Plot: What’s it about?
This summer is going to the best summer ever, or so Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) has promised herself. That promise might be hard to keep however, as she discovers her summer isn’t going to be as she hoped. All of her close friends have made plans to go out of town, her parents have to leave on family business, and even her little brother seems poised to have a better summer. So Judy’s hopes sink and her summer seems destined to be a disappointment. When her Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) arrives to watch over her while the parents are gone however, things start to turn around. Even while she thinks the summer is lost, she starts to have fun with Opal and her awkward friend Frank, unaware of how well the summer might be after all. Will Judy realize what a great summer is ahead of her, or will she dwell on the down side of things?
A lot of so called family friendly cinema tends to be rather…lame. The kind of stuff kids can see right through and adults are put to sleep by. I have never read the Judy Moody books, so I assumed the movie would fall in line with similar content, recycled gross jokes and a bunch of snarky kids. While there are some gross moments, they’re infrequent and the kids actually seemed like kids, which isn’t that common. I still wasn’t bowled over by the movie, but it was a nice change of pace to find a film that lived up to the family friendly promises. I think younger viewers will have a lot of fun with this one, as it is has a good sense of humor and characters that are relatable. And with a brisk pace and plenty of set pieces, adults won’t be checking their watches often. I give the filmmakers a lot of credit, as there was a sincere effort to deliver entertainment for the entire family. While not a total success, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is still well recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. As you’d expect from a recent release, the movie looks terrific here. The visual design provides vibrant colors and a natural overall presence. The image displays remarkable detail and depth, so you’ll know you’re watching HD with this one. So we have impressive detail, vivid colors, and accurate contrast, not much else we could want.
Audio: How does it sound?
The DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack might not explode through the speakers, but it provides an excellent presentation. The surrounds are mostly used for the musical soundtrack, but some directional presence is here. A few scenes have some great background noises, you might even look out the window to see if the sounds were real. The main focus is on dialogue however, with crisp vocals and no volume issues to contend with. This release also includes a French language track, as well as English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In addition to a DVD version of the movie and a digital copy for portable devices, you’ll find three featurettes, a trivia game, a music video from Camryn, and some deleted scenes.
