The Even Stevens Movie

I recently saw this movie (that naturally, the Disney Channel's pushing *real* hard, it's been on multiple times a day for the last several days (or so it seems)) and I can state with clear certainty that I am glad it wasn't released in the theatres (unlike the much glossier Lizzie McGuire movie).

There's a certain plodding to the entire script (obviously inspired by all that Reality TV lately, and sprinkling in some rhetoric from THE TRUMAN SHOW), it feels very laboured and drawn out a bit.

Perhaps it could have been shortened to an hour (that's with some commercials) or filled with a bit more substance. For that matter, the whole movie would have been better if the premise of the characters being on a Reality TV show wasn't exposed nearly as soon as it was.

Still, it seems to follow that same Disney formula of funny moments, love and everything ending happily everafter. I think that if you're a big fan of the TV series, you'll like this movie, since you'll see familiar characters pulling off bits of their familiar antics. If you have never seen the TV series, you'd be best waiting to see regular episodes first, then trying this movie later (knowing Disney's broadcast schedule, this will probably pop up repeatedly at random intervals for the next year or so).