Max Keebler's Big Move

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

For the preteen set, much of the thrill from going to the movies is just that—not the film itself, but the very act of going to the movies. The producers of Max Keeble's Big Move must have been banking on this. Max (Alex Linz) is the young middle school protagonist. He's a little small, and a little unpopular. The school bully, the unprincipled principal, and even the Ice Cream Man are out to get him. When Max learns that his family will be moving to Chicago, he plans an audacious, messy scheme for revenge. The catch is that his father (Robert Carradine) gets inspired by Max's do-it-yourself strength and decides to keep the family in town.

The storyline is acceptable; it's execution is not. Dull stereotypes populate Max's world. Max Keeble's Big Move commits the crime of underestimating its target audience. This means that even your kid might recognize that it's hastily made.