are the played-out pop songs from the late ’90s and early ’00s that are embarrassingly used to highlight the time period (Eagle Eye Cherry’s “Save Tonight” lives on!) and the sappy moments that are meant to manipulate the audience. “A Lot Like Love” contains quite a bit of pointless filler, such as a road trip that Oliver and Emily go on that does nothing to develop the their already vaguely defined relationship. There aren’t many laughs to be found, either, unless having poor Oliver wear an Oklahoma sweatshirt in New York City and giving him a bitchy younger sister are supposed to be groundbreaking comedic gems.

Another problem with the film is the lack of chemistry between Kutcher and Peet. This is a crucial element to any movie romance, and when two actors can’t even pull that off — especially with an already mediocre script­ — there’s just no silver lining to be found. This isn’t helped by the fact that Kutcher’s appeal as a leading man is hard to see, especially considering his low-key turn as Oliver. Even more disappointing is Peet, who is usually a good actress but doesn’t make Emily as intriguing as she should have been.

Ultimately, the film doesn’t offer any insight into the nature of relationships or even on how love brings people to unexpected places at the most unexpected times. Even more frustrating is that during their seven-year adventure, Oliver and Emily don’t change as people or develop any real spark as a couple. Watching “A Lot Like Love” is like spending an hour and a half in a tedious and pointless romantic comedy hell.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars