Review of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (2016) by Johnny T — 26 Dec 2016

Channeling the spirit of John Hughes and playing like a tween version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life delivers an easily digestible and amusing portrait of youthful hijinks. This entertaining adaptation captures the spirit of the book's quirky main character's quest to break ridiculous rules and carry on after personal tragedy. Better than its bland, glib title, with some heart and soul beneath its pour-paint-on-the-principal shenanigans. The film mixes vivid cartoons coming to life from the pages of Rafe's sketchbook with the live action. The film is reminiscent of some of the best aspects of John Hughes' teen movies: playful albeit with strong emotional centers that ground their suburban teen rebels. There are solid relationships and amusing jokes in Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, even if the film tries a bit too hard and stretches itself thin. The find here is Alexa Nisenson as Georgia, Rafe's know-it-all little sister, who takes cars out for a spin. She is blessed with the best lines, comic and dramatic, and appears delightfully cognizant of the fact. If only the movie had more of her. If only the movie had more of her. It's a fun, rebellious romp that celebrates creativity and outside-the-box thinking, though parents might hope that their children won't be too inspired to copy the elaborate pranks that these characters pull off.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).