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Avg. Critic Score: 36 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
9 OK for kids 9+
Read Common Sense Media review

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

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    A surprisingly entertaining movie -- one of those good-hearted comedies like "Spy Kids" where reality is put on hold while bright teenagers outsmart the best and worst the adult world has to offer. It's ideal for younger kids, and not painful for their parents. Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    An innocent comedic revenge fantasy that somehow manages to be sweet and wickedly satisfying at the same time. Read full review

  • 63
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea

    A harmless and mildly amusing family comedy. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    The result is a children's movie that's almost worth seeing even when not accompanied by a child. It's certainly a painless experience, and at times it's quite funny. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    If Ms. Bynes keeps going in this direction, she can conceivably develop a gallery of characters as rich and varied as Tracey Ullman's. Read full review

  • 50
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Not so admirably, the film feels at times like a giant commercial for Universal Studios. Read full review

  • 40
    Los Angeles Times | Jan Stuart

    Screenwriter Dan Schneider and director Shawn Levy substitute volume and primary colors for humor and bite. Granted, it's a kids' flick, but kids today have enough savvy about the movie industry to report for Variety. Read full review

  • 38
    Boston Globe | Jay Carr

    Offers little in the way of pleasure, even to its target audience -- the easily pleased and undemanding. Read full review

  • 25
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    How appealing is Muniz, taking a break from ''Malcolm in the Middle,'' a day job he should by no means let go of? Read full review

  • 20
    Variety | Robert Koehler

    Though Muniz and Bynes make a somewhat likable team, their funniest skills are dampened by the material's insistent stupidity. Read full review


Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 9+ Really likeable family comedy.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that while this movie's theme is the importance of telling the truth and being trustworthy, the message is a little mixed. In order to prove that he was telling the truth about finishing his story, Jason and Kaylee have to lie, steal, vandalize, and generally behave in an irresponsible and illegal manner, even by the standards of comic fantasy. And at the end, Jason's parents are proud of him for proving that he was not lying. One small bright spot worth mentioning is that all of Jason's efforts are intended to show that he was telling the truth.
  • Families can talk about why people lie and how it feels not to be trusted. When someone is caught in a lie, how can he or she regain the trust of those who have been disappointed? Would you like to see the movie based on Jason's story? What do you think it would be like?
What to watch for
  • violence false1 Violence: Comic peril.
  • sex false0 Sex: Not an issue
  • language false2 Language: Some crude language.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Adult social drinking.

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