Ramona and Beezus Sweet, Harmless

Ramona and Beezus plays fast and loose with its source material, the classic children's books by Beverly Cleary, but the family movie—Disney tween favorite Selena Gomez's film debut—generally has the critics on its side.

• Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: "The overall tone of the film is sunny, with Ramona and Beezus resiliently turning life's lemons into lemonade." The flick also "boasts a daddy/daughter plotline that is very touching."

• Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: "Frankly feels like three or four installments of a low-budget "Ramona" TV series stitched together. But it does have some modest charm—mostly due to the strong child performance at its center."
• Mike Hale, New York Times: "Parents may be happy to see a movie for children that doesn’t involve wizards, vampires or action figures that can be bought in the food court."
• Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: "Emphasizes childhood conflicts, confusion and emotions over slapstick—no great sin. But the movie takes too long to settle on that tone."

For more on Gomez, who has a rep for being "the next Miley Cyrus"—without the revealing photos and onstage antics—click here.
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