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Ramona and Beezus Review

Movies.com Critics

2.5

Dave White Profile

Still a pest. Read full review

3.5

Jen Yamato Profile

Sweet, clever family fun. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    56

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 50

    out of 100

    Variety Justin Chang

    It's not the personal, distinctive portrait of misfit girlhood it could have been.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The New York Times Mike Hale

    Parents may also be happy to see a movie for children that doesn't involve wizards, vampires or action figures that can be bought in the food court. They should be warned, though, that the price of contemporary realism is a story that includes layoffs, bickering and unpaid bills.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

    While its cast delivers uniformly breezy performances, most everything else about Ramona's move to the multiplex feels unremarkable.

    Read Full Review

  • 63

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    Ramona and Beezus are undeniably cute, and the movie that bears their names tries to inject some timeliness, but what many of us will walk away from this movie thinking about are the hot father figures.

    Read Full Review

  • 67

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

    On the other hand, this proud graduate of the School of Cleary Classics wishes that, like the young heroine herself, Ramona and Beezus dared more often to color outside the lines.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Glenn Whipp

    Director Elizabeth Allen coaxes fine performances from her cast young and old, stumbling only when relying too heavily on musical cues (Katrina & the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" needs to be permanently retired) and in the film's awkward CGI flights of imaginative fancy. Other than that, the movie is, to quote its young heroine, "terrifical."

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    This is a featherweight G-rated comedy of no consequence, except undoubtedly to kids about Ramona's age.

    Read Full Review

  • See all Ramona and Beezus reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 6+

Beloved book girl comes to life in sweet, kid-friendly tale.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this adaptation of Beverly Cleary's classic children's books about impulsive, imaginative Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beezus (played by tween favorite Selena Gomez) is a sweet, age-appropriate story about family and friendship. The plot revolves around Ramona's father losing his job, which may resonate all too well for some families in today's economy, but the tone is light overall, and the ultimate message is that believing in yourself and the people you love can help overcome any obstacle. There are a few sad moments relating to a pet's death, as well as some mild flirting and kissing between both adult couples and a pair of teenagers. Ramona gets into her share of mischief, but she always intends well, and she apologizes when she makes mistakes.

  • Families can talk about Ramona's behavior. Does she ever mean to get in trouble/make mistakes? Why does it sometimes happen anyway?
  • What makes Ramona different from other kids? Kids: How are you different from your friends and classmates? Does that ever feel like a bad thing? How do you handle that?
  • Is Ramona and Beezus' relationship believable? How well do you get along with your sibling(s)? What are the good and bad parts about having a brother and/or sister?
  • Fans of the Ramona books can talk about how the movie compares to what they've read. Which do you like better? Why?

The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true1

    Educational value: The movie is intended to entertain rather than educate, but kids will take away important lessons about friendship, family, and self-confidence.

  • message true4

    Messages: The movie is full of positive messages about the importance of family, believing in yourself, and being true to who you are. It embraces individuality and imagination and suggests that it's never too late to do what you love or be a better version of yourself.

  • rolemodels true5

    Role models: Sure, she's unpredictable and impetuous, but Ramona Quimby is also loyal, imaginative, hardworking, passionate, creative, and enthusiastic. Her family and friends are ultimately supportive and loving, even if they do get frustrated with her sometimes. Ramona's parents -- especially her dad -- stay upbeat despite tough circumstances; her dad offers an example of someone finding a silver lining within what seems like a pretty dark cloud.

What to watch for
  • violence false1

    Violence and scariness: Some slapstick falls, bumps, and bruises. A few scenes in which Ramona imagines scary things happening (thanks mostly to her sister's suggestions...). A brief kitchen fire. A pet's death is sad but handled gently.

  • sex false1

    Sexy stuff: A few kisses and embraces between adult couples. One teenage kiss (as well as some tentative flirting). A rekindled romance is one of the movie's key subplots.

  • language false1

    Language: A few insults like "stupid" and "jerk." When Ramona wants to say a bad word, she chooses "guts."

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Adults toast with champagne.

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.951
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
4

sweet little movie by diet pepsi
well i watched this movie with my little sister and i thought it was a pretty sweet little movie actualy just be careful with some sencitive subjects like there is a part where the family pet dies ramona also has a rather graphic imagenation which leads to a seen were she imagens the family house getting pulled from under their feet and the parents almost seperate and ramona runs away from home for a little while so due to these things i do not recomend this movie for sencitive viewers of any age group but mostly not sencitive kids

5

by Malia999

4

by gemjedi

5

amazing by pandamandalaker
I loved it. It was a great movie for all the family. I for one am a fan of Selena gomez and I am excited to see her more in movies since her show ended!

4

by KDBolejack

Read all Ramona and Beezus reviews at Fandango
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