Posted: 10/19/2001

Max Keeble’s Big Move

(2001)

by Jason Gallagher

Max Keeble’s big bore…

Junior high, a time in many people’s lives when they find out if they have what it takes to be in the “in crowd” or if they are doomed to go through the remainder of puberty branded a geek.

That’s the setting for Disney’s latest foray into the preteen genre, Max Keeble’s Big Move, a movie that lives up to its name in that it is indeed “big” on immaturity and predictability, but alas, falls far short on laughs and substance.

The pintsized Alex D. Linz of Home Alone 3 fame stars as Max, a boy on a mission to become “phat” and land the girl of his dreams. The girl, Jenna, (Brooke Anne Smith) sets off a Britney Spears song in Max’s head every time he sees her. His mission fails when he is singled out for abuse by not one, but two bullies — Troy McGinty (Noel Fisher-Freddy Got Fingered, Valentine), the roughneck king of toilet swirlies; and Dobbs (Orlando Brown- Perfect Game, Senseless), the stereotypical lunch-money thief.

The plot turns when Max finds out that his family will be moving at the end of the week. Since Max knows he won’t be in town long enough to face any repercussions, he decides to strike back against his aggressors. (Cue Revenge of the Nerds theme.)

The only scene that actually entertains the movie’s intended audience is the cafeteria food fight scene, highlighted by a teacher getting toppled into a garbage can. Other than that, the laughs were few and far between for the adolescent crowd.

The movie is so predictable that I found myself correctly predicting what would happen in the next scene on more than one occasion. A rare enjoyable element of the film is provided through the antics of the school’s principal, Elliott T. Jindraike (Larry Miller-The Princess Diaries, Nutty Professor 2). Miller provides adult comic relief by throwing a tantrum every time he doesn’t get his way. My favorite moment of the movie occurs when he tells one his students to stop smiling because, “this (school) is not a happy place,” and then knocks the student’s books to the floor.

By movie’s end, Max realizes that by getting back at the bullies, he has become a bully himself. (Cue cheesy, eye-rolling lecture music.) Worse yet, his family is no longer moving away, which means he must now deal with the consequences of his actions. On the romantic front, he once again goes the predictable route and ditches the stuck-up Britney Spears look-alike for his best friend, Megan (Zena Grey-Snow Day).

If you are an immature junior high kid who is amused by such things as people who eat garbage, I implore you to go to this movie. Otherwise, I’d send this one straight to detention.

Jason Gallagher is a freelance writer and student of Journalism at Kent State. He is a huge Penguins fan, but don’t hold that against him.

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