Ramona and Beezus 2010

A.O. Scott, At the Movies: It's something that you would not be unhappy seeing on television, [but] there's nothing that calls it for you to go see it on the big-screen. Read more

James Rocchi, MSN Movies: "Ramona and Beezus" is a small-scale story of life and learning, of setbacks large and small and triumphs major and minor. It is neither dark nor dour, but it also does not kid itself about the messy realities of life as part of a family. Read more

Mike Hale, New York Times: 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. Read more

Eric Hynes, Time Out: She's been brave and she's been a pest, but until this adaptation of Beverly Cleary's beloved children's books, pint-size protagonist Ramona Quimby has never been so blatantly market-driven. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: Flooded with warm light and a radiant mood, Ramona and Beezus is a sunny series of charming escapades and subtle flights of fancy that capture the safe fusion of imagination and reality where all little girls should grow up. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: There's nothing really wrong with it. But there's nothing amazingly right about it either, unless, of course, it sends young viewers marching off to libraries to find the real Klickitat Street for themselves. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Mostly it's just Ramona making a mess of things, without the consequences of cleaning up afterward. Read more

Janice Page, Boston Globe: This new Ramona prefers mischief without real edge. You always know her parachute has a silver lining, even in an economic downturn. She is, above all, safe. And that makes her nowhere near as entertaining or enduring as the girl on the page. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: For the grown-ups there are sweet, sincere performances by Ginnifer Goodwin, Sandra Oh, and, as Ramona's endlessly game father, the likable John Corbett. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The movie is not bad, but it's not much. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: [Ramona] deserves better treatment, fairer justice, than she gets in Ramona and Beezus, for no other reason than she's the best thing in it: a rambunctious, bright-eyed mighty mouse with a kaleidoscopic wardrobe and an imagination to match. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: It's always a challenge for actors to meet the expectations readers have in their heads. These performances offer pleasure throughout. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Ramona and Beezus has enough charm to forgive it an unnecessary foray onto romantic-comedy turf. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: Sure, the film's reality may be saccharine, but for a non-computer animated, non-3D kid's film, we'll take it. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: 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 more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: The resulting story is a jumble, and there are too many side characters, but golly if it isn't pretty darned infectious. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: This all sounds like uptight, grown-up nitpicking, probably. But it's also a reflection of a weakness in storytelling, which is sad given the strength of the source material. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: The cinematic adventures of Beverly Cleary's pint-sized big dreamer comes up short on scope and imagination. Read more

Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: Tenderness isn't a quality found much these days in the whirring-and-clanging busyness of family movies, which makes this G-rated gem's emphasis on emotion and heart all the more laudable. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Read more

Ian Buckwalter, NPR: Honesty about the difficulties, both large and small, of being part of a family is what Ramona and Beezus does best, even if the rough and dangerous edges have been filed down. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: It won't change anyone's world, but it'll keep kids happy -- and cool -- for a couple of hours. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Child actress King is a real find; plenty of kids will be asking for a sequel. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: There are more laughs in the average episode of Gomez's Wizards of Waverly Place TV show than in this. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Director Allen, whose previous film was the uninspired mermaid saga Aquamarine, tells the Quimbys' story gracefully. She elicits remarkably honest performances from her younger stars. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: We no longer all watch the same TV shows, we are no longer as innocent, and the world of Klickitat is fading into timeless nostalgia. Ramona and Beezus is a sweet salute. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Joey King will bounce back. Read more

Katie Hewitt, Globe and Mail: The film tries to appeal to audiences of all ages, and for the most part "reels you in like a sea bass," as Ramona would say. Read more

Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: This is a lively affair, largely thanks to the sweet and snappy screenplay by Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay and to the appealing performances by the cast. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: A sprightly, generic kidpic that flattens and condenses elements from Beverly Cleary's deservedly popular novels. Read more

Nick Schager, Village Voice: A loose adaptation of Beverly Cleary's first novel in her beloved kid-lit series that's wholesome to the point of being dull. Read more

Dan Kois, Washington Post: Allen's direction is bright and imaginative; particularly enjoyable are the movie's occasional flights of fancy. Read more