Ramona and Beezus

Goolphipp Award: 4.25 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Phipps:

I loved the books growing up, but aside from remembering characters...I couldn't remember a single plotline to save my life. I was so excited to see this movie, though. Ramona is a tough one to do justice! However, this movie captured the spirit of the books. Like I said, I can't say if the plot deviated from the books, but the movie's plot was satisfying. I loved that they pulled in the illustrations from the books. I think they were faithful to the books in the little things too, i.e., making sure Picky Picky (or Icky Sticky as Mr. Quimby would say) was a member of the family. As far as casting, I'm not a particular fan of Selena Gomez, but I think she did a great job bringing Beezus to life. John Corbett was a little hurdle in the beginning, and I think it just getting used to the particular style of the screenplay, because by the end of the movie, I wasn't bothered at all. Miss Joey King, the little gal that plays Ramona, did an amazing job. I can't think of anyone better for the title role. She showed a range of emotion and depth of performance that was unusual for her age. Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Duhamel (teaming up for the second time) had fun chemistry - I personally loved their characters' storyline. I loved the cast so much, it's hard to stop talking about them! As a whole, I had so much fun at this movie. As an adult, I wasn't bored...this movie will engage practically any age group (I'm not sure about men, though!). It's a good bet for family movie night...spunky, funny, and endearing.

Phipps overall: 4.5

The more I think about it, the more I like it.

Goolsby:

I sort of remember reading these books. When the movie paid homage to the books with the doodles of Ramona, my memory was jogged. I wasn't as excited as Phipps going into this, but I did enjoy myself. It was a good film. I loved seeing John Corbett as the father. I think he did a great job. Kudos to him for picking age appropriate roles. I also think this movie touches on a very real subject - families with parents who have been laid off. I think the family dynamics in this movie were terrific. It stands to remind the grown ups who go see it that everything they do affects the little ones in the house. Can I also say that I was completely jealous of their house. It's in Portland... the current metropolitan area that owns my heart. That yellow house and picket fence... sigh. I loved how this movie depicted the "terrifical" world of Ramona. The CG stuff was just so, it was perfect.

Goolsby overall: 4

A good film for the whole family.

When in Rome

Goolphipp Award: 2.25 (See the Cheap Matinee)


Phipps:
Well, I did see the cheap matinee of this movie, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a typical romantic comedy, but I had fun. I laughed, mostly at Josh Duhamel, who used this movie to show off his comedic timing. He was arguably the best part of the movie. His performance was solid. Props to Danny Devito, he’s a real pro. The rest of the cast was sufficient. I’ll probably end up buying this movie, if that makes a difference to you. It’s a prefect movie for a Girls Night. Guys will probably hate this movie (in all honesty). I will say that this movie made me want to go to Rome, and toss a coin into a famous fountain…and hope for the best.

Phipps overall: 2.5
Charmed by Duhamel.

Goolsby:
I saw this separately with my mother. I was disappointed. I didn't find the physical humor that great. The previews showed most of the funny moments, and the rest was hit or miss. My biggest complaint for this movie is that it was so slow. It took forever to start. With funny movies you have to hop right in and keep the punches rolling. This film did not do that. Phipps is right that Devito Stole the show. All in all it was a little slow paced and run-of-the-mill. Honestly, I think I saw my mom nod out a couple times.

Goolsby overall: 2
Passable.

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