Movie Review: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
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When certain films are released, mostly those of kid-centric variety, critics tend to forget that they’re not necessarily the film’s target audience. So, we here at CinemaNerdz decided we needed the critical viewpoint of a true member of the movie’s intended demographic. Thus, we turn the reins over to Miranda Clarke, age 9, as she shares with us her views on the new comedy “Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer.”
Like all of us, Judy Moody is really looking forward to her summer vacation. Having read and enjoyed the Judy Moody series of books I was looking forward to seeing this movie. I was not disappointed – Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer was great, funny, and I loved it.
The movie is very similar to the book series. Judy (Jordana Beatty) sets out to have the best summer ever in true Judy Moody fashion. She is a great character who is daring and fun, but tends to carry things a little too far. You might think that the movie isn’t what you thought it was going to be when it first starts, but just hold onto your chairs because it draws you into the story extremely well. I liked the way the opening credits began as cartoon drawings then the “real” movie starts up with “live” people. Throughout the movie, Judy has to deal with her brother, Stink (Paris Mosteller), who is obsessed with finding Big Foot and Judy is also nervous about meeting her Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) again, who she hasn’t seen in a really long time. Her summer ends up being full of adventures including riding roller coasters, trying to catch Big Foot (remember, Stink is obsessed with him), and putting hats on lions. However, not all of her adventures were exciting and happy; some were sad and even disgusting.
The story flows well and has few slow parts. Some scenes took a long time to get to the point, especially the picnic scene. But the writers did a great job of choosing my favorite moments out of several of the books and combined them nicely for this movie. They also changed enough to make it interesting even you’ve read the books. One of my favorite parts of the film is when Mouse, Judy Moody’s cat, works the Magic 8 Ball. I think it was a great way to show how talented cats can be. Mouse is a funny and talented cat.
It is hard to pick a favorite Judy Moody moment because she was great in the entire movie. Jordana Beatty, the actress that played Judy Moody, was the best of all the actors in the movie. Beatty played out the scenes well and made the character really come to life. Her acting draws you into the story even better than reading the books does. I felt like I was there with her and you will too! One of Beatty’s best scenes in the movie was when Judy got a Mood Ring. Beatty really showed how much the ring meant to Judy. When Beatty, as Judy, is sad or happy you can feel it too. Heather Graham, as Aunt Opel, did a great job too.
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer has a happy ending that is pretty emotional, but it’s also funny too. The final scenes were probably the best part of all the parts of the film. But you, and definitely me, don’t ever want to ride in a car with Aunt Opal.
Miranda Clarke
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