What kind of film is “New Year’s Eve?” Over a shot of cooing babies, freshly born in 2012, Louis Armstrong’s abused anthem of hope, “What a Wonderful World,” soars on the soundtrack. That’s right, director Garry Marshall has returned with a pseudo-sequel to 2010’s unexpected smash “Valentine’s Day,” once again cracking open a holiday to inspect the broken hearts and soiled dreams of troubled souls competing for happiness. What worked before will likely work again, with little of the formula changed to bring audiences a slightly more advanced viewing experience. However, the cast shines a little brighter and the festivities are much less obnoxious, but there’s little sorcery capable of loosening Marshall’s directorial death grip, which always manages to squeeze intriguing emotional disturbances and crucial acts of longing into a glop of unflavored cinematic pudding. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com