Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip

This sequel delivers familiar family-road comedy vibes and tries to explore cultural themes, but ultimately falls flat due to weak humor and minimal chemistry. Julian Roman notes that themes of learning your roots and respecting cultural differences almost make up for the strained attempts at humor and a surprising lack of cast chemistry .

For me, the movie features a few cute moments (especially from Cheech Marin), but most of the slapstick feels tired and predictable. The "bad luck curse" idol adds a memorable twist, yet the stakes rarely feel real, and the characters seldom grow beyond caricatures.

It's not a terrible watch-kids may enjoy the physical comedy-but adults will likely be bored by the formulaic setup and lack of genuine laughs. A passable, if forgettable, family flick.

Disney+'s new venture is to bring us a new adventure based on Judith Viorst's book, and it does so with a fun family comedy that will have you having a good time in front of the screen with the simplicity of its Latin charm within an American family.

Bet on a charismatic cast.

One of the film's greatest achievements is its charismatic cast, with whom you can connect immediately and grow to love as a family from the very first minutes. Eva Longoria, Jesse Garcia, Paulina Chávez, and especially Thom Nemer have a blast in this family adventure filled with situations that make us laugh easily and also transport us to the heart of a family with those Latin roots. We can also add Rose Portillo and Cheech Marin as great supporting characters. This whole chaotic family adventure is in the good hands of a family that makes you experience good times.

It is light, for the whole family.

Director Marvin Lemus and screenwriter Matt López play it safe and don't complicate the story to please everyone. They invite us on a family trip filled with effective clichés and few things that break the mold, but that allows you to get hooked from the start and surrender to a film that lets you disconnect and spend a pleasant moment in front of the screen. It doesn't ask for more than it delivers, nor does it need to; it's a film that's easy to connect with, easy to love, and above all, quite funny, which is what delivers the most satisfaction. A simple family story for adults and children in equal measure.

Conclusion.

A pleasant film that lives up to expectations. It won't revolutionize the screen, but it will provide a pleasant family moment where laughter is guaranteed, along with excitement and that flavor of Mexican and, at times, Latin culture, which is always a pleasant moment to watch.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip (2025) is a standalone sequel to the 2014 movie and it was just as pointless as I expected it to be.

Positives for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip (2025): The acting from the cast is pretty good for what they had to work with. The movie isn't as bad as I thought it would be. That's all I've got to say for the positives.

Negatives for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip (2025): There is no reason for this movie to exist aside from Disney wanting to possibly start a franchise. The plot is very formulaic and not funny. This feels like some generic road trip movie with a couple of changes made to the script. And finally, the movie is forgettable.

Overall, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip (2025) is a bad movie and an unnecessary sequel to a good movie.

"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip" is a Comedy movie in which we follow Alexander and his family as they embark on a chaotic adventure full of misfortune, unexpected twists, and humorous moments.

I have to admit that I didn't have any expectation from this movie and I hadn't watched its trailer before watching it. It had some funny and light-hearted scenes but it failed to deliver the emotional depth or meaningful message that would make it truly memorable. Its short duration felt rushed at times and lacked the connection with the audience that similar family comedies managed to achieve. The interpretations of Eva Longoria who played as Val Garcia, Thom Nemer who played as Alexander Garcia, Paulina Chávez who played as Mia Garcia and Jesse Garcia who played as Frank Garcia were decent but not enough to elevate the movie. In conclusion, I have to say that "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip" is a nice movie to spend your time with but don't expect much from it otherwise you will be disappointed.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip is an exciting roller coaster ride of life's ups and downs. It has everything from exploding ice cream trucks to even an evil spirit. I love how the family in this story never gives up; even if things get terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad.

This movie tells about the disastrous vacation of a Mexican American family that has lost touch with their roots. Alexander (Thom Nemer) is a very unlucky 11-year old who is terrified to learn that his heritage involves a cursed idol. He becomes determined to turn his bad luck around by returning the idol to its rightful home. Unfortunately, this means taking an eventful road trip to Mexico City with his family that will leave a lasting impression on not only Alexander's family, but everyone they encounter.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip is full of belly laughs. I especially love how the family struggles to hold onto a vehicle. They start their trip with a fancy, high end RV and conclude their trip stranded and hanging on by a thread. It is also clever how the movie adds tiny comedic moments to every scene. One instance of this is when the family has to change clothes due to a very stinky chance meeting with a skunk. It is entertaining to try to read the T-shirts they are forced to change into. My favorite is the shirt that Grandma Lidia (Rose Portillo) has to wear which says, "Britney Spears Changed My Life." Another memorable moment is the interaction with the shop clerk, Claudio (Harvey Guillen). His reaction to the cursed idol was priceless and cracked me up. He is so dramatic and colorful. Everything he does is amusing, from putting on gloves to touch the idol to purifying the negative energy with sage once the idol leaves. He really adds some flare to the show.

The film's message is that if bad luck is all you look for, then you'll definitely find it - a positive mindset is everything. It also shows the importance of appreciating your heritage. This show is family friendly, but be aware there are some dangerous stunts and some bad language.

I give Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It began streaming on Disney+ on Friday, March 28, 2025.

By Kinsley H., KIDS FIRST!