Max Keebles Big Move (2001)

For many in Max Keeble's Big Move's intended audience, the centerpiece of this garish, squeal-pitched preteen comedy about how bad seventh grade sucks may be the cafeteria food fight during which a teacher topples into a trash can. For others, it will be the cool way puny, average-kid Max (Alex D. Linz) manages to outfox his tormentors, including an evil ice cream vendor (Jamie Kennedy) and a relentless class bully (Noel Fisher), while ultimately finding a moment to teach that bullying bullies only makes you a bully, too. (Here's where the intended audience goes ''Oh, bite me with the lecture.'') Those looking for adult diversion, meanwhile, have only two choices: (1) Admire the way comedian Larry Miller, in the pivotal role of inanely grandiose school principal, throws himself into stupid fits of fussiness with the same devotion he applied to the infinitely superior Disney comedy ''The Princess Diaries''; or (2) Admire supermodel Amber Valletta's dramatic stretch in the role of seventh grade's glossiest science teacher ever.

You Might Also Like

• Movie News Why ''Max Keeble's Big Move'' is a gamble (Oct 05, 2001) | Tricia Johnson
• Movie News Pay-Per-View takes a big gamble (1997) | John McManus, Paula Parisi
• Cover Story CRUNCHING NUMBERS (1997) | Benjamin Svetkey
• Movie News New boy actors | Dave Karger
• Movie Review Beeswax (Aug 07, 2009) | Owen Gleiberman
• Movie Review Cold Souls (Aug 07, 2009) | Lisa Schwarzbaum