Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer. Just the name will make you cringe. From two words that rhyme in the title, spelling out a phrase so childish it begs an explanation. Alas, this is not the movie for me. It wasn't made with me in mind. Yet, I fell obligated to give my two cents about it. Because there's nothing that says I can't see it. But after reading the title a person should know if they want to see this.

It's a kids movie. That doesn't mean it has to stoop to the level of utter immaturity. It basks in the same light Nickelodeon's dreadful Television series iCarly does. It relies on repetitive, goofy phrases and dopey antics to keep the plot moving. My question is very simple and bloomed from around the hour mark; why is this summer so film worthy? Why couldn't this summer be contained to a Disney Channel project. It would've saved a lot of innocent parents a wretched trip to the theater.

To revisit my point, kid films don't have to be so immature. They choose to be since we all know it's easier to be immature than be clever. Rather than telling a sweet parable, Judy Moody relies on unfunny antics and a sickening, rambunctious color scheme to carry itself past the eighty minute mark. By thirty minutes we've had enough. At least when this airs on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel in a year or so parents will be blessed with commercial breaks to give them a break from the absolute chaotic camaraderie that just unfolded on screen.

Judy Moody is portrayed by Jordana Beatty. She is not the kind of actress one views as the cute movie girl that makes people go "aww" when something adorable happens. She's more the kind where one small facial expression on her face could bring an unpleasant one on yours. Judy is determined to have a "not bummer summer" and concocts a "Thrill Point" chart where her and her friends will earn useless "Thrill Points" if they complete some sort of cockamamie activity like riding on a roller-coaster or walking a tightrope.

With the help of her annoying brother Stink (Mosteller) and her Aunt Opal (Graham) Judy sets out to have a great summer. One problem, many of her close friends will spend the summer doing strange things no kid does. One is going to Borneo. I couldn't help but think of Survivor when I heard that, and then realized I should be watching that instead.

The biggest problem is the excessive use of mind-numbing slang words. Judy continues to drop slang words in an incoherent and maddening fashion. She says words and phrases like "mega-totally," "rare," "thrill," "thrill-a-rama," "intergalactic booger," "poop picnic," etc. All of which are harmless, but woefully unnecessary. Why does the film need so many bizarre catchphrases. Going back to iCarly, the two words that show has a love affair with are "hobo" and "nub." Why? Not sure, but all I know is neither of those words are funny. Even in the context they use them in.

The setting look to be colored in with a crayon. It reminds me of when Technicolor first came out in 1922 and companies were forcing their films into it. One of the first huge Technicolor films was in 1939 with the beloved classic The Wizard of Oz. The colors are so vibrant and bright they almost make your eyes hurt. Judy Moody uses them a lot. The bright atmosphere is another harmless add, so that will definitely keep little kids intrigued.

When recommending this film I have to say kids under six will appreciate it. Boys are girls I'm not sure. Probably more girls than boys. Despite its jolly disposition, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer is for the most part dreadful and gives kids no knowledge or moral in return. Instead of taking a child to see something that will not further their decision making or behavior, I'd recommend renting something like Secondhand Lions or Shiloh. They'll learn a lot more, and parents will feel they've spent their money on something worthwhile. Not something tacky and void of any morals or amusement.

Starring: Jordana Beatty, Parris Mosteller, and Heather Graham. Directed by: John Schultz.

The main reason I was interested in this movie is because of Heather Graham; I know this is a children's movie but you know children don't go to the theaters by themselves and don't buy tickets by themselves so I assumed filmmakers would keep in mind that adults are going to be in the theater as well; unless I suppose it's aimed at the DVD market.

The manic energy that comes from kids is there but really nothing more. The movie centers around Judy Moody who decides to quantify the quality of her summer break with points for doing daring things only to find that her friends are racking up more points by virtue of exotic locales and exotic camps. Aunt Opal (Graham) is there for the summer to look after the kids and she's a guerrilla artist (and let's leave it at that).

The setup does promise an interesting look at various things like friendship - the cool friends who aren't there against the not so cool friend who is there; the relationship between the free-spirited Aunt Opal and Judy; or Judy's relationship with her brother who she seems to detest or the fact that their parents can't afford to get her to expensive camps and trips. But, unfortunately, it really doesn't do any of that - it just consists of kids of running around clumsily enacting one part after another of the story. This is where the adults would be annoyed - the story, characters going absolutely nowhere for an hour in the middle of the movie.

If you're going to see this with your kids, there is some redemption at the ending and have to brave through the middle parts. As for Heather Graham, I wish she was more in the movie; she barely even registers among all the chaos.

Nine-year-old, Makai Weber Colvin, a KIDS FIRST youth film critic reviewed the new "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" movie and couldn't have been more glowing in her comments: I liked this movie because it has a lot of fun and action in it. The super-silly mix of animation and live action, is the perfect way to tell this story, it makes you feel like you're actually there having fun with the characters. Jordana Beatty plays the part of Judy Moody, a young girl with a really wild imagination. When her summer plans get turned upside down, Judy starts a "Thrill Contest" with her three best friends. Unfortunately, all Judy's thrills get spoiled, until she joins her brother Stink on the hunt for Big Foot, who's been seen around their town. I really liked Aunt Opal, played by Heather Graham, because she's like a kid in a grown-up body. She makes every scene exciting. Judy's teacher, Mr. Todd, (Jaleel White), is every kid's dream – he's charming and makes learning a joyful adventure. If your summer is getting boring, or if you want to make it even more fun, check out "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" when it comes to a theater near you. I suggest this movie for kids of all ages and even most parents will like it. I give it five-out-of-five stars. Catch Judy Moody to make your summer a "Not Bummer."

I feel kind of sorry for this movie and the people involved in it, because it didn't really ask to be made.

I suspect they saw the success of Wimpy Kid and thought they'd ride that band wagon except this time...she's a girl.

I'd love to see more girls like this in the movies but this time round we just don't have a good vehicle for them.

I was aware of this character when I was 10 in 2003 though I never read her. I think they really reached into the barrel for her. This is like the eighth book in her franchise so I guess they were desperate to find one that could hold a feature length runtime.

It should have been a TV show if anything and I can feel how it could have worked in this format with its fourth wall breaks and fragmented structure. Even the Wimpy Kid movies tied themselves together by exploring a particular relationship (best friend, brother and Dad respectively).

But this has no real focal point, there isn't enough drive because there is not conflict beyond just Judy having a good time. it doesn't have enough whimsy or imagination to its gags to justify the formless nature of its plot, if you can call it a plot.

I like Judy and how she's written. She's the androgynous little girl that cinema has been needing and she's plays very well, it's just that this whole movie came from a bad place creatively. It was made under pressure by some spare screenwriters under the mandate of cigar biting executives.

Any fondness I have for this movie is a fondness for Judy herself.

After a decade I finally got around to watching this movie. There's nothing terrible about it it's just that nothing happens. There's no drama or conflict just kids messing around. The ingredients for a good movie seem to be there but nothing quite comes together. Five out of 10 - a halfway rating for a half effort movie.