Just try not to smile as you watch the imaginative misfit Ramona make classic childhood mistakes in this ebullient adaptation of Beverly Cleary's timeless series.
Honesty about the difficulties, both large and small, of being part of a family is what Ramona and Beezus does best, even if the rough and dangerous edges have been filed down.
[Ramona] deserves better treatment, fairer justice, than she gets in Ramona and Beezus, for no other reason than she's the best thing in it: a rambunctious, bright-eyed mighty mouse with a kaleidoscopic wardrobe and an imagination to match.
This sitcom-bright film doesn't come close to the quality of the Beverly Cleary book series, but it's a sweet, frequently charming effort that doesn't betray its G rating.
