Story

Alexander (Thom Nemer) has always had bad luck. When he discovers an ancient Mexican idol wrapped up in his great-grandfather’s trunk in the attic and hears about the curse associated with it, his unfortunate streak begins to make sense. Learning that his travel writer mother, Val Garcia (Eva Longoria), is about to take the family on a road trip to Mexico, Alexander begs her and his father Frank (Jesse Garcia) to reconsider, but to no avail.

When Alex spills his drink into the console of their top-of-the-line RV, the electronic system goes haywire and they crash into a giant alien statue, irreparably damaging the RV and decapitating the alien. The family is ready to pack it in and return home, when Alex and his sister Mia (Paulina Chavez) learn that the idol has somehow managed to follow them on the trip. This discovery is followed, moments later, by a phone call informing them that their father’s restaurant is closing down.

Seeking advice from a roadside witchdoctor, the siblings learn that the only way to break the curse is to return the statue to its home.

Forced to find another mode of transport, the family ends up in a rundown, skunk-infested RV that gets sucked down a river and lodges against rocks. When the family loses control of the borrowed vehicle, it plummets over a cliff, nearly taking Mia and Alex with it.

The family walks the rest of the way to the city of Soledad. As they walk, they build bonds, find courage and ultimately discover that they make their own luck.

Themes

Curses; superstitions; witches; bad luck; excessive worrying

Violence

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip has some violence. For example:

• An RV crashes into a huge cowboy alien sign, toppling the body and decapitating the head.
• A man burns his cornfield to kill bugs, but the fire rages out of control and burns down an entire town.
• The family’s RV gets dragged down a river. It lodges against some rocks, where water begins to fill it and the family must escape.
• Alex falls against a brake stick and the van careers down a steep hill. It nearly takes Mia and Alex over a cliff before it bursts into flames. The monkey idol shoots through the sky in flames and lands at the family’s feet.
• One character slaps another.

Sexual references

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip has some sexual references. For example, a shop owner asks Mia about the cute boy she wants a love potion for.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There’s no use of substances in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.

Nudity and sexual activity

There’s no nudity and sexual activity in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip: Cheetos and Doritos.

Coarse language

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip has some mild coarse language, name-calling and insults, including ‘crappy’, ‘rat’, ‘jeez’ and ‘dummy’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip is a comedy adventure featuring a predictable plot and well-cast characters. It’s a movie best suited to families with children aged 8 years and older.

The main messages from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip are that it’s important to appreciate the small moments, find humour in frustrating situations, and remember that even the worst days can be blessings in disguise.

Values in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip that you could reinforce with your children include empathy, courage, teamwork, love and resilience.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the importance of believing in themselves and making smart choices, instead of worrying about everything that could go wrong.