Vampires are more popular than ever right now in the entertainment world, thanks to "The Twilight Saga" and TV shows such as "True Blood" and "The Vampires Diaries". Hard to imagine that they were also big 40-years ago, on daytime TV of all places.

But that was the case. And now Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have teamed-up, for the 8th time, to bring the daytime soap opera , "Dark Shadows" (1966-71) to the big-screen.

Depp plays Barnabas Collins, who was a member of the richest family in Maine back in the late 1700's. He's cursed by a witch who loved him, because he loved someone else. She turns him into a vampire and locks him in a coffin. We flash forward to 1972 and the coffin is discovered by some construction workers who open it (big mistake) allowing Barnabas to return to what's left of his family and try to restore them to glory in a town that's been taken-over by an evil woman named Angelique (played by Eva Green), who just happens to be the same witch who cursed Barnabas nearly 200 years earlier. He's looking for revenge, he's looking for love and he's looking for blood.

"Dark Shadows" starts with a good set-up, laying-out the plot in soap opera fashion. It grabbed my interest from the opening shot. But one of the big problems with the film is that it's extremely inconsistent. An engaging scene is followed by one that just loses you and any momentum the story had. And this happens over and over. 

Also, this movie is being sold in the trailers and commercials as a comedy - but it just isn't. All the attempts at humor fall flat, including trying to get laughs out of the fact that this is a vampire from the 1700's is now living in 1972. He's amazed by a McDonald's sign, baffled by a lava lamp. Please, that's the best the writers could do?

The strength of "Dark Shadows" comes from what Tim Burton always provides: a great look and feel. You could tell this was a Burton film even if you didn't know (and Depp and Burton's wife - Helena Bonham Carter weren't in it). The sets and costumes are fantastic and even the make-up is well done.

The cast does a nice job of playing this is soap opera style - delivering dialogue that is sometimes sharp, other times intentionally bland and almost always over-the-top. Michelle Pfeiffer is a good choice to play the matriarch of the Collins Family. She has some good early scenes with Depp, who is classic Depp here again. But seeing him play yet another "wacky character" is getting kind of old.

"Dark Shadows" is rated PG-13 for some language, adult content and violence. There are more sexual references than you might expect from a PG-13 film, probably because sex was a big part of daytime dramas. It's appropriate for kids 12 and up, but most of them will likely not be interested. This movie was made for fans of Depp and Burton and fans of the original show, which had a huge cult following. I'm not really sure how those fans will like it. There were certainly a lot of them at the screening I attended, but I didn't hear too much from them during or after the movie. Regular movie goers will likely be split down the middle, which was exactly the way I felt leaving the theater.

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "Dark Shadows" gets a C.

At times it tries too hard, especially over-doing the fact that it's set in the early 70's (including a weird Alice Cooper cameo). The editing is a little rough and it's not a bit scary. In fact this is probably the dullest vampire movie ever made. But with a solid cast, a director who's a visual master and a great soundtrack "Dark Shadows" is not a complete wash-out.

I just wish it had a little more bite.

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "Dark Shadows" gets an    .

Brad Bird is best know for directing critically acclaimed animated movies, such as "The Iron Giant" and Disney/Pixar's "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" (both which won him Oscars). He ventures into live-action for the first time with "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol", the fourth installment of the series that began 15 years ago. And much like the franchise, "Ghost Protocol" is stretched-out way too long.

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt. At the start of the film he escapes from prison, thanks to two of his fellow IMF agents (played by Simon Pegg and Paula Patton). They are on their own for a new mission (which they choose to accept) to prevent a the start of a nuclear war. This involves keeping the codes to fire nuclear missiles out of the hands of the wrong people. Along the way the team picks-up a 4th member (Jeremy Renner), who may or may not be who he says he is.

While the mission is pretty simple, the script complicates things in order to include trips to exotic locations (including Dubai and India), several wild action scenes (some better than others), and ton of characters and a lot of dialogue. In fact everyone in this movie spends more time talking about what they're going to do than actually doing it. This is one of the things that causes "M:I4" to drag and hold-down the fun level. And the movies best sequence - Cruise climbing-up and racing down the outside of the tallest building in the world could have been jaw-dropping if Paramount hadn't used it as it's main marketing tool for the movie.

Another problem is with the dialogue: the characters aren't talking to each other, they're delivering lines. Normally, in entertaining action movies you can ignore the talking and just enjoy the ride, but that's "not possible" here because the talking dominates the film. And I prefer Cruise's character in last year's "Knight and Day" to Ethan Hunt, who is way too serious and therefore has very little personality.

Bird does a nice job directing the action scenes. His experience with "The Incredibles" I'm sure helped him tremendously. "M:I4" looks good, but the weak story (the writers couldn't come-up with something better than preventing a nuclear war between US and Russia? In 2011!) and underwhelming special effects at times really hurt.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Proctol" is rated PG-13 for loads of action-violence and some adult language. It's appropriate for kids 12 and up. Fans of the series should enjoy it (many are saying it's the best of them all), but otherwise you'll likely find it close to impossible to rank this as one of your favorites of the action/spy genre.

On "The Official Kid Critic Report Card", "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" gets an C.

Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese is best-known for making gritty adult crime dramas, thrillers and biopics. "Hugo" is both his first 3D film and his first family film. While "Hugo" continues to be promoted as a family adventure and two of it's main characters are a pre-teen boy and girl, Scorsese's new effort is really a drama that's not intended for children.

"Hugo" is based on the award-winning 2007 book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, which is part novel, part picture book.

Young Asa Butterfield stars as the title character. He's an orphan living in a clock tower inside a train station in Paris during the 1930's. His father (played by Jude Law) was a clockmaker before he died. Hugo helped him run the family business. And in their spare time they worked on fixing-up an old automata (a large, mechanical, wind-up figure). But after Hugo's father dies, he goes to the train station to live with his uncle (who operates all of the clocks), but eventually abandons him. Hugo is now responsible for operating the clocks but wanders the station, stealing food to stay alive and hoping not to be caught by the inspector (played in an over-the-top performance by Sacha Baren Cohen).

Hugo also steals mechanical parts from an old toy shop owner named George (Sir Ben Kingsley). He finally gets caught and George takes away Hugo's notebook, which is full of details on fixing the automata. Desperate to get the notebook back, Hugo asks George's goddaughter Isabelle (young actress Chloe Grace Moretz) if she will help him. She's also an orphan, and eager for an adventure. So together they try to figure out why George is holding on to the book and why he's so sad and angry all the time.

"Hugo" is two movies in one - and that's it biggest problem. The first half (which will appeal more to kids) is the story of these two kids trying to solve a mystery in this strange, exciting, scary setting. Then, once all the pieces come together, the movie focuses on the old man trying to forget the past and then dealing with it . Each of these plotlines may have made pretty good movies on their own, but they simply don't fit well together. It seems that Scorsese wanted to have it both ways by trying to make a fun kids film with a serious, adult themes. But it just doesn't work.

There's loads of symbolism in "Hugo", most of it heavy-handed, and it drips with sentimentality. There are several side characters who are thrown in to add flavor to the train station atmosphere, who all have issues they're trying to work-out. In other words - they're all broken in some way. In fact everyone one is this film is broken - and that's the theme. And it's up to little Hugo to fix them. 

"Hugo" also provides an interesting look back to the beginning of the movie industry, but again, this storyline doesn't flow well with the rest of the film.

However, Scorsese has made a beautiful-looking film. The exterior shots of Paris are amazing and he captures the atmosphere inside the crowded train station perfectly. Few directors have the imagination with a camera - angles, composition, than Scorsese, and it's all on display here. Scenes with Hugo in the clock tower, with all the gears and pulleys, are spectacular, The costumes and set design are authentic, and this is one of the best uses of 3D in a live-action movie I've ever seen. There aren't too many gimmicks, which helps the look of the film shine in the extra dimension.

Kingsley bounces back nicely from "Prince of Persia" and gives a solid performance. The two kids are O.K. but kind of bland, though that's obviously what Scorsese wanted. There are some attempts at light humor with the supporting characters (including one where the inspector's romantic troubles), but they fall flat.

"Hugo" is rated PG for some language, action, thematic material, peril and brief smoking. It's appropriate for kids 9 and up, but the problem is, after the first hour, most kids will lose interest.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Hugo" gets a C.

Surprisingly the movie had more Oscar nominations than any other 2011 film and it picked-up 5 Academy Awards, all for technical achievement. Scorsese lost in the Best Director competition.

"Real Steel" had the potential to be an exciting action film set in the intriguing world of robot boxing. Instead it's predictable, corny at times and occasionally embarrassing to watch.

Director Shawn Levy is best known for the "Night at the Museum" films. The first one of that series was smart, clever and very original. But outside of the robot boxing world, which we haven't seen before (even though many of the robots look like Transformers), practically everything in "Real Steel" is borrowed or stolen from other films (think "Iron Giant" meets "Rocky") and you can see the plot developments coming from a mile away.

The story takes place in the near future (though we're never told exactly when). Hugh Jackman stars as former professional boxer Charlie Kenton. He now owns robot boxers, but he's not very successful at it.

Charlie learns that his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had a child, has died. The plan is for the boy named Max (played by Dakota Goyo) to live with his aunt and uncle, but first Charlie has to take him for the summer. Max is a big fan of robot boxing and so together father and son get to know each other as they try to turn an old robot they find named Atom into a champion.

The set-up - getting to the point where the good boxing action takes place - takes way too long. And because the story is so simple and the characters are so one-dimensional we didn't really need all the build-up. The best part of "Reel Steel" is the actual boxing. The legendary Super Ray Leonard worked as a consultant on the film so he deserves much of the credit. The performances are o.k.. The Max character is a little too over-the-top, bordering on obnoxious at times, but Goyo does his best to keep him likeable. Jackman is solid, though much of the dialogue he's forced to deliver is pretty cheesy. Evangeline Lilly (TV's "Lost") and Anthony Mackie ("The Hurt Locker") lead the supporting cast, but they don't have much to do.

No, this is a story about a boy, his dad and his robot. Atom is the most realistic-looking of all the boxing robots in the film. The action scenes are all CGI - and they look it. Real robots were used in the scenes where they didn't have to move too much, including the bonding scenes between Max and Atom which are way too forced with too many close-ups. 

"Real Steel" is rated "PG-13" for a surprisingly high amount of adult language. This movie should have been geared to little boys, most of whom have probably dreamed of having a best friend who happens to be a fighting robot. Instead, the rating will force parents to think twice before renting/buying this for their kinds. But it certainly didn't stop the studio from trying to sell "Real Steel" toys and action figures to any boy of all ages.

On "The Official Kid Critic 'Score' Card", "Real Steel" gets a disappointing C.

Watching "Real Steel" is like watching a championship bout on HBO a week after it's was shown live on Pay Per View. It's sort of entertaining, but since you already know what's going to happen, there's just no suspense or excitement. 

"Contagion" was 2001'a addition to the "worldwide epidemic, dramatic thriller" genre and it features one of the most star-studded casts of any film in recent years. But is it possible to enjoy a movie in which millions of innocent people die from a virus?

Gwyneth Paltrow plays a wife and mother who's just returned home from a business trip in Hong Kong. She soon gets sick and dies (and I'm not spoiling anything here - we learn this in the trailer). Soon outbreaks of the disease and deaths begin happening in major cities all over the world. Matt Damon plays the husband and father. He's immune from the virus and becomes the "regular guy" character that the story follows.

The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization soon get involved, as it becomes clear that an epidemic is underway. Soon the race begins to identify the source of the virus and create a vaccine. Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet play C.D.C. officials while Marion Cotillard is the W.H.O. representative. 

And there's Jude Law, who plays a popular internet blogger who believes that the government isn't being truthful with the frightened public about the disease and possible cures.

Obviously "Contagion" couldn't be "the feel-good hit of the yerar". It's pretty grim, and at times, very gruesome. There are a few scenes, especially in the first half hour, that are a bit tough to watch. However director Steven Soderbergh does present a very realistic portrayal of what would likely happen if a killer virus did start taking over the world.

The performances are pretty solid. Damon does a nice job as the stunned widower trying to protect his daughter. Law's web-wacko is also an interesting character. He has one of the best scenes in the movie - an on-camera debate with Fishburne on a live talk show.

But the problem with having so many major stars in one film is that they each have to have their own subplot, which doesn't allow for any of the individual storylines to fully develop. Even though "Contagion" is told in a straight-forward, chronological fashion (complete with the days of the epidemic listed at the bottom of the screen) the film bounces around between all these stories so much that we don't really get to feel for any of the characters. When one of the key figures dies you're not sad or shocked. It's simply "oh well".

As for being a thriller, I really was never on the edge of my seat wondering who was going to live or  die, or if the cure would come in time to save the world. But you do start thinking about who was last person who sat in the seat you're in at the theater and to stop touching your face so often.

"Contagion" is rated PG-13 for disturbing scenes, violence and some brief adult language. Clearly it's not for young kids, but is appropriate for teens and up.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Contagion" gets a C.

Most people will want to watch "Contagion" because of the star-power. Afterall, how else could a studio convince anyone to see a film in which millions of people get sick and die. But this is also the movie's biggest problem.  Yet, a cast of Damon, Paltrow, Law and Winslet is nothing to sneeze at. Oops! Sorry.

Let me start by pointing out that I am not a "Gleek". I've seen parts of a few episodes of "Glee" but that's it. And I never thought the show would become the huge hit that it is.

When I spoke with actress Jane Lynch (who's won an Emmy for playing tough phys. ed. coach Sue Sylvester on the show) early last year, she said she was just happy that the show had been renewed for a second season so that she'd be guaranteed to be working for another year. Since that time "Glee" has become a cultural phenomenon.

And fans had a chance to see all their favorite characters (well, at least all of the students) on the big screen this summer in "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie". Now it hits Blu-ray/DVD. This is a concert documentary of sorts of the "Glee Live!" summer 2011 tour that made it's way around the country earlier this year. The 90+ minute film stars cast members Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith and many others singing some of the catchy songs that have been performed on the show over the last two seasons.

Along with the songs, we get features on four fans of the show. They talk about how "Glee" has changed their lives, motivated them and helped them realize that it's o.k. to be a little different. The filmmakers actually go to their homes and schools in an effort to show who these kids really are. We haven't seen that in any of the other concert/documentaries that have come out in recent years.

Two things I can say about the singing in the film: it's pretty good and it's very loud. You do feel as if you're at the real concert (and that you should have worn ear plugs). The actors/singers can really sing (so maybe I should refer to them as singers/actors).

As for the 3D - it's a gimmick. I think you know by now how much I hate 3D in most live-action films. And there are too many close-ups, especially on Michele. And be ready to duck during the closing credits.

Unlike "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" and the Jonas Brothers 3D concert movie "Glee: 3D" is not an "experience." We don't see the pop stars traveling from city to city and there's very little of the backstage stuff that goes on during a tour.  That would have been more interesting, especially for fans of these performers. Instead there's a tremendous amount of footage of regular people saying who their favorite character is and why they love the show so much. And surprisingly, there are absolutely no scenes of the stars meeting any of their devoted fans, which is a mistake.

There is one surprise cameo in the movie but it's not Lynch. She was cut-out of this version of the film but will apparently be part of the DVD which will be released in a few weeks. Obviously creator/producer Ryan Murphy wants to give fans who paid to see "Glee:3D" in theaters a reason to go out and pay again to own it. This is called a money grab. However "Gleeks" will enjoy the special appearance that did make it into this version.

"Glee: The 3D Concert Movie" is rated PG for brief language and some mature elements (including stories told by some of the fans). Plus a few of the dance moves may be seen as a little suggestive for younger kids. The show has a young fan base even though it's about high school kids and deals with some very adult issues. Those kids (who probably shouldn't be watching the show) will love this movie, as will all the show's fans. But if anyone is hoping to learn more about their on-screen idols, they better buy a magazine because they're not getting any of that here.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Glee: The 3D C

The summer of 2011 was filled with some very AVERAGE movies, which is why I've gave out more "C" grades than any other. And if there was ever a film that defined AVERAGE - kinda funny, kinda clever, while at the same time, kinda dumb and kinda predictable, it's "Zookeeper".

Kevin James and Adam Sandler team-up again for another summer comedy. Thankfully this one is more family-friendly and has more laughs than last year's embarrassing "Grown Ups".

James plays Griffin Keyes, a zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. In the opening scene his girlfriend dumps him after he proposed to her, mainly because he is a zookeeper, which is not the kind of guy she wants.

Fast-forward 5 years and Griffin is now head zookeeper and Stephanie, his old girlfriend, re-enters his life. Griffin's brother thinks if he takes a job at his car dealership he can win her back. But the animals have a different idea. Their plan is to teach Griffin how they win-over mates so he can use their advice to get Stephanie back. And they don't want to lose Griffin because he's nice to them.

To get Griffin's attention they have to break the animal code and talk to him. Initially he freaks out, but then he starts following their suggestions, which doesn't always work-out.

A film about a zookeeper is somewhat unique, but the rest of this story is very familiar. You can see everything coming from miles away. Specifically it's quite similar to James' 2009 comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" (which I really liked): a guy trying to get the girl who's also devoted to his job. That movie work better because the script was much funnier and the focus was on the main character throughout. In "Zookeeper" the animals and the supporting characters get too much screen time.

Now, for the positives: The voices of the animals are perfectly cast. Sylvester Stallone plays the lion who think he knows it all. Cher plays his wife, who's the more sensible of the two. Nick Nolte does the voice of Bernie the Gorilla. He and Griffin develop a very close friendship. And Sandler voices the monkey, who has all the best lines. I never thought I'd ever write this as a critic: the monkey needed more lines. And he's the same monkey who appeared in "Night at the Museum", the most recent "Indiana Jones" film, and the two "Hangover" movies. Many of the other animals in "Zookeeper" are veterans of the silver screen. The animated mouth work isn't the greatest, and a few of the scenes go on too long, but overall the animals hold their own.

Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Donnie Walberg and Ken Jeong are also part of the live-action cast. Their performances are just o.k. James' Griffin is likeable, but he's also a goofball, so I'd didn't really care if he ended-up happy at the end or not. On the plus side there aren't as many slapstick or gross-out scenes as you'd expect from a Sandler production. There is a message about the importance of being kind to animals but also a subplot in which a worker at the zoo tortures the gorilla.

"Zookeeper" is rated PG for brief adult language and the mean tone. It's good for kids 8 and up. Little ones will enjoy the animals but will have no interest in the romantic storyline. And adults will likely feel the same way.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Zookeeper" gets a C. It's the ultimate Summer of 2011 "C" movie.

James and Sandler will be getting back together for 2012's "Hotel Transylvania", an animated movie about Count Dracula. They'll voice a few of the characters but aren't producing or writing. That means it's got a chance to be much better than "Zookeeper". 

Even before I sat down to watch "Monte Carlo" this summer I knew the film wasn't made with someone like me in mind. A quick look around proved my point: Of the 30-40 people in the theater I was the only male. But even though "Monte Carlo" is a young chick flick, that doesn't mean (as I proved) that guys can't sit through it.

Teen pop singer and Disney Channel sensation Selena Gomez stars as Grace, who just graduated from high school. She heads-off to Paris on a highly-anticipated vacation with her best friend Emma (played by Katie Cassidy - daughter of singer David Cassidy) and her stepsister Meg ("Gossip Girl's" Leighton Meester).

The trip starts out rather boring and underwhelming. But then Grace is mistaken for a British heiress, a rather selfish and rude one, named Cordelia Winthrop Scott, who, not surprisingly, looks a lot like Grace (and is also played by Gomez).

Grace decides to pretend to be Cordelia and soon the three girls wisked away to Monte Carlo. At this point the trip becomes quite exciting and a little overwhelming, as Grace isn't use to all the attention and excitement that comes with being an heiress - the polo matches, fancy balls and the paparazzi. And she soon finds it hard to keep her real identity a secret from all the royalty around her, and a new boy she meets. And, as you might guess, things start to get real tricky when the real Cordelia comes back on the scene.

If you think the plot of "Monte Carlo" sounds like several other mistaken identity movies you've seen that's because it is. Parts of it are very similar to "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" (the 2003 teen comedy which starred former Disney Channel phenom Hilary Duff), including some exact dialogue ("You look just like her!"). There's also some "Parent Trap" in here, and bits from other similar films.

As for the performances, they're all passable. I liked Gomez better in "Ramona and Beezus" and Meester in "Country Strong". The supporting cast includes Cory Monteith ("Glee") and Andie MacDowell. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman is one of the film's producers.

One of the best things about "Monte Carlo" is the cinematography. The scenes in Paris and Monte Carlo look great. But most impressive are the scenes when both Gomez characters are in the same camera shot. They really look like two different people interacting with each other. 

There are a few amusing moments and a nice message about the importance of helping others. And even though Gomez is the star, the other two leads get their share of screen time.

"Monte Carlo" is rated PG for some brief language. It's appropriate for young girls 7 and up and Gomez fans will adore it. As for guys, as I mentioned at the top, you'll survive the nearly 2-hours - barely. (Parents - you should know that some of the clothing the girls wear is a little revealing for a PG film, so keep that in mind).

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Monte Carlo" gets a C. Gomez also has a song on the soundtrack. She's left the Disney Channel to concentrate on her singing and acting careers. Hopefully she'll seek out better movie roles as she matures.

"Super 8"  is written and directed by J.J. Abrams ("Star Trek", TV's "Lost") and the film's executive producer is Steven Spielberg. That's a pretty good combination.

The story is set in 1979 in small town Ohio. Joe (Joel Courtney) and his friends are making a Zombie movie, that they want to finish over the summer so the can enter it in a Super 8 movie competition. Joe's also dealing with the death of his mother, who was killed in an accident at the factory. The group of boys ask Alice (Elle Fanning) to join the cast of the film.

While shooting a scene one night the group witness a train crash, which it turns out, wasn't an accident. They see some strange things at the accident scene and soon weird things start happening all around the town.

- Before I continue I do want to warn you that I'll be writing about parts of the movie that you may not want to know about. Heading into "Super 8" I didn't know much more about the plot than what I've already laid-out. If you don't want to be spoiled - stop reading now -

People, dogs and electrical objects start disappearing and the whole town is in a panic. Joe's father (Kyle Chandler), who's a police deputy, takes over the investigation because the chief is missing. He tries to figure out why the military has taken over the town and what they're looking for.

The first hour of "Super 8" is pretty good. We get to meet and know these kids, and the set-up - that they accidentally witness and shoot this incredible, mysterious event while making their own movie - really works. But in the second hour "Super 8" becomes just another "alien comes to Earth by accident and a little boy helps him to return home" movie. Sound familiar? Yes, this is a more adult, 2011 version of "E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial", a Spielberg classic and one of my all-time favorite films, with some "Cloverfield" (Abrams 2008 monsters attack NYC movie) thrown in. It's really disappointing that this is the best that these two great filmmakers could come-up with.

And they waste some nice performances. All the kids are very likable and believable, Chandler is solid, as is the rest of the cast. The train crash sequence is pretty amazing, but the rest of the special effects are mainly explosions, which aren't very interesting. And the alien is certainly nothing special.

The movie has a lot of sentimental scenes - the Spielberg touch - but they mostly don't work, including one at the end in which Joe and the alien come face-to-face. CORNY. And even though this movie is about young kids, it's not a kids film. In fact the MPAA didn't release it's rating for "Super 8" until last week. My guess is that they were originally going to give it an "R" because of all the action violence, killing and adult language and some cuts late were made. There are some scary scenes that are absolutely not appropriate for children.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Super 8" gets a C - mostly because the copycat story. Even if you steal ideas from yourself it's still stealing - and that's absolutely what Abrams and Spielberg have done here. Not super, guys.

"Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer" is based on a very popular book series for kids, written by Megan McDonald. She also helped write the screenplay so fans of the books should be pretty happy with this on-screen version.

Australian newcomer Jordana Beatty plays Judy, a third grader who wants to have the best summer ever. To make this happen she has to do as many cool and exciting things as possible, to earn more "thrill points" than her friends. The problem is, her two best friends both go away for the summer, leaving Judy bummed-out.

And what's worse, her parents have to go away to California, leaving Judy and her younger brother Stink at home. Their Aunt Opal (played by Heather Graham) comes to stay with the kids for the summer. But Aunt Opal turns out to be a lot of fun, and she helps Judy earn thrill points and helps Stink try to find Bigfoot, which is all he cares about.

The target audience for "Judy Moody" is 5-9 year olds, and for them, this movie may work. The story is simple and the younger ones will be able to relate to the ups and downs that Judy goes through. Of course the entire movie is predictable, but 8 year olds won't realize that.

The trailer for "Judy Moody" (which I had to see too many times) made this movie look awful. I wasn't sure I'd be able to sit through the entire movie. But I was pleasantly surprised. There are a few gross out and unnecessary scenes but overall "Judy Moody" is far better than the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" movies or "Shorts", other recent family comedies geared toward the elementary school crowd.

Beatty is likable as Judy and the rest of the cast gives it their all, including Graham and Jaleel White (TV's Urkel), who plays Judy's teacher. The movie is directed by John Schultz, whose most recent film, "Aliens in the Attic", was a disaster. Schultz likes close-ups and uses them often. Too often.

Some of the best scenes in "Judy Moody" are the short, animated sequences that Schultz uses from time to time to show Judy's imagination. The animation style is quite cute and the little stories are sweet. I wish there were more of them. The main story - whether or not Judy will have a great summer - is just too basic. There are no real dramatic elements in the plot and the big climactic moment...really isn't.

"Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer" is rated PG. It's fine for anyone under 10, however there are a few scenes that have the characters involved in dangerous activities (including walking a tightrope over a stream and a couple a car chases) that will make parents unhappy.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer" gets a C. Younger kids should enjoy it, older kids should skip it and parents should be happy that there are still films being made like this for their little ones.