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Film reviews

Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer (Film)

by Kate Quirk | October 25, 2011 10:46 | Edited October 25, 2011 10:46

A wonderful, fast paced and warm-hearted film that is only slightly let down by a couple of poor adult characterisations.

Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer is a wonderful, warm-hearted film that fans of Megan McDonald's popular book series are going to love. Judy Moody (Australian actress Jordana Beatty) is a loveable, quirky tomboy who thinks that her summer holidays have been totally ruined when her parents announce that they are going away and leaving her and her brother, Stink (Parris Mosteller), with their long lost Aunt Opal (a fun and free spirited performance by Heather Graham). Judy is so upset that she decides to stay in her bedroom for the entire bummer summer! That is, until Aunt Opal arrives, with her colourful lights and magic delights, and instantly wins Judy over. Deciding to make her own fun on her holiday, Judy challenges herself and her best friends to a dare race where they have to compete to do the scariest things possible, and this is where the real adventures begin. The dares include crossing rivers on a tightrope, riding the scariest rollercoaster ever, and hunting for the truly terrifying "Bigfoot" - which is one of the funniest moments in the movie.

 

Jordana Beatty does a terrific job in her first leading role, and gives the film a real sense of heart and soul. She is only twelve-years-old, and features in every scene of the movie, which is a remarkable accomplishment. The only jarring aspect of the movie are the scenes with Judy Moody's parents (Janet Varney and Kristoffer Ryan Winters). For some reason, parents in kids' movies become these stereotypical cliches who revert to Bad Acting 101. Thank goodness for Heather Graham's Aunt Opal. She creates such a delightful, over the top character that every kid is going to want to come look after them in the holidays! Kids will love this film. It's funny, fast paced and full of action and adventure that keeps driving the hilarious story forward.