Review of Ramona and Beezus (2010) by Johnny T — 17 Aug 2011

Refreshingly anti-princess and sweet without degrading into sugary, Ramona and Beezus animates Ramona's frequent flights of fancy with DIY-like sequences that literalize, quite charmingly, how a kid colors the world. This is a featherweight G-rated comedy of no consequence, except undoubtedly to kids about Ramona's age. Newcomer Joey King is funny and adorable as daydreaming 9-year-old Ramona Quimby. A gentle, charming movie and really a parent's dream: a kid's movie that doesn't involve action sequences or explosions. The overall tone of the film is sunny, with Ramona and Beezus resiliently turning life's lemons into lemonade. Corbett (of Sex and the City fame) is oddly cast, but still a lovable, if dorky, dad, capable of saving the day.

VERDICT: "Matinée" - (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 to pay matinée prices to see at a theatre, buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own.