Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

"Based on Judith Viorst’s book for kids, director Miguel Arteta delivers what amounts to a big screen version of TVs Malcolm in the Middle. As young Alexander, Ed Oxenbould demonstrates the requisite cutes as he, his siblings, and parents (played by Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner), experience a day that goes from silly mishaps to slapstick mayhem."

"You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to pronounce their undying love for Tim Burton's 2010 adaptation of Alice In Wonderland, but the film made over a billion dollars at the global box office, so here we are."

"A passable, tolerable, not unbearable, totally inoffensive adaptation of Judith Viorst’s beloved 1972 children’s book."

"The movie’s admirable fleetness doesn’t mitigate some of its narrative errors..."

"The latest example of a wonderful children's book turned into a mediocre movie."

"Slapstick chuckles are duly delivered, but the edgy spark with which director Miguel Arteta made his name is notable by its absence."

"A painfully minor movie that doubles as an accidental study in how pros handle themselves when given less-than-challenging material."

"The homily-laden wrap-up, stressing the upside of bad days, is enough to make you hold your nose..."

"Sweet and good-hearted, this feels like a throwback to family comedies of the '80s."