Ramona and Beezus

I love this, I actually get to see and watch the young Joey King.

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source: Ramona and Beezus

As a youngster I remember the Ramona books perfectly. They were definitely part of my childhood. Some might say they were geared more towards girls but I think they were simply geared towards the average youngster growing up and Ramona was the Dennis the Menace of the eighties for anyone growing up with her. I heard they were doing this film a year before and anxiously awaited it not because I thought it would be this huge blockbuster or anything of the sort because I hoped it would be cute, and funny, with plenty of emotion and just a fun throwback to those books I loved. Ramona and Beezus hit that nail on the head. This is such an amazing, fun family film that should be part of any families video collection. I hope to not only have the books for my kids but certainly have the film for them to watch. The casting was excellent and I think the film makers truly did all they could to stay true to the characters and Beverly Cleary's lovely stories. It is said that she even gave her blessing to the film before she died and I think that speaks worlds to the film. It is fun and mischievous and will make you smile and laugh and maybe even cry but most of all have fun!! For children and more importantly children at heart. Eleven year old Joey King is not a newcomer. At her young age she already has more than a dozen credits to her name (many of them Television) and most of them small roles but I hope this shows she has some real talent because she was absolutely perfect as the notoriously mischievous Ramona. She carries the film like a pro and her adorable smile and strong performance is memorable! Disney Diva Selena Gomez plays older sister Beatrice. My fear was that she wouldn't do the role justice because she certainly isn't the picture of Beezus I would have had in my mind and I thought the Disney Diva attitude might drag her down but I couldn't have been more wrong. She was the perfect teen sister that girls can relate to and her and King have terrific chemistry that works perfectly and is probably one of the strongest points in the film. John Corbett has proved to be a versatile actor and he is superb as the doting father of the two girls. He goes through a range of very adult things (losing his job, supporting his family, and dealing with his young girls) and he is just a great fit for the cast. Bridget Moynahan is beautiful but I thought she was just a little too wooden for the role compared to Corbett and the girls. She plays a great lawyer or someone more serious but as the Mom to the mischievous girls she wasn't great in the role, she was just okay. Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Duhamel support the main cast as Aunt Bea (who I always thought in the books as an old lady) and her long lost love. They do a great job together, add a terrific touch of romance, and this is the perfect setting for Goodwin's pleasant smile and goody goody persona. Honorable mention goes to Jason Spevack who plays Ramona's best friend Howie (who I always loved from the books) and does a good job with a small part. Director Elizabeth Allen is the perfect choice for this film. She has the pre-teen/teen genre locked down having worked on popular CW shows like Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries and 90210, but she also directed the equally brilliant genre film Aquamarine which is also one of the best teen films in recent years. She clearly knows how to do clean, family fun and make it appropriate so that everyone can enjoy the films and that is so important nowadays. I hope with such a need for good family films in Hollywood and a decent take for Ramona and Beezus that they consider a sequel with the same cast and Allen helming the sequel as well. Until then we have this terrific, cute, clean family film that I encourage all parents to watch with their youngsters and even if you have a soft spot for Disney-like family flicks like I do you won't be disappointed for a moment. 9/10

Sitting down to watch this movie, I knew that I was in for some kind of children's movie, but "Ramona and Beezus" proved to be so much more than just that. I am not familiar with the written work of Beverly Cleary that this movie is based on, so I cannot draw any comparisons or say what differs from the books and what is true to it, so I will not deal with this matter. The story deals with multiple story lines and does so in a good way. Of course, you have the lead character, little Ramona Quimby (played by Joey King) who has a very colorful imagination and seem to always be in the spotlight for often not so good things. So the movie deals with her life and her view of the world, and it expresses this in a very good way. And that is of course very well helped along the way by a very charismatic, adorable and good acting Joey King. Then there is the whole family aspect to the story, and that is one of the supporting foundations of the movie as well, and it gets around to deal with a number of elements in family life, and again does so in a good way. Carried by the excellent cast and the storyline in general. The roles of Ramona and Beezus' mom and dad were played by Bridget Moynahan and John Corbett. Again, two actors who put on very believable performances in the movie. And of course there is a love story element to the story, well two of them actually, the love story between aunt Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Hobart (Josh Duhamel), and the teenage love romance between Beezus (Selena Gomez) and Henry (Hutch Dano). Both of these love stories are nicely told also, and you do believe in them in the way they are portrayed. And again, all four actors/actresses here did a good job with their roles. There are so many elements that play through the movie and they all work well together and come full circle throughout the movie in a very satisfying and wholesome way. Do not, like I did, write this movie off as some sappy family movie for the kids, because it honestly is much more than just that. With hand on heart, I am glad that I sat down to watch this movie, because it is an uplifting experience for the spirit and the heart. This movie is intended as wholesome entertainment for the family and it delivers right on. I think this is the type of movie that will stay with you for a long time, because it just makes you feel happy and put you in a good mood. I highly recommend this movie if you need a break from the stress of daily life and want to sit down and unwind with an uplifting story. This movie is suitable for children and adults alike, both male and female. Oh, and the cat, Picky Picky, was so cute and adorable. And he looks quite a lot like my own cat! haha... Thumbs way up for this heartwarming movie.

Cute enough, I have no particular complaints. But not much in the way of praise either. Anyone who has seen all of the original episodes of the Ramona TV series (1988) will probably appreciate my perspective more than one who has not. The movie suffers by comparison, in my opinion. The movie tried to incorporate something from each of the 10 TV episodes. In doing this, each incident was simplified too much. Fewer incidents with more development of each would have been far more interesting, as was the case with the TV program. To me, Ramona and Beezus was like watching a Made for TV movie on a kid's cable channel. Eye candy for kids. When we watched the original TV show with our daughter it was fun for all of us. And, if memory serves, it captured the flavor of the books fairly well. Which I also recommend to those of you with children of suitable age.

My entire family enjoyed the movie, but it's NOT for younger kids. My 6 year old daughter did not like it as much as the rest of us, mostly, I think, because there's a lot of mature contents, including a pet dying! I actually thought it would have been better if there had been a little more time spent on the lighter aspects, such as Ramona's imagination, playing at school and with her friend Howie, and other stuff like that. Instead there were a lot of scenes of people dealing with difficult problems, like a parent losing a job, and lots of scenes of people talking. Not that a family movie has to be nothing but fun, but this had a lot more serious moments than we expected, based on the way the film was promoted. We liked it and I would recommend it, but it's not totally light entertainment, and it may be a bit much for younger kids.

Ramona and Beezus. It's silly. It's harmless. It's a bit too long. And don't believe the weird people who post phony reviews here: it has nothing to do with liberals and there is absolutely no violence in it (Lord_Velvet_Muffin_Orifice, please get a life already). This sleeper is really just an excuse for Joey King to shine, to prove she can portray just about every emotion and look cute doing just about nothing. And it works. I didn't like the movie all that much but I am certainly sold on Joey King and will be watching out for her future achievements. Nothing really happens in Ramona and Beezus. It's just under two hours of so much cute you might not be able to stand it. But it's certainly not the worst movie in the world, and I bet your young daughter will think it is quite fantastical.

Ramona and Beezus (2010): Dir: Elizabeth Mitchell / Cast: Joey King, Selena Gomez, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Ginnifer Goodwin: Extremely low budget family farce that bares little to the two sisters. The film is more about Ramona and her dealing with her father's job loss and the possibility of losing her home. Directed by Elizabeth Mitchell with cheap animated sequences that don't fly. I've seen better production in kindergarten art classes. Joey King is wonderful as Ramona, an elementary school student who attempts to help save her home but constantly messes up. She has charm and wit stealing every scene she is in. In that less central role in the title Selena Gomez plays sister Beezus who discovers romance resulting in predictable elements. It is a good role but the movie isn't about her nor the relationship with Ramona. She is the market item to sell the movie. John Corbett plays the father with a hidden talent amongst his optimism. Bridget Moynahan as their mother is underused. She is basically there when convenient playing the loving busy mom baring no personality. Ginnifer Goodwin is cast as an aunt in a role that is not likely to be a highlight in her budding career. Aimed at young girls who likely listen to Gomez and to that audience it may appeal but to adults it is a complete waste of time. It is very predictable and done on the cheap but its limited target audience may not care. It teaches children that being small can accomplish great things but unfortunately the story, being small and simple accomplishes absolutely nothing of any great importance. Score: 4 ½ / 10