Don't listen to the negative reviews

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is probably up there with The Garbage Pail Kids Movie or the Animated Titanics as being some of the worst family entertainment I have ever seen. To be clear, the only reason why I watched this is because I got this on a five pack DVD of movies and I wanted to see all of the movies on there.Okay so the story, Judy Moody is an annoying third grader who wants her friends to have the best summer of their lives by doing these "dares" and adding up points. When it's revealed that the friends are going to places like Borneo and Circus Camp Judy decides to compete for "best summer ever". Meanwhile her parents are helping her grandparents move house in California instead of, I don't know - taking your kids along too they instead leave them there and have them being taken care of by her Aunt (Heather Graham) who I swear is whatever the hell Tom Hanks was in Big.So this movie in short is a bunch of eight year olds running around doing whatever they want while "oh so hilarious hijinx" ensues and having no responsible adult figure whatsoever. I'm not kidding Heather Graham's character is the kind who would accidentally feed them animal feces... That's not a bad joke by the way - That happens in this movie.There's this subplot in the movie about the kids finding their teacher in their summer break... Um it's been a long time since I was their age but wouldn't they be trying to get away from the teacher and just have a summer break than trying to find him? I mean it would make more sense.Then there are these CGI animated segments which is probably some of the cheapest CG animation you will ever see in a movie, These people are this generation's Hanna Barberra. They also serve no purpose aside from just showing what Judy is thinking, it still would be pointless because it pretty much tells us a few seconds after these sequences are over.The sound mixing is probably some of the most obnoxious I have ever heard. There are constant points in the movie where they just have unneeded sound effects. They add nothing and just annoy more than anything else. The camera work is almost insistent on close-ups. I mean there are a lot of them in this movie.And there's the character of Judy herself, funny how I only remember to write this now. She is so obsessed with "Thrill Points" that it takes up half of her dialogue. This leads her and the only friend that didn't go anywhere to argue then mope and... Do we really need this? A couple of scenes later you'll know they thought they were idiots for screwing up and then they become friends again and... It's as predictable as "Will the moon spin around the Earth?".You know what would have made this movie a lot better? If they changed the game to some kind of Bucket List and through that they find out that the perfect summer was already there. I know it's clichéd but it's better than what we got. The moral of this movie is "A gaming system to have a thrilling summer will never backfire, it just might change a little bit". That's all I can say on this movie, my advice is if you want your kids to stay quiet for 80 minutes... Put on something else that takes 80 minutes.

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.

Sometimes things like the economy, gas prices, apocalypse theories, and local news reports can get you down. If you need a pick-me-up, sometimes it helps to see a kid's or family movie. The vision of reckless adventures and colorfully spirited humor can give a person a nostalgic view of the past. Yeah, that works with some kid's movies. This one, on the other hand, made the gas prices look like nothing. Not only were there serious problems with the title, poster, character names and personalities, and overall conflicts of the storyline; but the movie itself sucked too. Anyone who says that the audience wasn't massive enough, or that this movie didn't get enough credit, is horribly wrong. I saw this film with my nephew, who is 8, and he gave up and left the theater after about 30 minutes. And kids love going to the movies. He spent the remaining hour of the film walking around the movie theater lobby eating popcorn. Bottom line, This is definitely the worst theatrically released film of the summer. No questions asked. The writers of this film deserve every poor review and every lost cent. I don't personally believe in 2012, but after seeing this movie, I'm starting to seriously reconsider.

In spite of a mediocre reception, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is a thoroughly delightful children's movie that brilliantly captures the spirit of the best-selling Judy Moody books. What must be taken into consideration is that this is not a "Mass Audience" movie, but a movie for fans of the book series and for anyone who is tired of seeing the same cookie-cutter family film with the same cookie-cutter jokes as the last twenty summer family films.Jordana Beatty shines as the spunky, red-haired Judy who is determined to not have a bummer summer, aided by quirky little brother Stink and eccentric Aunt Opal. It is an admittedly simple plot, but an enjoyable one, complimented by great acting (a breath of fresh air for anyone who is a bit tired of the Disney Channel style of child acting) and wonderfully whimsical visuals.In short, Judy Moody is a children's movie, not a surprise when one considers that it is based on a children's book series. In an age when so many "children's" movies contain off-color jokes and inappropriate content that might amuse the adults but mean very little to children, it's nice to find a children's film that can truly be called a children's film. It's a thrilladelic movie for a "non-mass" audience!