Los peores años de mi vida

As I've said a thousand times before, the lack of live-action comedies for the younger members of our society saddens me. In the '90s, when I grew up, you couldn't get away from them. It was awesome. But nowadays, pre-teens' only options for movies are of the superhero variety. Or some other big budget franchise. Unless they merely want to watch animated films with characters that aren't human. And I'm not knocking computer animation. It's just that during a time when empathy is getting further and further away, it's nice for kids to see "tangible" characters that they can actually relate to.

And there have been some good live-action options for kids semi-lately. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, for example, was perfect. But many others dumb themselves down for children. And when this happens, you lose the parents as well.

Middle School isn't like that. It's full of quality humor and an engaging storyline that will find both kids and adults laughing out loud--the latter might even be surprised with how much they like it.

The film follows Rafe (Griffin Gluck), a middle schooler who's been inexplicably kicked out of his previous two schools. His active imagination, along with problems with authority, get him into trouble. Especially at his new school, where the principal (Andrew Daly) acts as a warden, creating asinine rules. The kids aren't allowed to talk in the hallways, wear colorful clothes, or even draw pictures.

Rafe isn't having any of this nonsense and wages a war with his principal in a Home Alone-type of way. It's highly entertaining seeing what he comes up with and how his life progresses with those around him, including his best friend, Leo (Thomas Barbusca), his sister Georgia (Alexa Nisenson), and his cool insouciant teacher, Mr. Teller (Adam Pally).

And with the quality talents of Rob Riggle, who plays Rafe's borderline-abusive future stepfather, and Daly, Middle School has humor for young and old.

Yeah, the script has some issues with a couple of jarring tonal shifts, but it also refreshingly surprises us when we least expect it.

I have a hard time knocking a film that does its job. It never talks down to kids--in fact, it gets kids all too well. There isn't some over-exaggeration of how much they use their phones. Even the banter feels lifelike. It speaks to adolescents who are at that "middle" stage between childhood and responsibility-hood. It's a fun time that most of us took for granted. But Middle School pleasantly brings us back so we can live it over again with Rafe--in a stunningly committed first-person narrative.

This film isn't just going through the motions, folks. There's a lot of genuine intent throughout. Plot points and jokes that are obviously very well meditated upon. While sitting and watching this movie, I legitimately thought to myself, "This isn't just a moneymaker for them--they actually want it to be good." Even if it were among the other classic live-action kid films of yesteryear, I would still go out of my way to watch it. I wish I had this movie when I was growing up. But at least I have it now.

Twizard Rating: 89

#MiddleSchoolMovie made me cry. I didn't expect the story to be so sad, but it really was, and it's all in a good way. The film is fun, adorable, heartwarming and it just makes you want to hold your loved ones closer than ever. There needs to be more and more movies like this.

The story is quite simple, it's about this young kid named Rafe (Griffin Gluck) who has an active imagination. He loves drawing stuff on his notebook and the characters come to life in this quirky animation which is part of the film's appeal. But Andrew Daly's character, the school principal is anti-creativity, so he's always on Rafe's case. So Rafe strikes back with all kinds of hilarious pranks. But at home, his mom is dating a jerk of a boyfriend who's giving him and his sister a hard time. So all in all, it hasn't been a good school year for Rafe, not to mention his family is still trying to recuperate from a certain tragedy.

Without spoiling any important plot points, let me just say that the fun parts are fun and the dramatic parts are truly dramatic, this is not a movie that insults anybody's intelligence just because it's a PG movie for younger viewers. Based on James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts' novel that I haven't read yet, but this film sure motivates me to buy a copy, what I think makes MIDDLE SCHOOL effective is that the comedy aspect isn't mean to get your guard down, and the emotional aspect isn't quickly dropped like some kind of anvil. It also opens your eyes, you realize that even a middle-schooler can go through a lot We sometimes underestimate them, we often forget that those formative years are crucial to a human being and so I think the film does a good job of showing that.

Actor Andrew Daly has played this type of douchebag authoritative role before and so has Rob Riggle in a role of a jerk, so both actors are comfortable in their element, they know what they're doing and they got it down to a science. It's absolute pure joy watching them do what they do best even if we may not like their characters. Kudos to all the kid actors as well, especially Griffin Gluck and Alexa Nisenson who seem so effortless in their performances. What other actors may have to learn for years in order to get to that point of exposing their emotions and shedding it for the screen, these kids make it seem like a walk in the park 'cause they wear it on their sleeves. What an incredible talent for such a young age. This movie's got tons of animation as well that will be sure to put a smile on your face. You will come out of the theater a much better person than when you were when you enter in. That's how surprisingly positive and powerful this film is.

-- Rama's Screen --

Rafe Khatchadorian is a troubled student who is obsessed with his drawings. Jules (Lauren Graham) is his single mom and Bear (Rob Riggle) is her annoying boyfriend. Georgia is his smart-mouth sister. He starts at a strict new school run by the Principal Dwight and VP Stricker. He finds fellow troublemaker Leo attending the last chance school. Mr. Teller (Adam Pally) is his loose teacher. Leo talks him into breaking all the rules.

It's sporadically fun in a childish coming of age movie. The adults are one dimensional or half dimensional. There are a few too many jerks. It's unnecessary for the maitre-D to be one. It's like Diary of a Wimpy Kid but less compelling. Rafe doesn't have the spunk. The kid playing Leo would be better. It's all a little bit unlikeable. They need a more charismatic lead.

Honestly, It was one of those days when I just wanted to see a movie and anything would do. So I went to see Middle School as it was playing at the time I showed up. I herd of the movie, I did not have low expectations, and did not have any exceptions.

So what I got is a very entertaining movie. This genre of movie has never peaked my interest, so I was real surprised how much I actually liked it. It's pretty funny. A lot of good jokes that I generally enough to appeal to a large variety of people. A few laugh out loud moments, and a lot of small ones that really keep the momentum going.

This is despite the fact that the cast of characters was pretty generic and mediocre, except for one named Georgia, the little sister of the main character Rafe. Should have been more of her on the screen.

Was also surprised at how deep the movie got. It's main plot of letting children be creative individuals did not spark much inside me, but the subplots of dealing with the lost of a family member did hit home, and was delivered perfectly.

Plus, there was some cool animation in it, and I'm a sucker for that.

Overall Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life was worth the ticket. It makes me feel differently about movies like this overall.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. Who can't relate to that sentiment? At school, you have to deal with peer pressure and bullies and, at home, you probably have issues with your siblings and parents who just don't understand. You may be experiencing your first real crush, but not know how to talk to that special someone – or what you're supposed to do after you manage to have a conversation. You're just starting to figure out who you are as a person, but there's still so much that you're not sure about. You're only beginning to make sense out of life, but you lack the life experience and perspective to understand what's important and what's not. You're confused, frustrated and maybe a little bit lost. You just wish you had some… some… control. All this is why the James Patterson novel turned-big-screen-adaptation "Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life" (PG, 1:32) is so relatable – and so fun.

Rafe Khatchadorian (Griffin Gluck) is having a rough year. His younger brother died of leukemia, his father has left the family, Rafe's often fighting with his even younger sister, Georgia (Alexa Nisenson), and his mother, Jules (Lauren Graham), is struggling with all of this and dating an obnoxious, two-faced, self-centered guy named Carl (Rob Riggle). Rafe deals with all this through the drawings and imaginative worlds he creates in his sketch book – and by acting out in school. In fact, Rafe has been expelled from two different schools and is transferring to the last school who will take him. In his new middle school, he really has only one friend, his partner-in-crime, Leo (Thomas Barbusca). Rafe does get along well with his homeroom teacher, Mr. Teller (Adam Pally), and he hopes that one day he can be more than friends with Jeanne (Isabela Moner), the sweet and socially conscious A.V. Club President. Unfortunately, Rafe's more immediate concerns at school are Miller (Jacob Hopkins), the bully who sits right behind him in class, the school's tough and unreasonable Vice Principal, Ida Stricker (Retta) and the strict disciplinarian and completely kid un-friendly, Principal Dwight (Andy Daly, the principal on TV's "Modern Family").

Principal Dwight only really cares about two things – his school's continued high scores on an annual achievement test known as the B.L.A.A.R. (Base Line Assessment of Academic Readiness) – and his long list of school rules which he enforces on his students without compassion. Dwight is the kind of principal who "welcomes" a new student by pointing out a slew of dress code violations before the new kid even enters the school for the first time – and then destroys that same student's treasured sketch book just because some kids were passing it around during a school assembly. At Leo's urging, Rafe decides to get his revenge on Dwight by destroying the principal's book – his rule book – as in, making it a goal to literally break every rule in the book, but not get caught. What follows is a series of creative and intricate pranks which inhabit their own Facebook page: "Rules Aren't For Everyone". While Rafe is busy with his own brand of "don't try this at home" stunts, he's also dealing with an escalating situation between him and Miller, Rafe's growing feelings for Jeanne and the increasingly serious relationship between his mom and Carl, whom he and his sister unflatteringly call "Bear".

"Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life" is very enjoyable and surprisingly poignant. While mainly focused on Rafe's complicated family life and his war with his principal, the story works in some subtle criticism of modern trends in education – and an emotional twist near the end that will shock those who haven't read the book. Daly makes a perfect antagonist (effectively supplemented by Retta's, Riggle's and Hopkins' characters), while Moner is fittingly adorable and Gluck and the other actors who play members of the Khatchadorian family create relatable and sympathetic characters. This cast is full of actors many Movie Fans will recognize… and have trouble placing, but they make for a great ensemble.

Throughout the movie, there are creative and entertaining animated sequences which bring Rafe's imaginative pen-and-ink creations to life – and his equally imaginative rule-breaking makes for some great (albeit over-the-top) visuals. Realism isn't the main consideration, but a sense of (relatively) harmless fun is – and that we get in spades. This story feels like it's actually being told from the perspective of a middle schooler – and is likely to have a lot of appeal for an audience of the same – and maybe even for their parents… and for the odd movie reviewer who remembers well the trauma of middle school, is happy just to have survived it and would've liked to have been as brave and resourceful as the main characters in this movie. "A-"